What does Spiritual but not Religious mean?

[Harv]

It is a question and I thought there were some people (who I may have even argued with) who can help me out. I am not looking for an argument here, just some enlightenment.

Is the Wikipedia Article accurate?

 

[warpus]

It means that you're not a part of any religious organization or movement in any way, but you still engage in personal growth initiatives like meditation, bonding with nature, smoking the peace pipe, and so on.

What is spirituality? To me it's a look inwards, into yourself, your personality, your thoughts, your self.. but also a look outwards, at the universe, at reality, at existence.

You don't need religion for that. You can involve it if you want, and a lot of people do, but you don't need one for the other.

 

[timtofly]

There is nothing challenging about having deep thoughts all by oneself. What is interesting is doing this work in community

You guys get all my deep thoughts. The question is "Is this a real community?"

 

[Hygro]

It means accepting the energy that religion describes without subscribe to the the dogmatic narratives of what that energy is or why it exists.

The same way you can say you can have faith without religion. Faith might simply be a biological energy that plays out in a psychological (and physical) way, but certainly doesn't need a shared story of some dude granting you spells depending on your level or whatever.

 

[Farm Boy]

It is a question and I thought there were some people (who I may have even argued with) who can help me out. I am not looking for an argument here, just some enlightenment.

Is the Wikipedia Article accurate?

Sometimes(not always) it's the slacktivist permutation of the faith umbrella.

 

[Kozmos]

Well what is the spirit of a man anyway? His psyche, stamina? Mental endurance and sanity in face of the cold, uncaring physical reality of the universe(s)? Anyway I meditate, and marvel at the complexity of the universe. I suppose I consider that spiritual in some sense.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

It is a question and I thought there were some people (who I may have even argued with) who can help me out. I am not looking for an argument here, just some enlightenment.

Is the Wikipedia Article accurate?

The article is far too limited.

What is spirituality? To me it's a look inwards, into yourself, your personality, your thoughts, your self.. but also a look outwards, at the universe, at reality, at existence.

You don't need religion for that. You can involve it if you want, and a lot of people do, but you don't need one for the other.

This is a good start, from my perspective.

 

[IAM]

What does Spiritual but not Religious mean?

It means someone that believes in the Tooth Fairy but doesn't leave their teeth under the pillow.

 

[Terxpahseyton]

It means that you're not a part of any religious organization or movement in any way, but you still engage in personal growth initiatives like meditation, bonding with nature, smoking the peace pipe, and so on.

What is spirituality? To me it's a look inwards, into yourself, your personality, your thoughts, your self.. but also a look outwards, at the universe, at reality, at existence.

I don't see how any of this is necessarily spiritual though I accept that they are elements often incoporated.

To me it means some kind of notion of / believe in some kind of "higher" thing/power/force/aspect what have you. A thing obviously shared with being religious.
What differentiates the two is perhaps this: Lack of deities, (mostly) lack of dogmas, relative lack of organization.

 

[Lillefix]

A better question would be "What does spiritual mean?"

 

[ParkCungHee]

Fear of commitment.

 

[Darkflight]

It means that you believe in something you made up instead of believing what someone else made up.

 

[Tahuti]

Is the Wikipedia Article accurate?

The article states that SBNR's reject organised religion, though that's not necessarily the case. In most cases, SBNR's reject individual points of an organised religion, though that isn't wholesale rejection of organised religion.

A better question would be "What does spiritual mean?"

Acknowledging the power of anything immaterial (i.e. that cannot be perceived by using our senses). Having good ideas are definitely a form of spirituality, and even commonly used phrases like 'spiritual successor' denote a spiritual quality. It isn't necessarily about the supernatural at all.

 

[Terxpahseyton]

Hm it is interesting that when you look at German, spiritual in the sense of this thread and the mere word spirit and its associates stand firmly apart. As in, there are own German words for spirit ecetera and then there is the German "Spiritualität" which in deed seems to be used exclusively to refer to something connected to something supernatural.
If we went by your way of looling at things, an idealist is spiritual I suppose? That seems to suck the life out of this word if you ask me.

 

[Tahuti]

Hm it is interesting that when you look at German, spiritual in the sense of this thread and the mere word spirit and its associates stand firmly apart. As in, there are own German words for spirit ecetera and then there is the German "Spiritualität" which in deed seems to be used exclusively to refer to something connected to something supernatural.
If we went by your way of looling at things, an idealist is spiritual I suppose? That seems to suck the life out of this word if you ask me.

My metaphysical and epistomological outlook roughly can be described as idealist and I guess that strongly supports any religious/spiritual way of thinking. Idealism is in crucial ways almost certainly bound to bring in a spiritual worldview.

In Dutch, we cannot really distinguish 'spirit' as it used in expressions from 'spiritual'; and while the former (which is 'geest') is more often used for expressions like 'geestelijk opvolger' (spiritual successor), 'spiritueel opvolger' isn't unheard of. Likewise, the Dutch word for cleric is 'geestelijke'.

 

[muhtesem insan]

I've always thought it as deism.

 

[Kyriakos]

Ultimately it depends on the term's etymology (in this case 'religious' and to an extent 'spiritual') although i think that the phrase "spiritual but not religious" usually refers to someone who views things spiritually (whatever that means to them) but is not part of an organised religious group.

But even the above is not always the case. For example 'spiritualists' often are part of groups, which are just not an accepted religion (eg they are viewed as sects and not religions or denominations of a religion).

For example, back in late 90s England, some people claimed they were 'pagans' or assorted epithets, and argued they are spiritual but not of organised religions etc (meaning they are not christian/muslim/jewish or a main branch of the oriental religions).

 

[timtofly]

Fear of commitment.

So people who join a religion are afraid of commitment and hide within the masses?

There have been plenty of humans throughout history who have been committed to God who did not follow a crowd, but stood alone, even if they were accused of being crazy.

 

[Zack]

What does Spiritual but not Religious mean?

It means you frequently smoke marijuana.

 

[Harv]

Thanks for the replies, everybody! I thought I would pour myself a cup of coffee and look up what kind of responses I got, and . . .

It means you frequently smoke marijuana.

Why do quotes like this always happen when I have a mouth full of hot coffee?

I will try to give some responses and comments later.