We often see these two as the same but there is a difference. Many will see this difference as slight and may say it is ‘splitting-hairs’ so to speak. To me there is a world of difference as I see myself as a Spiritual person but not a Religious person and this is an important distinction. Religion CAN BE A SPIRITUAL PATH that an individual may chose to follow; it is a PERSONAL choice that I respect.
Spirituality:
In the movie “Down the rabbit hole”, the sequel to “What the bleep do we know?”, at the end they arrived at a definition to ‘Science’ and ‘Spirituality’. Science is the study of this physical environment; Spirituality is the study of thoughts. This is a very simple statement but the study of thoughts is much more complicated and deeper than one may at first think. Our thoughts are directly connected to our emotions, feelings, beliefs and our free-will and to study our thoughts is also to study these. It is these that connect us to the Spirit world and our relationship to it.
Spirituality goes beyond our thoughts and includes how we are connected to our physical world. We are an intricate part of the physical environment and not as separate from it as we often physically feel. How we relate to our PHYSICAL BODY is critical. Our PHYSICAL BODY is not just a vessel for our Spirit or Soul it is also the EXPRESSION of our Spirit or Soul. Our BODY responds to our thoughts, emotions, feelings, beliefs and our free-will.
Spirituality is MORE than religion. Everyone and everything in our Physical environment has a Spiritual component to it. This concept comes from the idea that this Physical World is manifested from the Spirit World. It is how the Spirit World is EXPRESSED. A Spiritual person is someone that is aware of this connection and is working to broaden their consciousness to incorporate this Spiritual source. As far as a deity of some form, I recognize the CREATOR OR GREAT SPIRIT. The CREATOR represents the WHOLENESS of the Spirit World and is neither masculine nor feminine but both and everything else. The CREATOR just creates and does not judge what is created. One can connect directly with the CREATOR to assist one in creating one’s Life. This is not as simple as it sounds.
Religion:
Religion is much more focused on the Human Spirit or Soul. This focus is the SPIRITUAL component to Religion. Most Religions are formed in a manner that focuses the followers’ beliefs into a set of prescribed values. Often these prescribed values become more paramount than the purpose of the values; we call this ‘dogma’. Religion often has a class-order of importance. This order is in the form of priests, monks, yogis, rabies and other names and positions. Followers must work with such individuals to progress on their Spiritual Path. This can be a benefit as the priest can assist the individual, or it can be a determent to the individual. Religion adds a level of bureaucracy to the Spiritual Path.
Religion has a SPIRITUAL component that is secondary to the DOGMA and the BUREAUCRACY. The SPIRITUAL component is beneficial to anyone that finds it helpful, despite the DOGMA and ORDER. Some may find the structure of Religion helpful in their Spiritual pursuits.
Most Religions also see this Physical world as different and separate from the Spirit world. They entice the followers to follow the dogma in order to have a better ‘after-life’. There is still this SEPARATION between the Physical and Spiritual.
A SPIRITUALIST sees the CONNECTION between the Physical and Spiritual and it is both that CREATES LIFE, one cannot have LIFE without both.
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