How would you describe the difference between being Spiritual and being Religiou

Question: How would you describe the difference between being Spiritual and being Religious !?

What is the difference to you between the two, when someone says they are not Religious but they are Spiritual!?Www@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

spiritual means you're connected with the human spirit, rather than the body for phisical!.
religious means, you're following the law of your religion!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

i think spiritual means you have beliefs about some power beyond yrouself, but religious is like following church teachings or having a strong unrelenting and submissive faithWww@QuestionHome@Com

I'm agnostic, not religious, but my own intuition makes me spiritual!. I tend to follow my inner-voice which is a spiritual one!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

being spiritual means you consider your behavior in general morality, which means, you are open to any beliefs upon your behavior!. On the other hand, being religious means you behave in a certain way that your own religious standards may satisfy!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Religion is dogma!. It is meant to uphold the society with structure!. Spirituality is seeing beyond both religion and society!. It is being aware of the spirit and how it exists!. Spiritual people lead different lives than do purely societal people!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

"The Masters and Their Retreats," Mark Prophet, and "Men in White Apparel," Ann Ree Colton, are examples of spiritual literature!.
The Catechism of the Roman Catholic Church is an example of religious literature!.
People are similar, in the two general categories!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

SPIRITUALITY IS HAVING A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SUPREME BEING THAT YOU BELIEVE IN!.

RELIGION ON THE OTHER HAND IS THE BLIND FOLLOWING OF THE TEACHINGS OF THE RELIGION YOU BELIEVE IN!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Spiritual means that you have a "personally individual view" of what "God" or whatever "actually" is!.!.!.

Having a non-traditional view of what the "animated energy" inside us all that gives us a feeling of "self-awareness," and enables us to have the feeling we are "a person" rather than just a "body!.!.!."

But I don't know!.!.!.I've always had the "personal feeling" that there is no separation between our minds and our body!.!.!.in other words!.!.!.

We ARE our body!.!.!.

(Alzheimer's disease utterly erases a person's personality and sense of identity in its' later stages, thus, to me, proving that we ARE our brains, and our brains ARE part of our body!.!.!.)

I mean!.!.!.the idea of an afterlife always made me want to ask a very logical series of questions!.!.!.

At what age are we in the afterlife!? If we die old, are our "souls" old!? If a baby dies before it ever has an identity and memory of itself, is it a "mindless soul!?" Do illiterate souls suddenly know how to read in the afterlife!? Do we still have sense of "gender," which seems odd, since we no longer have physical bodies, and don't ever have to touch our private parts anymore, does that mean we're all "sexless" souls in the afterlife!?

I could go on and on, but you see my point!.!.!.the idea of an afterlife seems absurd and contradictory!.!.!.

(Sort of like the world "De-Caf Coffee," lol!.!.!.)Www@QuestionHome@Com

Thank you for your interesting question!. For me I feel that being religious might indicate a strong belief in Heaven,God and eternal bliss after death!. That is dwelling forever in a state of love beauty and joy!. Yet if I question myself about this i want to know what is the purpose to this existance!.!?
However I feel that to be Spiritual means to live in the here and now as a person who helps his fellow man,whose heart is full of love,honesty and respect for all life including animals etc: and realises that in the many lifetimes has had the opportunities to do the above and now knows that all actions from past deeds must be accounted for in future lifetimes !. To me a spiritual path that allows you to prove these theories for yourself is the way to go!.It brings an opportunity here and now to resolve Karma from the past and to bring about the true understanding of why we are here and how to take the next step!. An example of a past life indication is the child genius who instantly excels at music,math, painting etc: at a very early age!. I ask myself could this be a skill brought over into the next incarnation!?!. This could also explain why it is that we deeply love one relative and cannot stand to be with another!. Had he/she caused us grief or injury in another life!?!.
To get back to religion, I feel that the many religious names for God and each particular religion may often feel that as a member he/she has an inside edge on favours with "God"!.
I feel a truly religious person is one who loves life serves all,respects each individual's right to worship God in their own way without hurt or harm or persecution,and in turn they need to respect the right of others to do the same without being harmed in any way!. To live a life of sin,for example, stealing,beating,cheating etc: and expect to be absolved of their misdeeds at death by a fellow human being does not sit well with me!.
We are much loved by "God" under any name given to "it" and it is only "God' to whom we answer at death, being either religious or spiritual!. And if there is still room for improvement as Soul (that eternal spark of God) then we will come back again by agreement to learn how to become the best we have ever been !. And "God allows us plenty of room to make our own choices as to how we percieve what" being the best wev'e ever been" means!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I think a useful distinction is that religion is a set of beliefs, practices, social norms and institutions that aim to help people deal with fear of the unknown!. Religion functions as a "social glue" that can provide a common framework of beliefs, norms and practices for groups of people!. (It is a part of culture!.)
Spirituality, on the other hand, is more personal and not based primarily on beliefs!. It is one's relationship with a wider Being, (whether it is God, Nature, Emptiness, etc!.) by which one transforms from an isolated ego to a relationship of embrace with something wider!.

Religion is a set of stabilizing beliefs and practices and spirituality is a relationship that transforms!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Humans tend to attach meanings to things!. Drop the thinking and the difference will not exist then!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Religious people express their spirituality through the metaphors and rituals prescribed by a religious institution!. Spirituality without religion just means holding beliefs about the spiritual aspects of the world -- gods, souls, afterlives etc -- but not subscribing to any particular system of beliefs about spiritual matters, and not worshipping in any prescribed manner!.Www@QuestionHome@Com