It has almost become a cliché to hear people say that they are spiritual people but that they are not religious, or that they want no part of an organized religion with its doctrines, rules, and rites. Why is such a position unlikely to satisfy the "spiritual" needs or hungers that people have?

I'm only trying to seek people opnions or arguments, if is possible to be spiritual without belonging to any "organized body" or religion such as church and mosque etc  Can this claims (Spiritual and not Religious) fulifill the spiritual needs of people that goes to church or mosque in any way or can one catergories them in the same level of spirituality?
What do you think?

For the most part, many people who talk about being spiritual without being religious do so out of social respectability, IMO. More so, due to the fact that many people today shy away from the term "religion" for whatever reasons.

In like manner, you hear of people saying that Christian (or some other belief system) is not a religion but a "way of life". It almost certainly has not crossed the minds of Christians who talk that way that the NT indeed mentions "pure religion" as a way of life indeed (James 1:27).

However, whatever one chooses depends on context. Some like to think of themselves as being spiritual and not religious as a way of emphasizing something far more involved than certain rules and practices within a denomination. Yet, there are many who find membership in various orgnaised groups who also see themselves as spiritual within their religion.

In my view, to be religiousminded is to place the highest importance on affiliation to a belief system and to be limited within the doctrinal boundaries of that belief system. To be spiritual is to transcend these doctrinal boundaries of such belief systems and see the entire humanity as one, as well as seeing one as being one with all creation.In order words, to be spiritual is not to submit oneself to any one organized religion.

Spirituality is about the inner journey, while religiousity is more about the external one, which is why religious people are so fixated on their worldly and external religious identities which they derive from their affiliations to a particular religion and all it's external structures like doctrines, scriptures, rituals, divine status of the central figure of worship (like the status of Jesus in the case of christianity), and so on.

Thanks @Jenwitemi and Viaro.  I conducted an interview of three people who claim to be spiritual and not religious, to get a general idea of their opinions and input on this subject. Based on the information I gathered from them, these people don't want to be burdened by such stifling obligation, i.e., being associated with organized church. They want to be exempted from paying tithes or offerings and not subjected to church laws. In a nutshell, they want to be liberated or free from religious obligations.  But they claimed to practice meditations such as yoga, pray and other forms.

Do you think  the above mentioned  people are better off  spirituality than church goers?

MOG2009:

Thanks @Jenwitemi and Viaro.  I conducted an interview of three people who claim to be spiritual and not religious, to get a general idea of their opinions and input on this subject. Based on the information I gathered from them, these people don't want to be burdened by such stifling obligation, i.e., being associated with organized church. They want to be exempted from paying tithes or offerings and not subjected to church laws. In a nutshell, they want to be liberated or free from religious obligations.  But they claimed to practice meditations such as yoga, pray and other forms.

Do you think  the above mentioned  people are better off  spirituality than church goers?

Ofcourse, they are. These are the folks that have the courage to take the inward journey of purification of the inner republic and do not attach themselves to the things of the external world. And the inward journey leads back to the creator. It is a personal journey that has to be done by every individual on their own. Our salvation lies in our hands, every human being has to work on his/her salvation, ALONE. No pastor, bishop, reverend, or pope will do it for us. It is a personal thing and not a public one. That was what Jesus was trying to get across to people at that time. Be your own saviour. I will show you how. That was Jesus' mission here on earth, and not to be worshipped.

@Jenwitemi, if spirituality is more important than religion, how come members of organized body believed they are at advantage than their counter parts. The religious members believed that "unity is a stronger force than oneness". They are vast  because of numbers and tends to acquire knowledge in sharing or networking than those "spiritual".  Do you agree with this?

MOG2009:

Thanks @Jenwitemi and Viaro. I conducted an interview of three people who claim to be spiritual and not religious, to get a general idea of their opinions and input on this subject. Based on the information I gathered from them, these people don't want to be burdened by such stifling obligation, i.e., being associated with organized church. They want to be exempted from paying tithes or offerings and not subjected to church laws. In a nutshell, they want to be liberated or free from religious obligations. But they claimed to practice meditations such as yoga, pray and other forms.

Do you think the above mentioned people are better off spirituality than church goers?

Well, I don't think that one group is "better off spiritually" than the other. Some people who attend church services or are active in Church in one way or the other are very spiritual indeed; others may be in church and still be carnal (compare 1 Cor. 3:1-4). Infact, some of the things which we tend to use as the criteria for spirituality are often shown to be leading the other way round.

For those who want to be liberated from "religious obligations", what exactly do they mean by that? If they see fellowship as a burden, then that speaks sad volumes indeed - for we cannot be truly spiritual in the Biblical sense until we begin to be committed in fellowship with other believers. This fellowship of sorts is often established by guiding principles agreed upon by participating members in any particular fellowship - and whatever activities occur in service (whether outreaches, Bible studies, relief efforts, educational services for communities), they would be based on those principles. It would be hard indeed to grow spiritually in the Biblical sense if we want to be free-lancers in our spiritual journeys.

MOG2009:

@Jenwitemi, if spirituality is more important than religion, how come members of organized body believed they are at advantage than their counter parts. The religious members believed that "unity is a stronger force than oneness". They are vast  because of numbers and tends to acquire knowledge in sharing or networking than those "spiritual".  Do you agree with this?

What else do you expect those who seek to control the masses to believe? The most potent tool of mass control is and remains organized religion.

