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.

Atheism becomes haven and the faith of discontents

[caption id="attachment_22228" align="alignleft" width="200"] symbol of atheism[/caption]

Leanne Jenkins---Is atheism a religion?  Is the lack of belief in God a reasonable foundation for building a religious framework, complete with membership guidelines and a place to meet for ceremonies?  Some folks think so, and the notion is growing.

In Portland, Oregon there are billboards that advertise the atheist organization, complete with meeting announcements and a campaign to promote membership.  Oregon is one of those states with a low involvement in religious organizations, and this may be a mechanism for those outside the mainstream, or even the alternative, spiritual organizations to align themselves with atheism.   In fact there are atheist meetup groups in the greater Portland area that advertise themselves as simply "neighbors getting together to learn something, do something, share something?  But what is there to share in an atheist group?

It turns out the discussion centers around everything from vegetarianism to information about Christianity, entitled "Christianity Explored."  And the vegetarian meet-up group narrows its definition to accommodate the membership generalities of non-theistic approaches to interaction by referring to its membership discussions as "agnostic vegetarians."

Many of these people maintain they have either not found religion to be coherent, supportive or necessary, and that they have been discontented with the fractionalism that occurs among sectarian groups.  Others see belief in God as mere superstition, reflecting instead on science as the solution to man's ills.  A number of discussions advertised by the national group are centered upon the sciences.

The American Atheists organization centers on civil rights interests and issues, making sure that other religions don't overstep certain boundaries in ways that would identify a state religion or a religion that indicates that all people belong to a particular religion designated unofficially, or subtly, as one defining the principles by which most people should live.

Experts tell us that it's hard to identify the demographics of atheism, as much of the world's populations identify themselves with a particular religion.  One estimate is 90% of the people of India and the United States.  But there is evidence that the fastest growing religion in the United States is "no religion."

Still while there is a claim by atheists and agnostics that their segment of non-belief is growing faster than faith groups, there are those who differ with this claim.  For example Foreign Policy Magazine observes Islam to be the fastest growing religion in Europe,  and its growth rate the highest in the world.  The rate of growth of Islam worldwide was 1.84% in 2010, the Baha'is at 1.7% puts it at Number 2 in the world in growth rate,  and Sikhism at a growth rate of 1.62% comes in at Number 3.  Christianity's growth rate of 1.3% places it at Number 6.