Religion vs. Spirituality

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SPIRITUALITY vs. RELIGION



SPIRITUALITY SAYS THAT GOD IS WITHIN US AND THAT WE DON'T NEED ANYONE ELSE TO MAKE THAT DIVINE CONNECTION FOR US.

RELIGION SAYS THAT WE ARE SEPARATED FROM GOD AND THAT WE NEED "THEM" TO MAKE THAT DIVINE CONNECTION.

SPIRITUALITY SAYS THAT WE ARE FREE TO MAKE CHOICES ON OUR OWN AND THAT WE MUST TAKE PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR OUR ACTIONS.

RELIGION SAYS WE MUST MAKE THEIR CHOICES AND ACT THEIR WAY.

THE THEME OF SPIRITUALITY IS UNCONDITIONAL LOVE.

THE THEME OF RELIGION IS FEAR AND GUILT.

SPIRITUALITY DOES NOT REQUIRE US TO MAKE DONATIONS.

RELIGION HAS BECOME BIG BUSINESS.

SPIRITUALITY SAYS THERE IS NO HELL, NO JUDGEMENT, NO ANGRY GOD... THAT WE ARE LOVED UNCONDITIONALLY.

RELIGION SAYS THERE IS A HELL, GOD GETS ANGRY AND JUDGES US... THEREFORE, WE ARE NOT LOVED UNCONDITIONALLY.

SPIRITUALITY SAYS WE ARE FREE TO CHOOSE OUR OWN PATH TO GOD.

RELIGION COMMANDS US TO DO IT THEIR WAY.

SPIRITUALITY SAYS WE GO TO GOD TO LIGHTEN OUR BURDEN.

RELIGION HAS TAUGHT US TO FEAR THEIR GOD

SPIRITUALITY SAYS WE SHOULD NOT BE ASHAMED OF OUR SEXUALITY... THAT IT SHOULD BE A SACRED CELEBRATION OF LOVE

RELIGION HAS TAUGHT US TO FEEL ASHAMED, GUILTY AND DIRTY ABOUT OUR SEXUALITY

SPIRITUALITY TEACHES US TO HONOUR AND RESPECT MOTHER EARTH

RELIGION HAS TOLD US TO "BE THOU FRUITFUL, MULTIPLY AND SUBDUE THE EARTH" I REPEAT... "SUBDUE THE EARTH"

SPIRITUALITY REMINDS US THAT WE ARE ONE WITH GOD AND ONE WITH EACH OTHER

RELIGION TEACHES DISUNITY AND SEPARATION WHICH IS THE OPPOSITE OF GOD

SPIRITUALITY SAYS GOD IS WITHIN

RELIGION SAYS HE IS IN HEAVEN AND THAT "THEY" ARE THE ONLY INTERMEDIARIES FOR US

SPIRITUALITY SAYS WE ARE BORN IN INNOCENCE AND PURITY

RELIGION SAYS WE ARE BORN WITH SIN

SPIRITUALITY TEACHES THAT WE ARE ON A LONG SPIRITUAL ADVENTURE AND JOURNEY WHICH WILL ULTIMATELY END BY REUNITING WITH OUR SOURCE

RELIGION SAYS WE'VE GOT ONE LIFE TO GET IT ALL RIGHT AND THERE IS NOTHING BUT HEAVEN OR HELL AFTER THAT

SPIRITUALITY SAYS WE ARE FREE TO EXPRESS

RELIGION GAVE US THE DREADED INQUISITION

SPIRITUALITY TEACHES UNCONDITIONAL LOVE FOR ALL

RELIGION GAVE US THE CRUSADES IN WHICH MANY WERE KILLED AND SLAUGHTERED IN THE NAME OF GOD

SPIRITUALITY TEACHES THAT WE SHOULD LOVE ONE ANOTHER UNCONDITIONALLY AND ALWAYS HONOUR THE RIGHTS AND CHOICES OF OTHERS

RELIGION TREATED NATIVE AMERICANS, THE MAYANS AND OTHER INDIGENOUS CULTURES AS SAVAGE PRIMITIVES WHO "MUST BE SAVED"

