Religion vs Spirituality

[groundedspirit]

Many philosophical debates naturally end up reaching a point where the concept of 'god' enters the picture. Along with it comes use of terminology such as religion and spirituality.
But I feel the difference between the two terms is little understood and therefore the discussions tend to splinter and become largely unproductive.
Would anyone else care to share their understanding of the terms or debate that they are essentially interchangeable ?

GS

[prothero]

Originally Posted by groundedspirit

Many philosophical debates naturally end up reaching a point where the concept of 'god' enters the picture. Along with it comes use of terminology such as religion and spirituality.
But I feel the difference between the two terms is little understood and therefore the discussions tend to splinter and become largely unproductive.
Would anyone else care to share their understanding of the terms or debate that they are essentially interchangeable ?

GS

Well just for a start, I would suggest that "spirituality" tends to be an individual form of belief system whereas religion tends to be more of a community, organized, structured form of belief system. People increasingly turn away from organized religion to refer to themselves as "spiritual but not religious" a label that many self apply.

Organized religion has become associated with dogma, creed, doctrine and divisiveness, in additional to the historical problem of sectarian violence, inquisitions, crusades and other problems of violence and intolerance. Individual spirituality is generally not associated with those problems or that history.

[Pyrrho]

Originally Posted by prothero

Well just for a start, I would suggest that "spirituality" tends to be an individual form of belief system whereas religion tends to be more of a community, organized, structured form of belief system. People increasingly turn away from organized religion to refer to themselves as "spiritual but not religious" a label that many self apply.

Organized religion has become associated with dogma, creed, doctrine and divisiveness, in additional to the historical problem of sectarian violence, inquisitions, crusades and other problems of violence and intolerance. Individual spirituality is generally not associated with those problems or that history.

Yes, that is how many people intend to be understood. However, people are "spiritual" because of the religions; it is the influence of religion on society that gets many people to feel that they are "spiritual". So although many people wish to distance themselves from the issues of various religions, and wish to pick things to suit their own tastes, it is not something that is really without a connection to religion.

[Zetherin]

Originally Posted by groundedspirit

Many philosophical debates naturally end up reaching a point where the concept of 'god' enters the picture. Along with it comes use of terminology such as religion and spirituality.
But I feel the difference between the two terms is little understood and therefore the discussions tend to splinter and become largely unproductive.
Would anyone else care to share their understanding of the terms or debate that they are essentially interchangeable ?

GS

It is en vogue to say you are spiritual these days. Spiritual sounds freeer, less restrictive! I imagine these people must feel like they're newage hippies. Not to mention, people who are spiritual don't have to bear the scrutiny that comes over religious institution. You know, like when a Catholic priest rapes a little boy.

Oh, and I think a religious person would be more than happy to call themselves spiritual, but I don't a spiritual person would necessarily be comfortable calling themselves religous. In fact, I think they would have a problem with it, since "spirituality" seems to be a religious rebellion of sorts!

Spirituality is often misunderstood because attempts to refer to spirituality are moot. As most of us sensible people understand, spirituality doesn't correspond to anything in this world. Now, the spiritual folk will tell you it's experiential, but that's clearly not evidence for anything spiritual existing. So, of course there's going to be confusion. No one really knows what "spirituality" refers to, and since it's supposedly experiential, it cannot even be explained with language! Great, more nonsense.

[Jebediah]

Spirituality is the emotion, religion is the institution.

[Zetherin]

Originally Posted by Jebediah

Spirituality is the emotion, religion is the institution.

There's an emotion called "spirituality"?

[Jebediah]

Originally Posted by Zetherin

There's an emotion called "spirituality"?

Yes, I hope you won't ask me to pin it down exactly though. I would put it at something like: inner peace + elevation (opposite of disgust) + faith.

[Pepijn Sweep]

Originally Posted by Zetherin

There's an emotion called "spirituality"?

A spiritual awakening could cause emotions.

In Holland we say also "bezield" which would mean animated, inspirit or inspired in Englich.

So I do see connection between spirituality and emotions.

[Fil. Albuquerque]

Religion may well be linked with Spirituality, but Spirituality does n´t have necessarily to be linked with religion...

The Anemoi and the Aniti, the Anima or "having " The Spirit may be simply in the joy of Life...

[Zetherin]

Originally Posted by Jebediah

Yes, I hope you won't ask me to pin it down exactly though. I would put it at something like: inner peace + elevation (opposite of disgust) + faith.

Are you sure you don't mean something else? None of those things are emotions. Maybe there are emotions involved, and you're using figurative language with me. I do know that faith is not an emotion, it's just belief without proof.

And I wouldn't ask you to pin down spirituality. I'm a reasonable person and wouldn't ask you to do something nonsensical.

Originally Posted by Pepijn Sweep

A spiritual awakening could cause emotions.

Maybe, but that doesn't explain what a spiritual awakening is. Or what anything spiritual is, for that matter.

Originally Posted by Fil. Albuquerque

The Anemoi and the Aniti, the Anima or "having " The Spirit may be simply in the joy of Life...

Or maybe when I enjoy life, I'm just enjoying life. "The Spirit" need not be involved. In fact, I would rather he not be.