Religion often discourages people from listening to their own instincts, and instead teaches people to accept and do what theyre told, without questioning it. Spirituality doesn't make distinctions of that sort. Get free weekly soul-centered guidance for your spiritual awakening journey! Whatever path you choose, I hope you find what youre looking for and know that its okay to experiment, and its also okay to commit deeply and fully. As a community or group sharing the same beliefs, religion functions as an extremely supportive social network. As Krishna explains in the Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 4, verse 11: As men approach me, so I receive them. Spirituality vs Religion #1 Personal / Community-oriented While spirituality focuses on the personal connection with the Divine, religion encourages a community Religion includes a preacher or religious leader who defines what the truth is to their congregation. Because spirituality is self-directed and all about ones personal connection with the Divine, theres low accountability. However, both of these methods of believing in something help people live happy, meaningful lives. Spirituality focuses on spreading love and selfless acts. ), Spiritual Meditation: 11 Ways to Enlighten Your Mind. A spiritual person looks within themselves to do the right thing and a religious person looks to the outside for guidance. The fear of punishment for one's actions is often a principle factor in religion. Religion: On the whole, a formal religion is often an objective experience. Religiosity, spirituality, and devotion to something Higher than the ego are basic human needs and intrinsic human qualities. Religion aims to build one's character. When we unite elements of spirituality with religion and vice versa, we get a robust, deep, and deliciously multi-faceted path that can properly support and initiate us into the Mysteries of the Divine. Moral rules, laws, and doctrines, as well as specific codes and criteria, create the organized structure that contains the religions specific belief system. Bear in mind that there are no absolutes in these distinctions. Spirituality is for those whove already been there. The way we relate to whats perceived as divine or what some may call God is different between spirituality and religion. Humanity is all one, with love being at the core of everyone's being. The more religious than spiritual group declined from 16.7% in 1998 to 11.9% in 2018 ( - 4.8 percentage points) and those saying they are equally religious and spiritual also decreased from 64.8% to 55.1% ( -9.7 points) . Is It Better to Be Spiritual or Religious? A spiritual person, on the other hand, turns inward to find his truth and finds God within himself and all life. h3>What are the differences between spirituality vs. religion? Spirituality: Spirituality though, breaks free from the restrictions and rigid structure sometimes associated with traditional religion. Without a cup, water spills everywhere. It can happen in any religious group, as an element of child abuse, elder abuse, or domestic violence. 1. Religion is the belief of another mans experience written down in sacred scripture, but spirituality is the belief of ones own experience. Mark Travers, Ph.D., is an American psychologist with degrees from Cornell University and the University of Colorado Boulder. A spiritual person focuses on the here and now. See additional information. Therapytips.org, November 9, 2021. Spiritual practices such as meditation, yoga, silence, and contemplation allow you to make conscious contact with more expanded states of consciousness, thus helping to experientially validate the teachings rather than accepting them on faith alone. As I explored in my previous article entitled what is spirituality, I define spirituality vs religion in the following ways: The word spirituality comes from the Latin word spiritualis, which means, breath; of the spirit; air. (1,2) Spirituality is connecting to the Divine through your own personal experience. Experiencing and developing joy, spontaneity, and compassion on the spiritual path helps us to feel as though were truly living life to the fullest. The experience is often personal and occurs in private, allowing people to follow their own intuition and do the things that are in their own best interests. In contrast, spiritual people rely more on their own personal experience and what they feel is right. Religion is the form, and spirituality is the formlessness. See what you like and resonate with and take note there are more similarities between you and other paths than you may think.4. Instead, spirituality helps others focus not just on their own well-being, but for others, nature, or any sacred being. Ill explore the differences below as well as the pros and cons of spirituality and religion. Religion: Traditional religious beliefs, sometimes based upon rigid interpretations of key teachings, can create an exclusive worldview that isolates those who may not share their views or interpretations. Biologist and atheist Richard Dawkins travelled to the lab of Canadian neuroscientist Michael Persinger in the hope of having a religious experience. We recognize their continued connection to the land and waters of this beautiful place and acknowledge that they never ceded sovereignty. On the other hand, religious Purchase our best-selling 21-day and 7-day meditations. Even though both aim for balance, the meaning behind spirituality and a religious lifestyle is dynamically different. These practices are not typically associated with a particular theology but can be tailored to what works best for each individual. Learn how to tell the difference between religion and spirituality. There are no rules because the spiritual path is entirely self-directed in an informal, go-at-your-own-pace process. A beach will do. The key distinctions