SPIRITUALITY TEACHES PEACE AND HARMONY

RELIGION HAS CAUSED MORE WARS AND MORE KILLING THAN ANY OTHER REASON

SPIRITUALITY SAYS RESPECT ALL LIVING THINGS

I NEVER ONCE HEARD ANY RELIGION SAY STOP SLAUGHTERING MILLIONS OF TREES EVERY YEAR FOR CHRIST'S BIRTHDAY

SPIRITUALITY TEACHES US TO HAVE FAITH IN OURSELVES

RELIGION TEACHES US TO HAVE FAITH IN THEM

SPIRITUALITY SAYS WE HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS... THAT WE CAN FIND THEM BY "GOING WITHIN"

RELIGION TEACHES US THAT IT HAS ALL THE ANSWERS AND ONLY ITS ANSWERS ARE THE RIGHT ONES

SPIRITUALITY TEACHES US TO SEARCH FOR THE UNIVERSAL TRUTHS AND OUR HEARTS WILL TELL US WHEN WE HAVE FOUND THEM

RELIGION TEACHES WE HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO ACCEPT THEIR VERSION OF THE TRUTH

WHICH ONE FEELS BETTER TO YOU? SPIRITUALITY OR RELIGION?

GO TO YOUR HEART FOR THE ANSWER IT WILL NEVER LIE TO YOU

Source: http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fusea ... CB26441767

http://youtube.com/watch?v=lZ-94pKGA2w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUtxsIRR ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqShZWRjSFw

I thought it was appropriate for this place

Last edited by starchild on 26 May 2008, 2:58 pm, edited 3 times in total.

Unfortunately I have no idea what spirituality might be. It sounds very spooky. God, it seems to me, is total nonsense but I have no expectations of convincing anybody about that.

great post!

Thank you!

I agree. Good post. I'm a spiritual person myself, but definitely not a religious person. And very very definitely NOT a Christian.

(Pity about the all upper case - I find that difficult to read so didn't read every item).

Hmm...

I believe you suffer from a proper understanding of religion. My definition of religion is the same as the definition of Yoga. Religion, Creation, Spirituality cannot be separated. They are all one. People today have lead themselves to believe that religion is an organization; this is false. Religion has always been what brings, unites, and binds Us to Him.


I am sure this was a copy and paste, but I'll try to address them and wait for a response.



You NEED a religious leader to help you foster your growth of Him. There is great risk in self-interpretation.

The choices that you make are not your own. If you realize that "He is Within us", then who is actually making the decisions and choices? Certainly not you.

What do you mean by guilt? When one errs one is should feel guilt. We are imperfect beings and are prone to error, thus we feel guilt. What worse guilt is there than breaking His law?

The only donations that religion requires is your devotion.

A person who defiles the Word, the Creator, His followers, makes it a point to make their lives unlivable--is he loved unconditionally? The murderer, the rapist, loved unconditionally?

Truth is subjective, but there is only One path to truth.

What is meant by fear? I most certainly do not fear Him, but if I committed atrocities should I live on happily? Should I live on without regrets?

We were not created to be like animals. How can we show our reverence and respect of our Creation if we are defiling it with people as a form of "Sacred Celebration"

subdue: to bring (land) under cultivation; Why would He tell us, after Creating this earth for us to destroy it? You are interpreting it wrong.

The only thing that teaches disunity are the men who want many to separate for their own gains.

He must separate Himself from the impure to remain Pure. If a man is sick, how can he be considered healthy? There are no intermediaries.

Christianity teaches we are born in sin. However, I wouldn't consider a child who was born to a prostitute who never wanted it to be a pure birth child.

Dharmic beliefs teach of reincarnation. How many lives are said to have been taken before a Man is born? Millions. Heaven and Hell inbetween these incarnations and after.

