You like many other people will likely experience something like an encounter with the divine in your lifetime. Most people, when they experience it, struggle to find words to describe it. Nothing seems adequate to convey how stirring the experience is.
It’s experiences like that, I think, that can cause people to look at religions, with their rules and doctrines, as a pale shadow of the thing that they experienced. I imagine that’s why more and more people are describing themselves as spiritual but not religious. Religion is seen as something that suffers from stale formulas that do little to express the rapture of spiritual revelation.
In a sense, they’re right. If you were to encounter God, religion would seem like a reduction that comes drastically short of the real thing. It’s like comparing the experience of looking at a map of the ocean to the experience of standing on the threshold of that vast expanse. But here’s the thing. While a map may not be the ocean, it’s still indispensable if you want to know something about it.
Religion is a lot like that. It’s not God and it may seem pedantic and trivial in comparison, just as a map is to the ocean, but it can be vital to helping you navigate your spiritual life. Being spiritual but not religious doesn’t mean you won’t have religious ideas or even doctrines, it just means that you’ll have very juvenile ones that thinkers and theologians have tried but abandoned.
If God exists and if we want to respond to those profound experiences, than we have to do something with them. We have to interpret them and try to understand what is being asked from us, if anything. The difference between a religious and non-religious response is a matter experience and objectivity. On your own, you have very little of either of those things but in the context of a community or a tradition, you benefit from a collection of experiences and knowledge. Without that collective of knowledge, your operating within your own narrow perspective and assumptions and if the divine does exist, than I imagine it would challenge my own assumptions and present qualities that would be surprising and unexpected. If it wasn’t, I’d be afraid that it was merely my own invention or a projection of MY preferences. But if I encounter something that isn’t conveniently compatible with my own assumptions and way of living, then I can be more sure that it isn’t something that I invented or projected.
Every religion proposes doctrines that will challenge your assumptions and preferences. In the spiritual but not religious scenario, there isn’t anything that will force you to do this.
There’s a much higher risk of picking and choosing ideas and assumptions that happen to suit your preferences. If you are the only one who defines the doctrines of your personal spirituality, then you’re not really connecting with something outside of yourself… you’re just worshiping your own assumptions. Or put another way, you’re just encountering and potentially worshiping… yourself. Good religion will draw your attention out of your own selfish perspective towards God and a community of people. Being spiritual is something that happens by default. It’s an accident of your existence. Religion is what happens when you put your spiritual reality to work.
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i really like the space you're creating here on yt. but some people just believe each one has their own path, and other people's experiences, no matter how big their name, are just that, other people's. also, if there is a way to experience the sacred, there might be no knowledge needed in regards to what is being experienced. christian mysticism is a curious phenomenon, no wonder it's been heavily ostracised over the centuries.
Tarot is a sin
This video is bad ngl
I saw a comment about us not knowing what happens after death. This might be changing. Check out the Tedx talk by Dr Thomas Fleischmann. He’s an emergency physician and has experience in bringing people back to life after they die, thanks to modern medicine.
I highly, HIGHLY recommend that you watch it. Have an open mind
Read your Bible. It's not just church. Yall think you can get closer to God and still live like u want? NO! Believe me I've been there. You must strive to be holy and accept Jesus in your heart. It's not about preference! It's about what God wants! You create your own God that's OK with how u live. I know this sounds hard, but I've been there. Trust the Bible. It is historically accurate. Jesus is the way the truth and the life. God bless yall. 😁
https://youtu.be/6DuKFB0vMAQ
🚨🚔
I am non-religious
Being religious is following a religious leader's journey to experience GOD… However, spirituality is having your own experience with GOD.
GOD is not so much to believed… GOD is to be experienced.
I have a new perspective… I shall read the Bible more. Does this mean I should go to church and all that as well???
Utilize is as a mini-guide but not the only way to continue.
Great analogy here… thank you.
Hands down Brian's BEST video, ever…
The universe is alive. That's all I need to know. No god necessary.
Idolatry is exclusion
I'M SPIRITUAL AGNOSTIC
Four minutes of facts.
Being spiritual in my accordance is to feed food that your soul (spirit) is wanting 🙂 and the food that soul is craving for is already written in many holy scriptures (in religious books) and by ref to these scriptures is how millions of people on earth have already experienced a power ( GOD ) and have already built their belief system in their religion…. now what ever new term you coin in like this, I am sure one day when your community grows , you might be willing to publish your own scripture (one more faith) but the challenge will be from where (which scriptures ) will you derive the good and bad things to do in life , or if suppose you will not refer any scriptures it will take centuries to experiment with mankind , to analyse , to observe and to conclude that these these things is what you do to satisfy the inner self , but what my belief is that by doing all these again we will be coming back to point zero where it started and your community may name the new power that you experience with new noun ( like 'the Universe' ).
