Spirituality
I understand these words have other meanings. For this post I will only use the necessary definitions. In my own definition of Spirituality, it will be exclusive of Religion(or being religious). Some will get it.
Spiritually includes the mind, body, and spirit. It’s an inner sense of connection to something greater than ourselves that we cannot see. Spirituality is The Most High, Mother/Father Creator, The One True God, and all the many aspects from nature to humans to the cosmos. The belief that God is everything and everything is GOD. Spirituality to me is being conscious of the connection between ALL. Great belief strongly connected to your own inner thoughts.
Spirituality is tapping into your connection with the yourself, the universe, and God. Finding purpose in life, inner peace, and higher consciousness are all areas of spirituality. We can find many other practices under the umbrella of spirituality to essentially live life with more ease. Simply, the practice of relating to spirit.
The Oxford Learner’s Dictionary defines spirituality as:
noun
- the quality of being connected with religion or the human spirit
*the word spirituality is defined in many different ways and you will get a different answer from every person you ask. I could not find a great definition. Each definition I saw reverted back to religion or the root word Spiritual, then the word spirit. This is the true definition of the word spirituality in that it can not be linearly defined.
Religion
Religion, to me is, organized beliefs and practices shared by a group. Religion is a group having the same ideas and practicing them on a consistent and frequent basis with a sets of rules that you are indoctrinated into which usually results in the individual’s taking on the ideas as their own and follow the set guidelines in some way. Simply, to practice a form of religion.
The Oxford dictionary defines religion as:
noun
- the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods.
- a particular system of faith and worship
- a pursuit or interest to which someone ascribes supreme importance. Ex”consumerism is the new religion”
Final thoughts
Exploring my personal spirituality independent from religion, unconsciously began with me alchemizing the spirit of herbs for healing remedies around 14 years old. I was consciously introduced by witnessing the pouring of libations to the spirits of the ancestors at 27. I initiated myself into spirituality and cut ties with organized religion around 29. I wanted to grow my relationship with God as a result of trauma, depression, and an inner knowing that I am predestined for a calling that is deeper than tangible in the physical world. I did not want to leave the comfort of my home to do it. I did not want to go to one specific place, where I was told to go, and always be in the presence of someone else just to get my connection to or messages from God.
It’s almost like your clergy are the “overseers” to usher you in and call God down for you. It seems they are the only one with a direct connect to Him, in most religions, the clergy are special and God choose only them to be the receptionist for God (or it is implied). We ask them to send up petitions for us because, “my prays will definitely get heard if the pastor prays for me”. At some point, this stopped making sense to me and I wanted to forge my own direct connection with God which I already knew was a part of me.
The belief that the “overseer”, excuse me, “Pastor/Apostle” or whatever religious leader has a more significant connect with God than you do reminds me of a time not too long ago. The preacher would preach a biased sermon depending on the outcome needed from the congregation. A time when, if you were caught practicing anything outside of what you were told to practice religiously or spirituality you would be killed. If you danced too expressively or played a drum, you would be killed. It was understood how dancing and drumming is a unifying and highly spiritual act. At this time, you could only practice what religion was given to you and only in this specific place. The original spiritual practices (and so much more) were stripped away. Some remembered passed it on, Asante Sana. Some abandoned the practices then forgot the ways out of fear of being accused of witchcraft/Dark arts, worshipping the devil etc. This demonization of Afrikan spirituality disconnected the individual from his true power, which lies out of the reach of the physical world.
In Conclusion
You can be religious and NOT spiritual.
-ex. you can do something on a regular basis (that’s a religion because you repeat it), but and atheist (you don’t believe in anything)
You can be spiritual and NOT religious.
-ex. you believe trees have souls and can feel, but you have never been to church
You can also be a little bit of both or neither.
It is important to define yourself. You can be whatever you want to be. It’s starts with the power of your own mind.
Are you more Spiritual or Religious?
Do you believe there is a difference?
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