Religion v Spirituality

I heard this saying recently :that religion is for those who are afraid of going to hell and spirituality is for those who have already been.I believe many percieve them to be the same. Personally I believe they are totally different just as the saying implies.Religion is concerned with knowing god and the afterlife.
Spirituality is concerned with knowing self and this life.Does religion stunt spiritual growth? Does spirituality promote growth? Or alternatively, have they absolutely no connection?

Hi Larni, I find your obsevations very interesting but wonder why you HATE the word spiritual? That is a strong feeling over something you don't believe in. Also why do you say that neither religion or spirituality are required? Required for what? We cannot deny their existence.I see the distinction you make between physical reality and non-physical reality but does that mean spirituality does not exist?I agree that connoctations of spirituality is 'bandied' about in the most amazing, mythical non-sensical way as far as reality is concerned. No offense intended. However, if spirituality is taken to be all that exists that is unseen, it paints a more down to earth picture.I am referring only to knowable existence of the unseen, not the imaginary unseen. For example, is the feeling of hate physical? Are any of our emotions physical? Are our minds physical? Are our thoughts, consciousness, subconsciousness, beliefs, egos, perceptions, awareness, imaginations, dreams etc, physical?They all exist but none can be seen. Could the whole of our unseen, combined, constitute our spirit? Is it not a separate part of us that is housed by our bodies?A great deal of the emerging spirituality is from the imaginations and not from the whole. It is used as a 'feel better' exercise that is always temporary and has no lasting effect, unless continuously practised or paid for.There is much confusion, and 'spirituality' appears to be having the same effect as religion in so far as neither use the whole truth and play on the fears of their followers.The reason I began this thread was in hope that we could come to a sensible working definition of the emerging spirituality. A middle of the road spirituality. A Down to Earth Spirituality.

Phat, your post indicates you believe the religious dogma. How can you separate religious dogma from your definition of spirituality. You are defining them the same. Both being about god!
How could you have known about god but for the religious dogma? There is no difference.

PHAT :[Thats assuming, of course, that empiricism is the only path to self awareness.]Is there any other way taking into account ALL of our senses, not just the physical ones?

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ta love

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I don't believe I have a physical organ called hate! If you believe psychological is physical, there's no point, is there?

You experience the unseen energy as a physical feeling but they themselves are not a physical organ within the body. They do not exist physically otherwise we would be able to see them. The fact that we can only observe them from a feeling proves they are not physical.If mine is an example of woowoo thinking, what kind of thinking confuses the physical with non-physical?

You experience the unseen energy as a physical feeling but they themselves are not a physical organ within the body. They do not exist physically otherwise we would be able to see them. The fact that we can only observe them from a feeling proves they are not physical.If mine is an example of woowoo thinking, what kind of thinking confuses the physical with non-physical?

The body may well undergo physical changes because of an emotional reaction, but it still does not the make the emotion physical. All emotion is non-physical.Do you think hate or do you feel it?

Energy and matter are two different things. One may not exist without the other but it doesn't make them the same.

Are your hateful 'thoughts' physical?On the question of spirit, my definition is energy and I believe all combined non-physical aspects of self are spirit. You are disputing this. What is your idea of spirit?A rose by any other name would smell just as sweet.Edited by Heinrik, : No reason given.

E=MC2 is a formula. It proves two forms of the same thing. However they are totally different forms and it is the enrgy side of the equasion that I am referring to. Einstein could clearly see the difference or else it wouldn't be a formula. It would be one form.Maybe you see e=mc2 as something else, if so I would love to hear it.

I am referring to the emotions, not the physical reactions to them.

wrong threadEdited by dameeva, : wrong thread

If spirit doesn't exist by your reasoning, what are you actually disputing?