between them mostly involve what each is at its core. Every person is essentially a small goda unique and powerful manifestation of existence that serves a purpose in this world. If you notice, others abuse religion to inflict fear into anothers mind. The spirituality vs religion debate only creates more hatred and ill will in the world, and yet, when we dare to combine the two, we have what I call a third way forward. Increasingly, North American millennials identify as spiritual as opposed to religious. Nothing is set in stone, so what one may find to be right or wrong today may change down the line with new life experiences. Belief vs. While religion has various rules that others may or may not agree with, spirituality focuses on an individuals aspect of a belief. In other words, different religions, in general, tend to focus on gathering people together and finding shared faith in one god or ideology. On the other hand, religious people typically rely on some form of organized religion or institution. Unit #2007 Mahwah, NJ 07430, in fact, in this article we talk about 54 strategies, 4 Differences Between Spirituality and Religion. And religion teaches holiness or that the Divine cannot be touched, directly experienced, or even looked upon because it is that much greater than us. So instead, to fill the empty hole that religion once occupied, we have replaced it with rationality, logic, and an over-emphasis on mechanistic ideas of reality. And by accepting the diversity in beliefs and their ability to co-exist, we can all find what works best for us on our own spiritual journey. There have been significant changes in the American religious and spiritual landscape in recent years, with fewer than half of all Americans reporting church membership, report the authors of the research, led by Hansong Zhang of the University of North Texas. WebAs Table 1 shows, from 1998 to 2018 there have been major changes in peoples religious vs. spiritual identification. As a pacifist by nature, it hasRead more . Spirituality teaches sacredness or that the Divine can be experienced, felt, and embodied. If these were treated as the beliefs they are, it would be less of an issue, but rarely is this the case. Are you a spiritual person or a religious person? The word atheist originates with the Greek atheos, which is built from the roots a- (without) and theos (a god). And to learn more about this topic, check out this article to learn about the 10 types of spirituality practices to try in your life. Before gaining insight into this complex relationship, we must look at some key topics. Yes, they have most certainly caused tremendous evil in this world (Im speaking mostly about religion here), which is undeniable. People who identify as spiritual experience their beliefs in unique ways, often incorporating elements of various traditions to form their own personalized framework. Our purpose, according to many religions, is to serve, worship, and obey such beings because, by their very nature, they are holier than us. Spiritual people often learn and develop their beliefs through their own experiences (often through trial and error). We just need to look deeply into both and find their undercurrent of similarities to realize that theyre not as opposed as we once thought. WebHere are six characteristics of a spiritually gifted person. The more religious than spiritual group declined from 16.7% in 1998 to 11.9% in 2018 ( - 4.8 percentage points) and those saying they are equally religious and spiritual also decreased from 64.8% to 55.1% ( -9.7 points) . To be fair, not everyone clearly hates religion or thinks spirituality is woo-woo. The world has no perimeters, races, or cultural partitions. Knowing the differences can help you define your beliefs and arrive at a place of peace with yourself no matter where you lie on the spectrum of religious practice or spiritual growth. Instead, its more of an inner connection to what lies beyond what we can perceive with our physical senses. Rather, they're offered as tools for spiritual seekers to use to help their spiritual growth. Religion maintains a defined, tangible code of ethics, while spirituality is largely undefinable. Since people are programmed into their religious beliefs they are nearly always taught that their views are The Truth and are suspicious of anyone on the outside. WebMuslims vs other people |The world beautiful religion|Muslims attitude status #shorts subscribe my channel Although some spiritual traditions offer theories and practices to help people on their journeys, they are not meant to be adopted as a set of beliefs. Partisan differences are somewhat muted. Spirituality: By comparison, spirituality is often less focused on the rigidly traditional approach and often favors an evolutionary mentality. Firstly, this article will explore the differences between spirituality vs religion for the sake of clarity, but it will also touch on a third path which I believe is necessary for us to evolve and find peace as human beings. Start here . This statistic shows the share of American adults in 2017 who consider themselves spiritual but not religious. Religion is an organized set of beliefs, cultural systems, and world views that relate humanity to an order of existence. This unites people who share a religion, as they share character traits and outlooks on life. Religious teachings are usually based on what has been passed down through scriptures, religious scrolls, and books or what religious leaders teach. From time immemorial, humanity has struggled to find the balance between two great life-guiding forces that seem to work together but are often pitted against each other. Because every human's essence is the same, it means that any differences are superficial. Spirituality urges people to break free from obedience or conformity in order to create their own path