MOG2009:

@Jenwitemi, if spirituality is more important than religion, how come members of organized body believed they are at advantage than their counter parts.

If you call sheer numbers an advantage. Remember the big gate to hell, as taught in the bible? Well, it takes a huge gate to take in huge numbers of people.

MOG2009:

@Jenwitemi, The religious members believed that "unity is a stronger force than oneness".

Stronger force for what? Against what? That is the question you should ask yourself. Who is benefitting from this "strong force"? You, or the religious clergy?

MOG2009:

@Jenwitemi, They are vast  because of numbers and tends to acquire knowledge in sharing or networking than those "spiritual".  Do you agree with this?

No, i do not agree. If knowledge sharing (whatever that knowledge is) is such an important element, then it is not helping to keep religions from each other's throats. What sort of knowledge is being shared that does not prevent schizms happening in christianity for example. You will never see spiritual people engaging in needless conflicts.

If you call sheer numbers an advantage. Remember the big gate to hell, as taught in the bible? Well, it takes a huge gate to take in huge numbers of people.

@Jenwitemi, thanks for your honest post. I do agree with you that size doesn't matters from other areas of the bible . But,I think they have a point too, in terms of unity against attack or devices of the enemies, it does. Remember the famous quote that "one will chase a thousand and two will chase ten thousands". Back to the original or first post, Does this fulfill the spiritual needs of people that goes to church or mosque in any way ? Yes, it does from the unity point of view against attack.


Stronger force for what? Against what? That is the question you should ask yourself. Who is benefitting from this "strong force"? You, or the religious clergy?

Secondly, this strong force through unity or assembly of an organized religion could with stand any issue from physical to spiritual. The church as a body will benefit from this "strong force" and the clergy does sometimes.

No, i do not agree. If knowledge sharing (whatever that knowledge is) is such an important element, then it is not helping to keep religions from each others throats. What sort of knowledge is being shared that does not prevent schizms happening in Christianity for example. You will never see spiritual people engaging in needless conflicts.

I do understand that opinions are varies in life. I'm speaking from the information that I gathered from the interviews of both religious and spiritual people. The religious people claimed to be more knowledgeable because of their numbers in various areas  that satisfy the pphysicaland spiritual needs. They are collective ideas or opinion on rites  to fulfil the core spiritual aspect such as Mass choirs, diversity instrumentalists and different spiritual gifts that abounds in the congregation etc.  I do agree with you that some and not all spiritual people engaged in needless conflicts.


However, those religious people still claimed that their numbers does matters in fulfilling spiritual needs of the people than strictly spiritual people. What areas do you think they are wrong?

This thread reminds me of a quote ascribed to a big name rocker ", I am spiritual and not religious, Religion is for those who are scared of going to hell when they die, I've been to hell and back, "

Jesus Christ said " where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there" he didn't say Thousands or millions, "Many are called, few are chosen, "

Some folks go to a particular Church/sect just like others go to a particular country club or what have you, social/class identification so we can't condemn those who worship in small groups for we know not how effective they are at what they do and how they do them, some maybe more comfortable in those settings and actually learn as opposed to a big gathering where it might take Months to get a question in or get an explanation.

God made each and everyone of us UNIQUE for a reason, those with twins in the family can attest to the fact that even when they're so identical, they still do things/act differently.

The Bible told us that "each of us will have to work out his/her Salvation with fear and trembling" , it won't matter who you fellowshiped with on that great day, (Fellowship is an IMPORTANT requirement of our Christian faith)

HOLINESS (without which no one can see God) is way more important than who you "roll" with

ogajim:

. . . it won't matter who you fellowshiped with on that great day, (Fellowship is an IMPORTANT requirement of our Christian faith)

Em, I think the Bible shows in many places that it actually matters who you fellowship with, no? (eg., 2 Thes. 3:6 and 2 Tim. 3:5).

@Viaro, true talk. Please explain.

MOG2009:

It has almost become a cliché to hear people say that they are spiritual people but that they are not religious, or that they want no part of an organized religion with its doctrines, rules, and rites. Why is such a position unlikely to satisfy the "spiritual" needs or hungers that people have?

Religion is the banana skin and spirituality is the banana. The misery in the world is because religious people throw away the banana and are holding on to the skin.

Horus:

Religion is the banana skin and spirituality is the banana. The misery in the world is because religious people throw away the banana and are holding on to the skin.

Its not applicable to every pple. One thing is that orientation matters. What pple are being taught in gathering is important as well.

Horus:

Religion is the banana skin and spirituality is the banana. The misery in the world is because religious people throw away the banana and are holding on to the skin.

They ignore the informations and directives on the signpost and cling on to the signpost itself. Misery, and more misery.

@Horus good point . @Jenwitemi,Vairo and Oga Tudor, who to blame the Banana or its skin?

MOG2009:

@Horus good point . @Jenwitemi,Vairo and Oga Tudor, who to blame the Banana or its skin?

Neither of the two, my friend. Blame the people allowed themselves to be fooled by religions into clinging on to the skin, thereby forgetting the banana itself, which is the meat and potato of salvation.

This is simply why so many religious folks are so confused today with what is going on within their faiths. They take the skin for the banana. Take christians for example, while their lord Jesus taught them to link up with the "banana" directly, they were fooled to hang on to the "skin" by doctrines carefully designed by the priesthood of organized christian church to control and manipulate them. A recipe for confusions and sufferings.