Religion also gave us Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa, The Dalai Lama, and Pope John Paul.

Yes, as well as land and wealth to the conquerors. I never knew the Creator needed so much land and wealth in his name; funny I thought He was the Master of All.

Their treatments were more political than anything. Either way, I doubt the Aztecs were peaceful, "spiritual" people.

Religion never caused a war but power hungry rulers lead their men to war. How aware are you that none of these wars were caused by "Spiritualists"?

Because you haven't been listening to the words of the world's religious men.

What is faith if one does not give his faith to his spiritual/religious teacher?

What matters all the answers if it does not lead you to Him? How sure is one of their path? The ignorant feels he is correct. The naive feels his way is the only way.

Religion teaches you the Truth which you follow. Which truth is Truth? That which leads to Him is Truth and must be followed.


Religion and Spirituality is One.

Spirituality doesn't even require belief in a god. An atheistic spirituality eliminates from one's mind anthropomorphic projections and dualistic biases that prevent true spirituality, that is, the fact that we are One with the universe.

A great deal of my mother's side are religous, they are very good people, but I do prefer spiritualism. Religion is one person's ideals and spiritualism alows the acceptence that people are different. Often the people in religeon are good but the thought that these ideals can control peoples lives is terrible. One reason i am happy to be an Ausie is that our leader dosn't claim we are doing something for god.

Is the universe considered divine? What sense of the divine is there in athesistic spirituality? I get the feeling that you want religion, but don't want God. If it weren't for God, you'd be very religious. Sooner or later, something somewhere must be made into God.

Yes, one could say I consider the cosmos itself to be "divine". I could be called a pantheist in the same sense that Einstein was, but I reject the notion of "god" because the concept is essentially anthropocentric and anthropomorphic, it imposes concepts of human social reality (notions of agency, purpose, meaning, design, etc.) onto the universe, this is why I prefer to call myself an atheist rather then a pantheist.

Why bother separating atheism from pantheism? It seems that you want a deity, just not one whom you can relate to in any meaningful way. How to commune with God / the universe as an atheistic spiritualist if your deity is completely impersonal?

I relate to the cosmos every time I take a hike through the woods, look up at the stars at night, or practice meditation. The divine is not something "personal" that you commune with, it is a reality you interact with. It is a feeling of oneness, beauty, awe, wonder and mystery; you lose your sense of self and realize that you are one with the cosmos.

"Communing with" and "interacting with" mean the same thing. And nobody needs to an atheist in order to have the experiences you describe. Atheism is starting to sound dangerously similar to religion. We're not so different after all.

Your definition of spirituality seems to be a religion made for anti dogma people.

[quote="oscuria"]Hmm...

I believe you suffer from a proper understanding of religion. My definition of religion is the same as the definition of Yoga. Religion, Creation, Spirituality cannot be separated. They are all one. People today have lead themselves to believe that religion is an organization; this is false. Religion has always been what brings, unites, and binds Us to Him.

Nope religion ís an outer aproach. Spirituality an inner aprouch, where you make up your own mind. Religion is where an outer orginisasation does the thinking for you, and tells you what to do.

I am sure this was a copy and paste, but I'll try to address them and wait for a response.



You NEED a religious leader to help you foster your growth of Him. There is great risk in self-interpretation.

and what is your argumentation to support that. Nobody needs anyone outside themselves to think or act for or grow for them.

The choices that you make are not your own. If you realize that "He is Within us", then who is actually making the decisions and choices? Certainly not you.

The point is that you yourself are part of Mother/father God therefor you are him/her and he is you. Free will

What do you mean by guilt? When one errs one is should feel guilt. We are imperfect beings and are prone to error, thus we feel guilt. What worse guilt is there than breaking His law?

The point is that we are loved unconditionaly for our errors and is easily forgiven

The only donations that religion requires is your devotion.

Well tell that to the many donating money all the time.

