Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Spirtual/Religious

What is the difference between being a spiritual person and a religious person?  Is the term spiritual used by people, like myself, who do not attend church regularly as a way of redeeming ourselves? When spirituality came along it was often referenced to mean everything spiritual was good and everything to do with religion was bad. Religion became equated with dogmatism and moralism. I realize that at times I fall into that thinking but for myself spirituality simply means that I believe in something greater than myself.  I can't look at nature and NOT believe in something greater than mankind.  The first time I was really struck by that thought was when I was about 29 years old and saw the ocean for the first time.  It took my breath to see something so powerful, so beautiful and yet know that man had absolutely nothing to do with its creation.  I don't believe there is only one religion but I do believe in one supreme being.  I struggle with the thought that anyone could have found the one and only religion when I think of it as being mostly attributed to geography and genetics.  I just happened to be born in a country where Christianity is the religion of majority and I just happen to have been genetically born to Christians?  I believe God knows what he is doing and I don't believe he excludes anyone due to geography.  As a human being I was given two gifts, opposable thumbs and the ability to reason.  I can choose between right and wrong because God gave me that ability and responsibility.  I will continue to work on my relationship with God and to keep my heart and mind open to all possibilities.

3 comments:

Linda said...

Oregon is one of the most unchurched states in the nation. But, who wants to sit in some church building, fighting over who's greatest and most powerful, when you can be out in the wonders of nature that surround us in the beautiful state of Oregon?

kenju said...

I agree with everything you say. I say I am spiritual because I believe that there is a spark of the Divine in everything. I think the word 'religious' has taken on a sort of bad quality, since it makes us think of people who are so zealous and judgmental as to be obnoxious.

Arkansas Patti said...

You stated my case perfectly. I am too am spiritual. Religion is man made.