What Is the Difference Between Religion and Spirituality? An Interfaith PerspectivePosted by Winther Dougherty on May 30th, 2021 From 1999 to 2001, I was a mentor at The Interfaith Seminary, where I had trained being an Interfaith Minister myself from 1996 to 1998. The question came up over and over from the students I was supporting of the difference between religion and spirituality. For some of them, this is a matter of having rejected religion and embraced spirituality; for others, these were strongly focused on their religious faith and community, and may not imagine separating spirituality from that. Within an era when mainstream religion appears to be declining, while both spirituality without religion and fundamentalist 'our way or the highway' religion look like on the increase, this question concerning the differences and relationship between religion and spirituality can be an important one. As a mentor, so that you can help my own understanding and thus better support the students, I came up with two sets of questions. Here's the initial. Am I a good... ...Christian? ...Muslim? ...Jew? ...Buddhist? ...Taoist? ...Student of A Course In Miracles? ...Sikh? ...Pagan? ...Hindu? For it to make sense to answer 'yes' to these questions, you might have to identify as an associate of this particular religion, faith or spiritual tradition, and - where necessary - accept its tenets and dogmas. This can be the core issue with religion that I see both in individuals who reject religion in favour of spirituality, and those who seek to impose their faith and dogma on the whole world: Group identity and individual authenticity are pitted against one another. But it does not have to be that way. One of the numerous things I learned from my training in Interfaith Ministry was that you will find a deep well of wisdom and spirituality at the heart of the religion, regardless of how it's been practiced by its followers on the centuries, and what has been done in the name of its God(s). So this is a second set of questions to consider: In this moment... ...do I love God/the Way to obtain All/the Universe? Do I love and forgive my neighbour and myself? What fruit do I bear? ...am I surrendered to God/the Source of All/the Universe? ...how am I expressing my humanity? Do I've a full time income relationship with God/the Source of All/the Universe? ...do I practice loving-kindness? ...do I allow everything its nature? ...am I willing to be as God/the Way to obtain All/the Universe created me? ...do my deeds sing a love song to God/the Way to obtain All/the Universe? ...do I relate to humans, animals, plants, minerals and spirit beings with reverence and love? ...am I free of ego-attachment? Each question or group of questions relates to the same faith in the previous set of questions, but these questions can be answered freely by anyone, regardless of their religious identity. Additional hints 're a couple of questions not about identity, but about emotion, action, integrity and authenticity. Whenever we look beyond the identity of a religion or faith group, and instead turn to the roots of its spirituality, we note that at the core of every faith there's fruitful wisdom and a challenge to each one of us as human beings, whether we consider ourselves religious, spiritual or neither.Like it? Share it! More by this author |