and journey in life. Spirituality is a universal, personalized experience, and everyone's experience is unique. Spirituality is a part of humanity thats seeking a purpose in life. Weve seen this drive to connect with something bigger than ourselves since time immemorial. Spiritual people learn and develop their beliefs based on their own experience while religious people learns it based on the experiences they are told about their religious founders. In fact, some may find that their spirituality is closely linked to a religion, while others may have their own personal relationship with a higher power. Master meditation and learn how to give others their own personalized mantra. The Chopra Renew & Restore Detox Kit is a gentle and effective 7-Day cleanse rooted in the wisdom of Ayurveda and backed by science. This exploration is not necessarily constrained by any organized faith or doctrine- rather, it gives someone space to grow into who they are on a personal level. Spirituality is a solitary experience of the divine, The difference between a spiritual and religious person boils down to how they see God. Or as Christina Puchalski, MD (leader in trying to incorporate spirituality into healthcare), puts it, Spirituality is the aspect of humanity that refers to the way individuals seek and express meaning and purpose and the way they experience their connectedness to the moment, to self, to others, to nature, and to the significant or sacred.". There is a lot of beauty and depth in both religion and spirituality, and before we throw the baby out with the bathwater, I want to offer you, dear spiritual sojourner, some food for thought; something to meditate upon and contemplate. A new study suggests there may be fewer differences than expected between people in an organized religion versus those who practice spirituality. Although they have many similarities and there is a relationship between the two, there are differences between religion and spirituality. Resource for mind-body health, meditation, personal growth, nutrition, and more. Spirituality is a solitary experience of the divine, while religion involves a group of people brought together by their common faith or beliefs about the divine. RELATED: 7 Reasons Why So Many Spiritual People Refuse To Call Themselves 'Religious'. Ultimately, both groups honor what works best for them to connect with something greater than themselves whether through religious teachings or a more intuitive approach. 2023byTango Publishing Corporation All Rights Reserved. That is a persons acceptance of the religions teachings. It usually involves rituals, traditions, ethics, and a way of life based on the teachings and practices of a larger community. And without water, a cup is empty and lifeless. For example, you can use spiritual practices such as yoga, energy healing, and breathwork to deepen your understanding of what lies beyond the physical world. They are merely general markers meant to better explore the qualities between two equally valid approaches to seeking the truth. The word mystic derives from the Greek word mustiks which means secret; connected to the mysteries and msts which means one who has been initiated. (1) As such, we can define a mystic as a person who has been initiated into the mysteries of the Divine. There is no definitive answer to whether it is better to be spiritual or religious, as the right path for one person may not be the same for another. Spirituality is about one's soul and inner self. You know something because you have tasted the experience yourself and have allowed it to resonate, as opposed to taking the word of another. The concepts of original sin, divine judgement, Gods wrath, or eternal punishment can create a mental environment burdened in worry and anxiety over your worthiness and whether your actions will result in divine retribution or karmic punishment. Spirituality encourages people to create their own path, which allows people to take their own journey of enlightenment. A religious person is committed to following the guidelines set by his or her religion. He or she observes the rites and practices, such as regularly attending church services on a Sunday for Christians, observing the Sabbath for Jews, and fasting during Ramadan for Muslims. Theres no one else to tell you where youre going wrong but yourself. Its not that their experiences dont make sense or are hare-brained. Being religious is a personal system in which one follows spiritual guidelines, beliefs, practices, and worship of God or Gods. Spirituality allows individuals to explore their inner selves, developing a deep understanding of who they are and how they interact with the world around them. Notice how it helps to create a more rich and well-rounded experience. I often straddle the line between religiosity and spirituality knowing that each has its own strengths and weaknesses. Ultimately, spiritual paths are what you make of them and what resonates with you as an individual, making them unique. And at religions most infantile form, it can be a force of destruction that creates more division and suffering. Its focused on internalizing different teachings about the Divine, and is, therefore, more theoretical and thought-based. It focuses only on good energy to allow people to be the best version of themselves. https://doi.org/10.1037/scp0000279. Religious institutions conservatively guard their practices and values, holding rigidly to the past and the original interpretations of the founders teachings. Form, it means that any differences are superficial recognize their continued connection to what works for. Issue, but for others, nature, it means that any differences are superficial other paths than you think.4! Difference between religion and spirituality knowing that each has its own strengths and.... 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