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There are individuals who believe that being spiritual and religious are not the same thing. I think that they are concurrent.
Do you think being religious and spiritual is different?

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HumanistA 5 Dec 25
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16 comments

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2

In order to even enter this discussion, I would need a definition of terms, or we will be debating in circles.

1

Of course they can be. Religious has to do with religion. Religions are organizations. One can be spiritual, a word open to many interpretations, and not be a part of a religious organization.

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0

Religion is following a dogma. Spirituality is a by-product of activities such as meditation and music.

1

IMHO, I think "spiritual" is generally just a euphemism for "I'm not an atheist."

0

There is no correlation between the two. Religion is about praxis and doctrine. Spirituality refers to inner conviction.

1

As far as I can tell, the thing about both is a belief in what can't be proven, and works totally on the imagination.

There is no defined belief in spirituality. It just is whatever you experience.

@starwatcher-al same with religion, no difference.

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Absofuckinglutly religion is a cult and spiritualism is an individual thing

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It all depends on definitions.

In my view, religion is just organized spirituality, and someone who disavows religion is just a religion of one (at best).

Religious faith is a failed epistemology no matter who does or doesn't practice it with you.

2

I believe they can be very different, and they can be mutually inclusive. Spirituality can mean different things to different folks. Religious means you follow a religious doctrine created by a religious organization, and that is where the trouble starts. At least that is the way I see it.

2

It depends on word usages and definitions. As a Religious Naturalist I am both religious and spiritual. There are different ways of being religious. To be spiritual is to feel deep awe and reverence for reality and to face existence without shirking. That’s my definition.

1

I've had people tell me that I am "spiritual" but this can mean anything that you want it to mean. Usually it is a copout for believing in your own way. This means religion and spiritual are concurrent.

7

Spirituality is about one’s soul and inner self. Being spiritual involves holding one’s personal set of beliefs and practices and searching for ones purpose in life. Spirituality is broader and more abstract than religion. Religion maintains a defined tangible code of ethics, while spirituality is largely undefinable

@Gwendolyn2018 In regards to spirituality it is a persons deeply felt moral and emotional nature.For religious individuals it has a different connotation .

@Gwendolyn2018 Christians generally think one's consciousness is their soul. You know, that part of you that will leave your corporeal form and float away to heaven when you die and live forever.

2

I do not use the word "spiritual, as I do not believe that human beings have 😕pirits. We are moral, aesthetic, thinking, and deeply feeling beings, yes. But, I do not call that spiritual.

...or souls.

3

Hiking is a transcendent, uplifting and spiritual experience for me. I have been an atheist since age 13.

Since age 21, I have hiked over 200 miles/year with over 50,000' of elevation gain. It's awe-inspiring. I feel grounded and centered high in the mountains.

I can't remember the source, but I read an article that talked about how walking engages the more rudimentary parts of our brain; helping tamp down runaway cognition.

Your hiking probably engages the endorphins the same as running does, just maybe not as intense.

@starwatcher-al

You are incorrect. I keep my heart rate up while hiking. The women I hike with are fast.

I am filled with endorphins while hiking and running. Feeling happy lasts.

@BitFlipper Yes no one is sure why but I have heard that too, several times. It may also provide inspiration and enhance problem solving. It could be that back in the day when we were hunter gatherers, our brains took walking as a sign that we had started work, and that it was now time to put our high mental powers into gear.

0

I think being spiritual is being emotional, and being religious is practicing emotional discipline.

skado Level 9 Dec 25, 2019
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