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In general, I think a religious person who believes in God and religion, automatically is spiritual.
But how does “being spiritual without believing in God and religion”, work?
I know there may be definitions varying from practitioner to practitioner, but can we have a few explanations or elaboration on this state of awareness?
Those who consider themselves spiritual but not religious, do they believe in life after death?
And what EXACTLY does it mean to be “spiritual” when you don’t believe in the existence God or in any religion?
Do you believe in soul?
If yes, what happens to the soul after death?
I think the concept of "spiritual but not religious" generally is theist in nature. It is not rejecting both god and religion, but just organized religion. I think it is an incoherent position frankly, but most of the people here who decry organized religion as still of the general Christian persuasion. They might believe in universal reconciliation, for example, but their general line seems to be that organized religion has sucked the spiritual vitality out of the individuals involved with it. That the only path to a "true" "primitive" (meaning, original) Christianity is to shuck all the artifice and ritual and tradition and mine the scriptures with the magic light of the holy spirit.
You are correct that the definition will vary, though. It certainly CAN be agnostic or even atheist while embracing various supernatural or mystical beliefs. But it seems to me that most here who decry organized religion happen to be disgruntled Christians who still believe broadly in Christian theology.
In general, I think a religious person who believes in God and religion, automatically is spiritual.
But how does “being spiritual without believing in God and religion”, work?
I know there may be definitions varying from practitioner to practitioner, but can we have a few explanations or elaboration on this state of awareness?
Those who consider themselves spiritual but not religious, do they believe in life after death?
And what EXACTLY does it mean to be “spiritual” when you don’t believe in the existence God or in any religion?
Do you believe in soul?
If yes, what happens to the soul after death?
I believe it describes people who might find or sense a connection to something larger and unseen, a spirit world or another realm, perhaps, but who do not necessarily believe in a controlling, overarching deity and don't partake in any formal religious practices or belong to an established religion.
I've got a foot on that side, probably always did if I think back to what I used to think and feel in the woods as a child, but I was raised in a Christian home and have made several attempts in adulthood to connect to that religion, albeit in different forms from the one I was raised in.
But I still feel closer to whatever that "thing" is that makes me feel connected standing in the woods or at the edge of an ocean, a river, a creek, a lake, than I did in church. I feel a sense of belonging in those places that I've never felt in Christianity. There is no pressure in nature to be something you aren't the way there is in religion. You can just be yourself and just be.
Yes, I do believe our souls go on after death. I can't say exactly what form that takes. I don't know.
When I say it about myself, I mean that I believe in a higher power, but I do not ascribe to any one set of beliefs or practices. When I connect with that higher power, I may address Spirit, the Universe, or any one of a number of ascended masters, gods, and/or angels. I connect with these energies on a daily basis, but I don't do pro forma rituals, professions of faith, or religion centered celebrations.
I understand that viewing my practices from the outside, some might say that I'm flakey, that I just mix and match, pick and choose willy-nilly, or whatever, but in actuality, I base my beliefs wholly on personal revelatory experiences, not on what anyone currently in human form tells me to believe. I did not choose the higher powers I connect with, they chose me, and it was a profound experience every time, just not something that could be put in the box of any one religion.
When I say it about myself, I mean that I believe in a higher power, but I do not ascribe to any one set of beliefs or practices. When I connect with that higher power, I may address Spirit, the Universe, or any one of a number of ascended masters, gods, and/or angels. I connect with these energies on a daily basis, but I don't do pro forma rituals, professions of faith, or religion centered celebrations.
I understand that viewing my practices from the outside, some might say that I'm flakey, that I just mix and match, pick and choose willy-nilly, or whatever, but in actuality, I base my beliefs wholly on personal revelatory experiences, not on what anyone currently in human form tells me to believe. I did not choose the higher powers I connect with, they chose me, and it was a profound experience every time, just not something that could be put in the box of any one religion.
Thanks for sharing your perspective. I suppose you can understand how dogmatic believers would be profoundly uncomfortable with the lack of "guard rails" you have, given their belief in the utter depravity of man and related things. It would feel to them like "anything goes". They would look frantically around for validation that they're on the "right track" and not find it. To your statement that "higher powers choose you" they would ask, how do you know all of those higher powers are benevolent and not misleading you?
So my question is this: in your experience is this "higher realm" you engage with uniformly benevolent in motivation? If yes, then how do you know that is not just reflecting your own personal benevolence and good will? How do you know it is something completely "other" than yourself?
In general, I think a religious person who believes in God and religion, automatically is spiritual.
But how does “being spiritual without believing in God and religion”, work?
I know there may be definitions varying from practitioner to practitioner, but can we have a few explanations or elaboration on this state of awareness?
Those who consider themselves spiritual but not religious, do they believe in life after death?
And what EXACTLY does it mean to be “spiritual” when you don’t believe in the existence God or in any religion?
Do you believe in soul?
If yes, what happens to the soul after death?
Interesting thread/topic/comment/question. You seem good at coming up with these...
First off, I wonder if it is necessarily true that a religious person who believes in God and religion is automatically spiritual. Or to put it another way, I've known many a religious person who seemed about as spiritual to me as a brick.
Next, it seems it's about definitions again, and what it means to be spiritual according to any person who claims to be or not. Because of the common association with "the spirit world," a belief in a god or so many of the other typical definitions, I don't think it's a good idea for an atheist like me to claim spirituality. For someone who doesn't believe in the existence of a god or any religion (or spirits, ghosts and the here after), I think trying to claim spirituality is something like trying to "fit a round peg into a square hole." Or why do so?
Would it not be better to identify all emotions and feelings, awareness and sense of being a part of something greater WITHOUT necessarily calling it spirituality? Perhaps it doesn't mean anything to be "spiritual" when you don't believe in such things. Just like it doesn't mean anything to be dead if actually you are alive...
It means you're not an atheist but you also don't fully buy in to any man made religion.
As to whether or not there is a soul or life after death, I believe there is a soul but I have no idea of their is continued existence in some form after death or not. I hope so, but can't know it.
In general, I think a religious person who believes in God and religion, automatically is spiritual.
But how does “being spiritual without believing in God and religion”, work?
I know there may be definitions varying from practitioner to practitioner, but can we have a few explanations or elaboration on this state of awareness?
Those who consider themselves spiritual but not religious, do they believe in life after death?
And what EXACTLY does it mean to be “spiritual” when you don’t believe in the existence God or in any religion?
Do you believe in soul?
If yes, what happens to the soul after death?
It's bogus. They don't have the guts to admit they aren't religious.
It's bogus. They don't have the guts to admit they aren't religious.
I think that statement is needlessly insulting and also incorrect. The topic is people who say they are spiritual but not religious, after all. So they are admitting they're not religious.
My cynical side thinks some people who use this phrase aren’t really “spiritual” they don’t want to admit they don’t go to church or give religion much thought. But don’t want to be seen as a non believer. Spiritual to me is someone who practices daily or at least is a student of theory or philosophy of spirituality. Regularly practicing prayer of some sort, meditations, yoga, nature. Some religious people go to church weekly others only on Easter and Christmas. My question is how often do you practice your spirituality?
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