"Spiritual not religious" I know this subject has probably been beat to death but having just come across this quote in a dating profile, maybe one of you spiritual people can explain this to me. Here is the quote:
"I have a regular spiritual practice that includes meditation, reading, writing and prayer. I'm not religious but it's fine if you are. There are a thousand paths to the Divine."
So if you're not religious, just who or what are you praying to?
(By the way, I subscribe to the second definition of spiritual which correlates with religion)
Please see my "update" below for her response to me...
6
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32 comments (26 - 32)
Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.Still sounds like religion to me
bobwjr
Level 10
Aug 1, 2019
2
I think what it means is any view that uplifts one's attitude or doing things makes them have a better outlook including but not limited to saying "Omm" 5,000 times.
Half way through boot camp I was spending the evening drawing a crowd, chanting omm. I've never had such a high stress experience than boot camp. There I was with sufficient weapons and too many witnesses. Stress wise it was only second to substitute teaching the Future Felons of America (FFA*) in junior high school.
In Brownsville, FL, FFA means Future Felons of America.
In Iowa FFA means Future Farmers of America.
*In San Francisco FFA means Fist Fuckers of America.
In my own specific case, I believe there may be some form of life after death, based on experiences my father and brother had with people who had just passed away. My father and brother are two of the most sane, rational people I know. That's the spiritual part.
As far as the religious goes, I don't believe any organized religion has any particular insight with respect to how the universe was created, what that creator wants for us, what happens after you die, etc. That's where the "not religious" comes from.
BD66
Level 8
Aug 1, 2019
2
Spiritual to me just means unknown in the sense of unexplained.
Mcflewster
Level 8
Aug 1, 2019
2
And who or what do you pray to?
@lerlo Praying accomplishes nothing directly . Actual thinking about a person more may have effects but "Why should I pray?" when I can reason out solutions?
@Mcflewster well that was the original question caused by this woman's comment that she was spiritual but not religious but prayed. Turns out based on her reply to me that she does pray so I can't think of a reason but if you say you're not religious and you still pray I'm pretty sure youre religious
@lerlo Interesting observation about my own religiosity. I belie=ve that we should play them at their own game but get them to reach different conclusions .......... after a very long time .........eventually.
Maybe this person is attending the UU? (Unitarian universalist)
What are the Unitarian Universalist principles?
The inherent worth and dignity of every person;Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations;A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations (copied from Wikipedia)
Cecilia2018
Level 7
Aug 1, 2019
2
Perhaps. But who/what do they pray to and why?
@Cecilia2018 wow, thanks. That makes almost as much sense as god. " “Prayer does not change things; prayer changes people, and people change things…. Prayer is not hearing voices, prayer is acquiring a voice.” Put that in your pipe and smoke it!
We should worship baseball. Baseball doesnt change things. Baseball changes people. People change baseball. Kinda like that Banafana fofana song...just change the noun and you get your own cult.
@lerlo , great idea. let's see how this sound if I put the word "Atheism"
Atheism doesn't change things.
Atheism changes people. People change Atheism.
Thanks for the idea. Oh yes, Atheism is changing my view about humanity and cultures' beliefs.
@Cecilia2018 as you read the comments here you can see obviously the word prayer means whatever anybody wants it to mean. Which is convenient when the answer may be nonsensical.
@lerlo , So prayers are like alcoholic beverages that come in different flavors and each person choose whatever she or he thinks is good and convinient. For me as non-drinker, alcoholic beverages are nonsensical like prayers.
@Cecilia2018 which takes us full circle back to my question: who or what are they praying to?
Who or what are they asking for help? It can be couched in whatever terms you want it to be or they want it to be and if the answer is vanilla ice cream then I got the answer I expected 
if it looks like a duck, sounds like a duck and walks like a duck...
@lerlo, Ok keep searching for the asnwers , don't give Up while the person who wrote the profile is chilling out with her favorite drink. If I continue answering to you it will be nonsensical. Have a wonderful day.
@Cecilia2018 See her response to me in the above update
Now what definition of religion do you subscribe to? What definition of God do you subscribe to? One may consider the possibility of a grander perceiving ability than what we experience in our limited existence. But saying, "I'm not religious," could mean that one does not hold to mythology or the God created in the image and likeness of, "man." Or maybe one does not like the fact that religion is created by and talks to men. So maybe one does not like the God that is as petty as the human creature and gets jealous and drops hot rocks on people's heads.
MrDMC
Level 7
Aug 1, 2019
1
I tried asking here who was just mad at god and got called all kinds of wonderful names. I had people admit to being mad at god and then stop believing and some were just mad at god but to say you're not religious but pray? Leads me back to the original question.
re·li·gion
/rəˈlijən/
noun
- the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods:
I think my view on it can best be explained by this excerpt taken from Einstein's "This I Believe"
"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the Mysterious — the knowledge of the existence of something unfathomable to us, the manifestation of the most profound reason coupled with the most brilliant beauty. I cannot imagine a God who rewards and punishes the objects of his creation, or who has a will of the kind we experience in ourselves. I am satisfied with the mystery of life’s eternity and with the awareness of — and glimpse into — the marvelous construction of the existing world together with the steadfast determination to comprehend a portion, be it ever so tiny, of the reason that manifests itself in nature. This is the basics of cosmic religiosity, and it appears to me that the most important function of art and science is to awaken this feeling among the receptive and keep it alive."
To me, religion is institutionalized group spirituality- and it breeds all sorts of problems- it's best to just be spiritual. Being agnostic, I claim I do not have knowledge of what is running this show called life, the universe, everything. Whatever it could be, I don't think we would even have the capacity to understand. Nevertheless, we have life, the universe, everything- and we hardly understand those things. What I think Einstein was saying is to be spiritual is to go out and explore, study, and understand the mechanisms of these things as best we can. To be spiritual is to do science, or otherwise just have appreciation for this life we have, and life around us.
Rooster128
Level 4
Aug 4, 2019
0
Maybe they partake in spirits or maybe they believe in ghosts. Theres many ways a person can be spiritual without beliefs in a God.
Bangkokbob
Level 6
Aug 1, 2019
0
So they pray to spirits or ghosts?
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