Spirituality can refer to an ultimate or an alleged immaterial reality, an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of his or her being; or the the deepest values and meanings by which people live.
When religion is mentioned to me I automatically think of God and priests and church. I am so not a religious person and personally don't think there is such a thing as God. However that is just my opinion, I don't believe in the Devil and I don't believe in a heaven or hell. I don't criticize anyone for their belief system, I personally think everyone needs to believe in something in their lifetime. Weather it is a God or Devil it isn't up to me or anyone else to judge them.
Religion, weather practiced by one or many, generally consists of a set path or a working guide to either enlightenment or salvation. It consists of such things as dogma and rituals as a way to commune with the religion's deity or as a path to enlightenment.
Spirituality is the desire and drive behind what a person believes. It can either be accompanied by a religion/dogma or stand alone. If a person believes in something greater where it is a God, enlightenment or something unnameable, and acts upon that belief in some way (prayer, meditation, good will towards others, acts of kindness, living a good life or bad, pursuit of higher knowledge etc) then that person could be seen as spiritual. Many people label themselves spiritual when they have the belief in something greater but cannot bring themselves to trust in a set relgion .
Religion can be seen as a pathway that leads to God. The pathway is not God, but in the best and highest intentions it would lead people closer to their God. All true religious paths and teachings came into existence through divine inspiration and revelation, the spark of God's love and light that opens a pathway for god's presence to be seen and felt more directly.
Spirituality is a more general term that includes religion but that also encompasses the general human impulse to reach out towards the greater whole of which we all are a part. The difference between religion and spirituality is simply that most religions offer a specific set of beliefs and structures to help people to attune to their innate spirituality.
Maybe when religion was first started, it was a pure and holy thing, which throughout time has become bastardised. Maybe this is the reason so many have turned their backs on God. I think that religion is something you are taught about as a child and you either take it with you or you don't as we get older. I never came from a religious background so maybe that is why I don't believe.
Even though I don't believe in God, I would never try and push that onto someone who does, so why do some religions tend to push their beliefs onto others? I once had a certain religion turn up on my door, and when I told them that I wasn't interested I was told that my children will suffer for my sins. Strong words to say to a mother. Needless to say after I was informed that, the callers were told in no uncertain terms where they could stick their so called religion. I know not all religions or relgious people are that pushy. I will say again, I do not judge anybody for their beliefs weather it be God or a more spiritual belief.
Religion has over the years come into some bad publicity, but I think we have to remember that it's not the religion itself that has done something wrong, its just been certain believers that have brought the negativity to their faith and church. The most important thing to remember, that no matter what you believe in weather it be religion or spiritualism (which are very similiar) as long as what you believe in, makes you feel happy, strong, and helps you become a better person with love and understanding to each other, then you have chosen right for you.
Never be afraid to admit you believe in something, because everyone needs something to believe in. This blog was going to be called Differences between Religion and Spriritualism, but there aren't really any differences. At the end of the day it wouldn't matter if there were differences, because Religion and Spiritualism is a personal choice.
When religion is mentioned to me I automatically think of God and priests and church. I am so not a religious person and personally don't think there is such a thing as God. However that is just my opinion, I don't believe in the Devil and I don't believe in a heaven or hell. I don't criticize anyone for their belief system, I personally think everyone needs to believe in something in their lifetime. Weather it is a God or Devil it isn't up to me or anyone else to judge them.
Religion, weather practiced by one or many, generally consists of a set path or a working guide to either enlightenment or salvation. It consists of such things as dogma and rituals as a way to commune with the religion's deity or as a path to enlightenment.
Spirituality is the desire and drive behind what a person believes. It can either be accompanied by a religion/dogma or stand alone. If a person believes in something greater where it is a God, enlightenment or something unnameable, and acts upon that belief in some way (prayer, meditation, good will towards others, acts of kindness, living a good life or bad, pursuit of higher knowledge etc) then that person could be seen as spiritual. Many people label themselves spiritual when they have the belief in something greater but cannot bring themselves to trust in a set relgion .
Religion can be seen as a pathway that leads to God. The pathway is not God, but in the best and highest intentions it would lead people closer to their God. All true religious paths and teachings came into existence through divine inspiration and revelation, the spark of God's love and light that opens a pathway for god's presence to be seen and felt more directly.
Spirituality is a more general term that includes religion but that also encompasses the general human impulse to reach out towards the greater whole of which we all are a part. The difference between religion and spirituality is simply that most religions offer a specific set of beliefs and structures to help people to attune to their innate spirituality.
Maybe when religion was first started, it was a pure and holy thing, which throughout time has become bastardised. Maybe this is the reason so many have turned their backs on God. I think that religion is something you are taught about as a child and you either take it with you or you don't as we get older. I never came from a religious background so maybe that is why I don't believe.
Even though I don't believe in God, I would never try and push that onto someone who does, so why do some religions tend to push their beliefs onto others? I once had a certain religion turn up on my door, and when I told them that I wasn't interested I was told that my children will suffer for my sins. Strong words to say to a mother. Needless to say after I was informed that, the callers were told in no uncertain terms where they could stick their so called religion. I know not all religions or relgious people are that pushy. I will say again, I do not judge anybody for their beliefs weather it be God or a more spiritual belief.
Religion has over the years come into some bad publicity, but I think we have to remember that it's not the religion itself that has done something wrong, its just been certain believers that have brought the negativity to their faith and church. The most important thing to remember, that no matter what you believe in weather it be religion or spiritualism (which are very similiar) as long as what you believe in, makes you feel happy, strong, and helps you become a better person with love and understanding to each other, then you have chosen right for you.
Never be afraid to admit you believe in something, because everyone needs something to believe in. This blog was going to be called Differences between Religion and Spriritualism, but there aren't really any differences. At the end of the day it wouldn't matter if there were differences, because Religion and Spiritualism is a personal choice.
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