Spiritual versus Religious

[Mayflower]

Religion is the structure and how the Word is taught as well as what is taught. Spiritual is the intimate connection between God and people through the Word of God. Both are important. Spiritual is felt through the Spirit and feeds the spirit. Religion is what feeds the soul. Spiritual connections are much harder to find I believe, so once you find them and they help you grow more intimately with God, hang on to them!!!!

 

[ScottA]

I would say it in this way:

Religion is what people believe, but spiritual is rather what is.

 

[Waiting on him]

Religion, I’m beginning to see is what feeds the flesh

 

[aspen]

Spirituality without religion is called New Age.

 

[ScottA]

Spiritual without religion is called New Age.

No...what an abortion idea.

God is spirit. It's called: God.

 

[aspen]

No...what an abortion idea.

God is spirit. It's called: God.

It’s a fact. Take away doctrine and you can include anything into your spirituality.

 

[farouk]

Religion, I’m beginning to see is what feeds the flesh

Singing repetitive songs, congenial company, intriguing psychology sessions: so much of what goes for fellowship in North American local churches may actually just be feeding the flesh, right?

 

[Waiting on him]

It’s a fact. Take away doctrine and you can include anything into your spirituality.

2 Timothy 4:3-4 KJV
[3] For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; [4] And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.


Tecarta Bible

 

[Waiting on him]

James 1:27 KJV
[27] Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.


Tecarta BibleThis is not ceremonial.

 

[ScottA]

It’s a fact. Take away doctrine and you can include anything into your spirituality.

Okay...let' unpack it.

The idea of "your spirituality" with regard to God's spirit, does not exist. If one is born of God, it is God's spirit. If it is not God's spirit, it is evil. Those are the only biblical choices.

"Religion" on the other hand, simply means to give reverence to God (or the gods), and therein lies the problem. It is from men, some of which are evil, to God. While "spirituality" has come to mean a host of evil, if limited to being born again of the spirit of God, it is: God to God, and therefore perfect, as God is perfect.

 

[Waiting on him]

The fatherless and the widows?
Have any visited the ones who don’t know the father? What about those without a husband

 

[aspen]

James 1:27 KJV
[27] Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.


Tecarta BibleThis is not ceremonial.

Indeed. Of course, how would we know this without religion?

 

[aspen]

Okay...let' unpack it.

The idea of "your spirituality" with regard to God's spirit, does not exist. If one is born of God, it is God's spirit. If it is not God's spirit, it is evil. Those are the only biblical choices.

"Religion" on the other hand, simply means to give reverence to God (or the gods), and therein lies the problem. It is from men, some of which are evil, to God. While "spirituality" has come to mean a host of evil, if limited to being born again of the spirit of God, it is: God to God, and therefore perfect, as God is perfect.

Religion is the language and doctrine we use to relate to God. Without it to guide us, we would have no idea who we were speaking to, any of the teachings of Jesus or the Bible.

 

[aspen]

Religion is the language and doctrine we use to relate to God. Without it to guide us, we would have no idea who we were speaking to, any of the teachings of Jesus or the Bible.

You wouldn’t even know God is perfect, Scott, unless religion informed you

 

[ScottA]

James 1:27 KJV
[27] Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

Tecarta BibleThis is not ceremonial.

The fatherless and the widows?
Have any visited the ones who don’t know the father? What about those without a husband

Of course James would have been speaking in practical terms to those of his time. But as for those same words being immortalized in the scriptures, surely in the greater scheme of things, he also means: to the Jew who came up under their Father God, and also to the gentile who has espoused the Son, in the great commission.

Romans 1:16
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek."

 

[aspen]

Of course James would have been speaking in practical terms to those of his time. But as for those same words being immortalized in the scriptures, surely in the greater scheme of things, he also means: to the Jew who came up under their Father God, and also to the gentile who has espoused the Son, in the great commission.

Romans 1:16
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek."

What does the verse mean,Scott. You seem to be talking around it

 

[Enoch111]

Religion is the structure and how the Word is taught as well as what is taught. Spiritual is the intimate connection between God and people through the Word of God. Both are important.

Ideally, there should be no conflict between spiritual and religious, since there is such a thing as "pure religion". Christianity is essentially spiritual in that the New Birth is a spiritual experience, and the leading and guiding of the Holy Spirit is also spiritual. The Church (the Body of Christ) is a spiritual entity, and of course spiritual gifts are spiritual. The words of Scripture are "spirit and life" because they have supernatural power to convict, convince, and reveal Christ and God's truth.

But spiritual should not be confused with mystical or Mysticism, which has now entered into New Age teachings and the Emergent Church also. Mysticism is connected to paganism, heathenism, and occultism.

 

[aspen]

Religion is the structure and how the Word is taught as well as what is taught. Spiritual is the intimate connection between God and people through the Word of God. Both are important. Spiritual is felt through the Spirit and feeds the spirit. Religion is what feeds the soul. Spiritual connections are much harder to find I believe, so once you find them and they help you grow more intimately with God, hang on to them!!!!

Ha. I just started another thread on the same topic. I am going to delete it.

 

[ScottA]

Religion is the language and doctrine we use to relate to God. Without it to guide us, we would have no idea who we were speaking to, any of the teachings of Jesus or the Bible.

I don't want to argue that religion has no place. Not at all. But your description, though I understand your thinking it would be a great loss if we did not have it, does not cover all; and I would like to suggest that you consider that you in fact have it backwards in terms of what is most important:

Romans 1:20
"For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead,"

In this way God is perfect in guiding even the unchurched. But men by religious means, though they may have carried a significant amount of water, have done so in a manner far from perfect, even hindering some and leading many astray.

As an example of proper order and perspective: We could revere Moses for bringing forth the Commandments, or we could revere God who wrote them with His own finger. True and pure religion revers God without any reverence to itself.

 

[aspen]

I don't want to argue that religion has no place. Not at all. But your description, though I understand your thinking it would be a great loss if we did not have it, does not cover all; and I would like to suggest that you consider that you in fact have it backwards in terms of what is most important:

Romans 1:20
"For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead,"

In this way God is perfect in guiding even the unchurched. But men by religious means, though they may have carried a significant amount of water, have done so in a manner far from perfect, even hindering some and leading many astray.

As an example of proper order and perspective: We could revere Moses for bringing forth the Commandments, or we could revere God who wrote them with His own finger. True and pure religion revers God without any reverence to itself.

Fair enough. I just think it is a false dichotomy. Religion and spirituality go together like faith and works. Religion keeps us grounded and orthodox - spirituality is the relationship between God and neighbor. Both are equally important - it is almost a Martha and Mary situation. Jesus wasn’t condemning Martha, he was justifying Mary.

If religion is not pointing to God, it is false.
I agree that God’s presence and handy work is visible everywhere
In hindsight