I posted on my Facebook, a question, ‘what does spiritual but not religious’ mean, and have received quite a response. I invite more from the neophytes…One difficulty is the definition of both ‘spiritual’ and ‘religious.’
I posted on my Facebook, a question, ‘what does spiritual but not religious’ mean, and have received quite a response. I invite more from the neophytes…One difficulty is the definition of both ‘spiritual’ and ‘religious.’
This topic is crazy insane now 🙂 I must say as believers, we are both religious (Reverence and Faith in the One True God and not just that but also an acting out of that Faith) and Spiritual (Born again/Holy Spirit as a deposit guarantee) We must worship Him in Spirt and Truth! But we must distinguish the difference between the two (Worldy-non believers and those called Chosen by God Himself, the righteous and the unrighteous) We both perceive those two words differently. And there is a right and a wrong way to perceive those words. Words, Words, Words……..
I’ll follow this question with another question.
When we speak of the “spiritual but not religious” how do you believe they compare to the “god fearers” of the scriptures? Those who were not Jewish, but felt drawn to the Jewish God. Is there any sort of parallel?
Maybe this is just the musings of 1am. Maybe I should just head to bed. But to my bleary, sleep deprived mind, it seems an important thing to consider.
Grace, Peace, and Love,
-Andrew
Sorry for being a late-comer.
I am NOT “spiritual but not religious,” especially denying that I am the latter, because “religion” to me is trying to appease God or Church. I don’t try to appease God, I try to love Him. I am also not spiritual, because I am like Paul who writes in Romans 7:14 (Jerusalem Bible), “The Law, of course, as we all know, is spiritual; but I am unspiritual; I have been sold as a slave to sin.” This verse is taken out of context, and I don’t mean it in an absolute, categorical sense either. I just deny being spiritual because “spiritual” means in current idiom, essentially “neo-pagan,” witness any of the “Spiritual Fairs” that are held throughout the US, especially in the West. Not a single Christian exhibitor or presenter is ever included.
I think that the expression, “I am spiritual but not religious,” betrays this kind of elitism, standing apart from and implicitly condemning the Church, which is the Bride of Christ, who is not blemish-free of her own nature but who will become spotless through the merits of her divine Spouse, Christ Jesus.
I’ve heard and asked the same of myself and others in conversation over this topic…I propose to say, “I am in relationship with God, not religious” – like a slave to the rules of man-made church institutions. I’ve explained my Christianity as Christ-follower…in relationship, connection to Christ and his beliefs, which I believe transcend the many categories of churches.
The difference between religon and spirituality is; religon is for people who fear hall – sprirituality is for people who have been there.