'I'm not religious, but I'm spiritual.'

[voiderest (deleted)]

Does this make sense to you?

When people say this do they simply mean they don't follow a mainstream religion or that they just believe whatever they feel like?

To me religion and spirituality are the same thing. Some might point out religion could be seen as the organized form of spirituality, but that would make organized religion a kind of redundant term.

"The way to see by faith is to shut the eye of reason." - Poor Richard's Almanack, 1758

[cliffhanger (deleted)]

Actually, being an ex-Christian, the way I used it and believe most mean it is the fact that they may not be a regular church-goer or follow their religion to the tee, but talk to their God on their own and base a lot of their morals on the "What would He have me do?" type of thinking.

[neteret (deleted)]

I keep thinking that everyone has their own version of what spiritual is, the same as everyone has a version of what religious is. I have heard believers describe other believers as being spiritual most often but even I have often been described as being 'spiritual' by those who had no idea I'm an atheist. Not caring to be accused of believing in a god, I've never inquired as to their meaning.

I think first, you have to know the speaker before figuring out whether they're making any sense. What does religion mean to a gang member who wears a cross around his neck as he fires his gun? What does sprituality mean to the Catholic Priest who abuses children?

If wonder and admiration for snow, for the Eagle Nebula, for animal interactions with human is being sprititual, I'm guilty. I'd prefer you don't tell me so, though. Rather, I'd prefer you come and enjoy with me.

Neteret means goddess in the language of ancient Egypt. Yes, I'm aware of the irony.

[torric]

yeah, it makes sense. me, i'm a type of spiritualist that believes in past lives

[griz59102 (deleted)]

Everyone's going to be right on this one. And it depends entirely on the individual as earlier suggested. If you believe religion and spirituality to be completely intertwined or only vaguely separated, the phrase makes perfect sense. If you think spirituality can be experienced entirely outside the scope of religion then it might be better to simply say, "I'm spiritual," without bothering to first deny you're religious.

[sultryscorpio]

`i used to think that spirituality and religion were just intertwined, but i think that spirituality is more of an understanding of oneself...

[classicsfan]

`As far as I can tell, the people I know who use the term "Spiritual but not religious" would fall in the group known a deists. They tend to hold themselves separate from organized religion.

That is totally separate from my own feelings on the topic.

[philosophica (deleted)]

"Does the phrase 'I'm not religious, but I'm spiritual' make sense?"

Well, it does to me. There was a time in my life when I was that: spiritual but not religious. ("devout" atheist since long)

But, what is "spiritual"? Believing that spirits exist, and there is a world where they continue to live after death? If so, I think this could emerge only under influence of religion. That is: You have to be religious first, and then you can be both religious and spiritual, or you can abandon ties to a specific religion, and keep believing in spirits (and certainly, god). But you can't be religious but not spiritual.


"See, this is why I can't get behind God. If He doesn't exist, fine. Bad crap happens to good people. That's how it is. No rhyme or reason, just random horrible, evil. I get it. Okay? I can roll with that. But if He is out there, what's wrong with Him? Where the hell is He while all these decent people are getting torn to shreds? How does He live with Himself? You know, why doesn't He help?"

[tomcat24m]

`I think religious is more dogmatic, Spiritual is more "free spirited" or something....