Spiritual vs religious: Is there a difference?

Religious people from left, Jew, Catholic nun and Muslim

 Carol Forsloff - Many people may not identify themselves as a member of a specific religious community but see themselves as spiritual.  Is there a difference; and if so, what is the difference between being religious and having spirituality.

Anne Rice is said to have raised that question several years ago.  She wonders about how Christian values are now removed from the actual teachings of Christ.  Others have worried about the same thing, including many devout Christians.

People, however, who see themselves as spiritual as opposed to religious maintain it is possible to have a deep faith in God yet not be connected to a specific faith group.  Others who may not believe in a divine being still consider themselves spiritual with beliefs that focus on the inner workings of the person and the ability to relate to one another as connected beings.

So what is this movement that identifies spirituality as distinct from being religious?

In 2010 Rice  introduced the topic of being religious vs being spiritual by telling folks she was 'quitting Christianity' because as a Catholic she was unable to accept her church's views on homosexuality, feminism, politics and birth control.  Rice spelled out her position on social media.  She told people in writing her position on her Facebook page"In the name of

Christ, I quit Christianity and being Christian." 

So the question people are asking is whether you can leave religion and still keep Christ in your life and whether an individual can be spiritual without being religious.

The question is likely to be answered differently according to the region of the country and the denomination.  In Oregon where little more than 30% of the population claims to be Christian, one might expect spirituality and religion to be separated in how people view the subject.

The Bible belt South reflects a different view.  This is a region of the United States where most people believe in going to church every Sunday and that religion means an organized gathering and a specific form of worship.

Natchitoches, Louisiana is a reflection of that fundamentalism since with few exceptions (a tiny mosque meeting place and a few Buddhists and others at the local University), most of the townspeople attend one of the mainstream churches, which in this part of the country takes the more fundamental view, even within their own denominations.

One would find, for example, that in Portland, Oregon the ordinary political and social viewpoints and application of religious principles would be uniquely different than those within similarly-named groups such as in a town like Natchitoches, Louisiana.

Mainstream Presbyterians, for example, have accepted gay ministers; but the view of a local Bible belt group in the same denomination in Natchitoches would likely not.

In fact the groups, despite being in the same congregational divisions,argue among themselves on certain social issues that include gay rights,abortion and other hot button topics.

"I'm not religious,"people explain in some parts of the country, to separate themselves from viewpoints they believe counter those of Christ's teachings.  "But I am spiritual," they declare, because having a belief of some sort is identified with having some ethical stance.

How new social movements will continue to impact religious groups by region will,according to experts, continue to play out not just in the political but in the religious arena as well.

Max Carter, professor and theologian, describes what he believes will happen with Rice following her pronouncement, "And if she is anything like the many students with whom I work and learn - who would describe themselves as deeply spiritual but not religious in the conventional sense - then she is in good company."  But at the same time he worries about what else might happen in the rebellion against the Christian establishment.

" Let's just hope they don't join together, form a "Church," and develop a dogma that, itself, will one day run counter to the fresh springs of the Spirit of Christ."

Already, however, there are formal atheist organizations that have their own rituals and people who consider themselves spiritual, despite the lack of a belief in God. They even have their own television channel and a dogma of sorts that reflects their beliefs as well.  And in Portland, Oregon, in a State that boasts the lowest percentage of religious people in the country, a billboard offers an invitation, in the same fashion churches often do, to join your local atheist group as part of a movement as well.