A person who defiles the Word, the Creator, His followers, makes it a point to make their lives unlivable--is he loved unconditionally? The murderer, the rapist, loved unconditionally?

Yes. bechause all of them are also part of God. God understands. The 'cause of all this is ignorance.

Truth is subjective, but there is only One path to truth.

Truth is found within. Not from without

What is meant by fear? I most certainly do not fear Him, but if I committed atrocities should I live on happily? Should I live on without regrets?

The law of karma will pay you back and so you learn from your mistakes. God is not a God of wrath. God is love. These behaviours are allways the result of ignorance.

We were not created to be like animals. How can we show our reverence and respect of our Creation if we are defiling it with people as a form of "Sacred Celebration"

Not sure what you mean

subdue: to bring (land) under cultivation; Why would He tell us, after Creating this earth for us to destroy it? You are interpreting it wrong.

Bechause the bible isn't 100% accurate.

The only thing that teaches disunity are the men who want many to separate for their own gains.

The false leaders, politicians and prophets who twarted Jesus original message.

He must separate Himself from the impure to remain Pure. If a man is sick, how can he be considered healthy? There are no intermediaries.

Christianity teaches we are born in sin. However, I wouldn't consider a child who was born to a prostitute who never wanted it to be a pure birth child.

Well Jesus never founded Christianity. It was the people after him that created Churches, and outer dogmas.

Dharmic beliefs teach of reincarnation. How many lives are said to have been taken before a Man is born? Millions. Heaven and Hell inbetween these incarnations and after.

There is no punishment, it's only a state of conciousness. Plenty of near deaths report no damnation. Universal unified Spirituality, has been manipulated and turned into divided religion.

Religion also gave us Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa, The Dalai Lama, and Pope John Paul.

lol They didn't come from religion. They were born into this planet like the rest of us. Some with a higher conciousness, a more evolved soul.

Yes, as well as land and wealth to the conquerors. I never knew the Creator needed so much land and wealth in his name; funny I thought He was the Master of All.

Their treatments were more political than anything. Either way, I doubt the Aztecs were peaceful, "spiritual" people.

Religion never caused a war but power hungry rulers lead their men to war. How aware are you that none of these wars were caused by "Spiritualists"?

Actually Religion is one of the main causes of conflict. Spirituality doesn't

Because you haven't been listening to the words of the world's religious men.

What is faith if one does not give his faith to his spiritual/religious teacher?

What matters all the answers if it does not lead you to Him? How sure is one of their path? The ignorant feels he is correct. The naive feels his way is the only way.

Religion teaches you the Truth which you follow. Which truth is Truth? That which leads to Him is Truth and must be followed

Religion and Spirituality is One.

Religion and spirituality is very different. Religion is an outer dogmatic path, where others tells you what do do like slavery. Spirituality an inner universal unlimmited path, that searches for truth´not just in one limmited place, but constantly expand your understanding.

I don't believe that. Religion if you take the proper definition is not different. It is pure and true. You are interpreting religion to be a person's "way of life" a "belief system" which people routinely consider religion. These are any of your major faiths. They are not religion by itself but make up religion.

I am not much for the modern religious movement which paints itself to be spiritual. I feel they do much harm to the world's scriptures by trying to mishmash them together so they can find their own personal interpretations. This if anyone didn't know is harmful as you can read any scripture and interpret it the way you see fit. You MUST need a spiritual/religious guide to help you along your path, if not who is to say your path is pure? They portray themselves as the proper inheritors to the Word, that they alone have become awaken and all others inferior and blinded.

A person should feel his path is the only path, his answers the only answer because what use would there be to follow the path? It would be hypocrite to say "I am following this method, but his is better." However, to say that yours is the only way and all are in error is one of error. No other path is best for me, but my path is not best for others. Mine is very strict compared to the usual. We all reach the same conclusions, eventually. However, some have a better chance at completing their path than others who merely proclaim it.