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The Difference between Religious and Spiritual
And the surprising similarities…
More so than at any other time, many people are now self-identifying as ‘spiritual, not religious’.
How each person defines what that means, varies greatly. Most often this designation represents a rejection of what they view as outdated and suppressive religious structures. In many cases, that viewpoint is completely justified. It makes sense that anyone who had a negative, or even abusive connection with religion, would turn away from it.
Others leave because they cannot reconcile inconsistencies within the teachings or they lose trust and respect for the spiritual leader. This also happens in metaphysical, spiritual and New Age communities.
Having engaged in a structured religion as a child, then an atheist for several decades and now a spiritual seeker, I am exploring the differences as well as striking similarities, in the way human beings approach that which is greater than ourselves.
One definition of religion is engaging in beliefs or practices that form someone’s thought about or worship of, a divine being. Belonging or relating to an order or group of people who are united by common practices.
Spiritual could be defined as relating to or affecting the human spirit or soul as…
