The Difference Between Spirituality and Religion.

Is there a difference between spirituality and religion? While there may be some that disagree I believe the answer is an emphatic yes! The term spiritual is in the Bible a number of times but there are so many other verses that diminish its impact.What is the Difference between Spirituality and Religion?

Spirituality

Spirituality teaches us to become attuned to the spirit of God within us. There are numerous things that we can do to become more attuned to God's communication as well. A few of these are quiet time, meditation and service to others. The laws and principles are directed by God through our heart, mind and conscience. A spiritual life is committed to the truth (whatever it may be). Spiritual principles such as unconditional love, forgiveness and service are key. Instead of being directed from without we are being directed from within through the Highest Spirit of all, God.

Religion

Let me first say that there are many people that are both religious and spiritual but there is sometimes a great conflict between the two. Religions are generally based on writings in a book. The two largest influences being the Bible and the Quran. Who wrote the books? People did... They wrote the books based on what they were purportedly told by other people or what they said they heard from a Lord, God, Almighty, or Allah. Because I know very little about the Quran other than it is similar to the Bible and every reconciles to the number 19 I know very little. I know that Allah is supposed to be a loving, kind and merciful God (and probably is) even though we see little demonstration of that who claim to be serving Him.

The Bible I know quite a bit more about. It believes that entire Covenant with the LORD reconciles with Isaac; as I understand it Islam believes that it reconciles with Ishmael, Isaac's half brother. No matter what religion you look to they are based almost solely based on ancient writings that in many cases have been translated over multiple languages. In the Gospels Jesus said (according to the book) that He would send you the Spirit of Truth that will lead you into all truth! If the scriptures were the truth why would He need to send the Spirit to lead into all truth? He also said that God seeks those that will worship Him in spirit and in truth... Sounds pretty spiritual to me. Religion teaches adherence to religious laws and doctrines. Spirituality teaches us to listen to the spirit of God within, seek the truth, do what is RIGHT, and to help others in whatever way we can. Not by convincing them that of religious doctrines but by caring and assuring them that there really is a loving God that wants to help them. Even Jesus said that He would send the spirit of truth... Did he say a book? No!

God seeks people who love the truth and want to do what is right... We know what right is! The greatest conflicts that I have had on my path are trying to reconcile some of the writings with the Spirit of God. It wasn't until I had researched the scriptures at a depth that few could even fathom that I realized much of it irreconcilable. Oh no, he can't say that can he? I can. Anyone that searched the original words and the way they were translated would at the very least come away knowing that this is a deep and mysterious book and there must be something more to the story! And there is!

Author: God Spiritual 639

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