Can you be religious and not spiritual and vice versa?

1. 76

   brittvan22posted 12 years ago

   Can you be religious and not spiritual and vice versa?
   
   Can you be a person so dedicated to your religion that you have no real sense of spirituality? Does spirituality led to separation from religious traditions?

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2. 59

   ereekieposted 12 years ago

   I think religion is a way of life, and spirituality is a way of thought. Usually, someone who believes in a certain religion follows that dogma willingly, because they spiritually believe it is it right, but I believe you can have one without the other. There are some who are spiritually disconnected from their religion, and yet follow it because it is how they were raised, or what they believe, etc. and there are others who feel spiritual, without answering to a specific religious order. That's my thought on the difference, anyway.

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3. 76

   brittvan22posted 12 years ago

   I agree with you, very well put. Some people subscribe to a religion without totally understand, what it truly means and all that they are saying.

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   1. 59

      ereekieposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Exactly, though I don't necessarily think it's a bad thing to live by a religious standard without understanding it, as long as you aren't extreme about it. The problem arises when people use religion to justify themselves in negative acts.

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   2. 76

      brittvan22posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I agree with you on the justification part, but when you subscribe to any religion or religious tradition, you should be fully educated and have at least general understand of it's tenets. Fundamentalism is dangerous to any religion.

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4. 69

   chaturrajneeshposted 12 years ago

   I believe if you are referring to more of a ritualistic aspect of religion, then yes, it is possible to be religious but not spiritual. But if take religion as a science, which it actually is!!, for bringing us closer to the Divine, then there is no way we can separate the fine threads of both religion and spirituality entwined with each other!!!

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   1. 76

      brittvan22posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Great post chaturrajneesh, you hit the nail on the head! That is very close to Traditional African Religion as well as others. The separation was Greek dualism.

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5. 60

   MilesArmbrusterposted 12 years ago

   Religion is the collection of rites, practices and beliefs that a person or group follows. That being the case. you could form a religion that is not "spiritual." Buddhism is an example of this type of religion; there is no spiritual aspect to it. Buddha centered all of his thought on suffering and desires, and makes no claims about any form of deity or a spiritual world.
   Some people are religious about their dedication to sports, which is decidedly not spiritual.

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