Its like you are reverse engineering religion to get to a goal , 2 + 2 = 4 is already proved to the world , but you want to add to the people mind that 3 + 1 also equals 4.
"Religion is living by what is theologically known. Spirituality is living by what is continually discovered."
::yawn:: spirituality = religion freeware
Interesting. It seems like his descriptions and criticisms of spirituality are also a very accurate description of religion.
i am spiritual not religious i believe in Jesus Christ so that is what I am
Ik that there is a lot of back and forth about religious and spirituality. I can say that I am Spiritual but not religious, even though I believe in God and I believe in Jesus Christ and the more I’ve read the Bible when it came to the live before and after Christ. And it honestly more spiritualities then religious. When it comes to religious a lot of people live by the old covenant instead of the new covenant which is faith based. Jesus was a spirit in a dirt body, which means he understood humanity and feelings like all of us. Jesus was a man a faith and a believer of all thing is possible with the right mindset and faith in his heart. Honestly that is very spirituality, we was put on earth to create what is in heaven , which is love, sharing, abundance, wealth for all humanity on earth. When it comes to spirituality, I myself pray not only for myself but for others, I meditate to calm myself down, I listen to people to a better understanding, I believe that everything I pray for is already done and what I ask for requires actions. Being a righteous person is far greater then being a religious person because that is what spirituality is all about. I am not living through Fear but I am living through Faith, belief, and freedom. I chose love over over anger . I chose to use the mind that God had bless me with and not be wicked. I chose to be active and not laziness. I’m not here to tell people how to live their lives but I am here I let everyone know that it is not okay to judge someone because they not what you are. God want us to live a righteous life and choose him in everything we do. I love you all and pray that all have a understanding and give God/The most high thanks everyday moving forward.
Most people treat the map as an idol, not a tool.
I am disgusted by how sexist every religion is so no thanks, and the condoning of abuse and condemning of diverse sexialities and gender identities. Religion can find me when people start getting it right. Hence, never.
Religion is for fools. God is not a Christian, Muslim, Buddhist or anything else of the sort and neither is Jesus Christ, these are human systems created to mislead and control the weak.
As Jesus would say "are you still without understanding?"
very nice, thank you. I see you are Christian, great but point of clarification: not all religions believe in or use the Word "God".
Spiritual and belief in God, Jesus Christ and The Holy Spirit is the best way I'd belief.
Very good points and well spoken. Thank you
Sura 2 v 256
Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from Error: whoever rejects evil and believes in Allah hath grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold, that never breaks. And Allah heareth and knoweth all things. There is no compulsion and coercion in regard to religion
James 1: 27 Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained [a]by the world.
Philippians 3: 3 for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh,
Good Post!!! Upon meeting "Spiritual, but not Religious" people, I often wonder "What is so spiritual about you?" It often seems that there is nothing that couldn't better be described with other words. The etymology of SPIRIT comes from the Latin for breath. The etymology of RELIGION comes from the Latin for "to bind together". All people breathe, but without community there is nothing which speaks of commitments or of keeping obligatory relationships. It seems like "spiritual, but not religious" is people trying to substitute how they would like to be perceived for what they actually do.
UNFORTUNATELY MANY IF NOT ALL WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE MAN TEXTING THIS COMMENT IN REFERENCE TO SPIRITUAL A SCRIPTURE WRITTEN (GOD IS A SPIRIT TO ALL) IS WHERE AND HOW ALL BELIEVE THE LIE WHEN WRITTEN and MISSPELLED THE TERM SPIRITUAL FOR THE CORRECT and ACCURATE SPELLING is GOD IS A SPIRIT TO ALL///*DEFINED (A SPIRIT PER SON)WHICH UNFORTUNATELY THE TERM AND TH🎉LIE (PERSON)* IS DERIVED FROM NOTE THE SCRIPTURE (IF ANY MAN BELIEVES To Be ANYTHING OTHER THAN A SINNER THEY ARE BELIEVING A LIE comments by jahnny phife Kharlbonelly #5 BE HOLD EYE AM THAT MAN WHO GRABBED THE THIRD RAIL ON 59TH STREET COLUMBUS CIRCLE and DID NOT GET ELECTROCUTED BECAUSE BEFORE I GRABBED THE THIRD RAIL EYE CALLED OUT LOUD (JEHOVAH and JESUS'CHRIST) BUT EYE AM Not RELIGIOUS**AS WELL MISSPELLED THE ACCURATE SPELLING is REALLY JUST** IS GOD ONLY AND WITH THAT EYE MEAN NO DISRESPECT OTHER THAN THOSE READING THIS COMMENT TO CHANGE THERE BELIEFS IN REFERENCE TO SPIRITUAL/PERSON/and RELIGIOUS THESES THREE MISSPELLED TERMINOLOGIES IF GOD WILLS IT TO BE ACCURATELY NOW THAT EYE HAVE ENLIGHTENED With GOOD MEANS 🥴 GOOD LUCK ❤
By now, everybody that has make an effort to research into Christianity may know the following:
1. The New Testament is not real… at all.
2. Virgin Mary apparitions are not real, they are all fake.
3. The protagonists of every religion, doesn't matter the name, are mythical figures.
Having said that, I have experienced the presence of God in the form of unexplained events that have happened to me.
How can I pray to GOD without naming or involving a mythical figure?
Glad people are discussing this. Am spiritual guru. Religion am not for or against. I don’t try to be spiritual am just naturally that way. Am sure I’m not only one. Just watched a video with pastor Mike talking about hot religion has stigma. Yeah ok . Spirituality in my experience is way more stigmatized and no one says it. I know from my experience. I have friends who are atheists and they don’t believe in any of it and stigmatize spirit just as much as religion and for people like me in the middle in just about anything that we get scrutinized from both sides left and right. Am hoping people in middle like me. Probably a good chunk at least 33% get a voice to represent them. To many people on left and right doing more harm than good and not realizing it. Good vid. Have a great new year. James. Not lora. Shared account
ideology sorry you are not there. i
Not being religious does not mean unteachable, selfish or anything else you describe it as! You have a misunderstanding of what we mean by not being religious. Far too many practice religion that will hear God say depart from me I never knew you.
This is why scriptures tells us believing christians to not follow man made religions. Such as what the Catholic Church teaches. Many years ago before they changed the definition of religious it meant the steady practice of one’s faith. Religious also was applied to many aspects of life such as sports, job and putting the baby to sleep by a certain time. Being spiritual is no different. You have a choice to choose a certain time or method to connect with God uninterrupted. Shoot, you can do it as you are walking or jogging at work in your mind what have you. And many times being amongst others who shared the same spiritual experience heightens the relationship we have with God. Jesus explains to us it’s the heart of the law just not the doing of it. It should be in our hearts to love our neighbor as ourselves, to not desire to murder, steal or take one’s wife or lie against someone. Like he said if a man looks at a woman that’s not his wife and lust after her in his heart, he has committed adultery. We think that it was only physical but it all started in the hearts of people first. There’s a lot to unpack here but let me just say when you practice spiritually you’re being religious.
This was so well put and concise – thank you. (and was shared too.) One of my seminary professors defined theology as "The love words of the Bride for the Bridegroom – it's about the relationship." Religion without a corresponding spiritual life (relationship) becomes dry and empty very fast. And, as you say, easily becomes very self-referential. Thank you for your wisdom on this.
I'm sick of American preachers.
Maybe this works for some, but what happened to me, I found when I moved away from religion, it's like my life went from black and white to living in color. I found God everywhere. I pray to God every day and my life has become so much fuller, with friends who belong to a variety of different belief systems. My personal relationship with everything around me has undeniably improved and there is so much more inclusive love in my life. To tell people that God won't work in their life and they are hindered unless they join a religious organization is not true. God's will is just that: God's will. If a religious person has ideas and experiences they want to share with me, I'm open. But telling me God won't be available to me if I don't join their group is something else, which can actually be damaging and the very opposite of supporting others' relationship with God.
Religion's are temporary and The desires and effort, rule's regulations, traditions and ceremony's humanities established will. One Religion is approved and validated by God.. Where you can help and invest into widows and orphans. This is Pure Religion. Spiritual awakening is a Gift From God and eternal a Gift Not because of anything that you have done. A righteousness that comes from God threw Christ Jesus and his finished work's by faith alone. A gift for Salvation, because of the great kindness, long-suffering , Patience and unwavering Love for humanity. Threw Christ Jesus by faith. You had nothing to do with it.. It's a gift.❤
You cannot separate the two. Eeligion and spirituality is all about your own invention and projection of your own preferences.
I.E ALL made up in our head