Are you spiritual but not religious? If so, you are part of a growing demographic of people. Or maybe you are still not sure what the difference is between spirituality and religion is. In this article, I will go over the differences. If you prefer to listen, the audio/podcast version is below:
Many people confuse spirituality with religion and believe that spiritual connection can only come from religious beliefs. However, spirituality can come from more than subscribing to a religion. Some people do seek religion for this, but spirituality can also be achieved without belonging to a specific religion.
I like to think of the main difference between religion and spirituality being mostly this:
Religion is given to you, and spirituality is created from within you.
Aspects of Religion
You are given a set of beliefs, rules, and laws. These come from other teachers, books, and people. Most of these religions are based on centuries-old traditions and texts that have been passed down.
Most religions rely on people’s faith to keep them alive. You must have faith that your chosen teaching is the correct one because you have no direct experience with whomever/whatever created that religion.
With religion, the higher power is either a deity, a person who once existed, or a fictional character that embodies the set of beliefs for that religion.
Religion involves rites of passage you must complete, such as baptism, communion, confirmation, bar mitzvah, a pilgrimage, etc.
Aspects of Spirituality
With spirituality, you are the one creating your own internal set of beliefs, rules, and laws; the wisdom comes from within you through your personal experiences.
When you are spiritual but not religious, in a sense you are creating your own personal religion that is unique to you, made up of the beliefs that you have personally chosen and the experiences you have had.
In spirituality, the higher power is usually your own higher self, nature, or source energy. This is usually not a person, character, or deity.
There are many spiritual people who believe we are all one mind, fragments of the only living thing in the universe, that is temporarily taking form in the human body. In this sense, we are all God because we are one, all that is.
In spirituality, your journey is unique and determined by you alone. There are no rites of passage other than any you choose to partake in, and not at a certain age.
The Main Difference Between Spirituality and Religion
In conclusion, the main difference between spirituality and religion comes down to where the wisdom comes from; either outside yourself or from within. If you lean towards the spirituality end of the spectrum (which you most likely are since you are reading my blog!), then you have gone within and know what it means to “be your own guru”. That is a phrase I like to say a lot because I believe we should all be our own gurus.
I have a Spiritual Health Workbook that might help you gain some clarity in this area.
Which of these do you identify most with? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!
Learn more about spirituality in the article Fundamentals of a Spiritual Lifestyle or download my free eBook What Is Spirituality.
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