Spiritual but not Religious
Do you identify as being spiritual but not religious?
What does this mean to you?
Do you have specific beliefs?
*Note I want to be upfront and state this is not how I identify, but wanted this space for people plus I do look forward to learning from you!
@AffyAvo
Do you identify as being spiritual but not religious? I think that I describe myself as spiritual.
What does this mean to you? I am trying to find the common denominator of the most compassionate religions and spiritual paths in order to find the qualities that can help me develop my potential as a person and help others as much as I am able.
Do you have specific beliefs? I think it is important to start out with the intention to do no harm. It is easier to start with friends and family. Then I want to have kindness for people we do not personally know but who may do a lot to provide the food and clothes and houses and cars. We really have so much kindness that people give to us.
Eventually I hope to be able to see beyond the destructive actions of some people that may intend to harm me and see that they want to be happy just like me and be free of suffering. That to me is the first step to letting go so that I do not spend my life ruminating aboiut something that they said or did.
If I cannot change the past, why stay angry or hold a grudge? It only hurts me to do that. I want to be happy so I have to act in ways that lead to happiness.
Taglist
@Adamw12 @adripika @amiablePeace77 @Armon23 @beck1 @blindCupcake8608 @Carolincares7 @Chevy81 @courageousRiver589 @DivineLove04 @DragonView2 @easyDime4319 @egrima729 @goodAcres5039 @GoodEar1972 @Helgafy @HisLivingWaters @IamAubrey23 @ivoryDog4942 @Jaeteuk @Jenna @LoveMyMoonflowers @loyalApricot1375 @lyricalAngel70 @magnificentNutella @Mahad2804 @MalindaBelle @MeaningfulSilence @Michele2 @officialanonymous @ovowoody @passionateSea1909 @persistentFriend274 @philosophical2741 @pineapplepeanut @PoliteOcean @politePeach9642 @rhodawoolf @RogueOne1983 @SammiSweetheart30 @soulsings @stallion3 @SunShineAlwaysGrateful @Swordpsalm @ThatChristLover @TheJenInBlack @tommy @trueconfidant123 @Tulipsmile @Tyedyedbutterfly65 @yaswecan7
@soulsings Thanks for sharing! I like that idea, taking the good you see from multiple sources!
@AffyAvo thanks I think I am borrowing that from others. I do not think it is something only I think of. Many teachers borrow from others just like scientists share breakthroughs.
@soulsings yes I am a follower of Jesus Christ; nonetheless most churches reject me!
I am too real. I think church needs to be salt and light for the world and not potluck social clubs.
These radical ideas get me ousted regularly!
@soulsings your a very very strong person ❤❤❤ and so very kind
Thanks for the tag @soulsings
Do you identify as being spiritual but not religious? - I identify as religious. I attend church, I follow the scriptures, etc.
What does this mean to you? To me, it means creating and growing my relationship with God. It means learning what is expected of me through how I treat others, how I treat myself, and how I live my life. It means being compassionate, patient, understanding, loving, kindhearted, charitable, faithful, doing my best.
Do you have specific beliefs? My beliefs are that our purpose here is to live this life, learn through our trials, take care of each other, grow in my faith, and return back to Heavenly Father. I believe in serving others (meaning helping others, teaching, and supporting them) and treating others well. I could go on and on.
@Jenna thank you for sharing; it really helped me get a sense of your faith.
It is interesting to me that what you describe as your religion and faith is also a deeply held belief of myself. When you talk about compassion and kindness and serving oithers, it is how I describe my faith as well. Yet I am no longer highly religious in terms of attending a physical church, but am highly spiritual in the sense that I regular pray in an online spiritual community and I am seeking a higher purpose in life.
I see this as some kind of common ground that we share together. I am wondering if this qualifies in your mind as something that makes us part of a greater community of the compassionate, for lack of a better term. In other words, our faith is so similar, that the differences do not matter so much because the essence of our faith seems to be so closely aligned.
If this is not how you feel, that is okay too, but I would appreciate getting your feedback, and that of others interested in finding common ground, because this is an area of great interest to me. That is one of the reasons why I am active in this community.
@soulsings
May I congratulate you for seeking a higher purpose for your life on this planet earth!
I find, most conventional religious ideas are more directed towards making you into a follower who no longer questions the incredulous, the irrational and blinds himself from some very basic and vital understanding, which is ... ALL religions are a product of human thought turned into myth not reflecting the fact that human thinking is limited in ever grasping objective reality which is soly projected by nature, with all her energy, matter and motion propelling constant change through out the univers.
The natural sciences are the closest human thought has reached to understand that objective reality which keeps telling us that the human reproductive potential is just one of natures many powers which is not limiting us to develop higher insights into living in greater harmony with mother nature and develop the higherst understanding we can gain, that nothing super-natural can exist since nature is supreme and free of requiring any human ideas or inventions to forever do her thing ... if we like to understand a bit more of it or not ...
My best wishes to all!
@RedStar01 thanks for your encouragement. I find great solace in nature so I can hear your joy in it.
I hesitate to talk about other religions because either I do not know enough about them to see beyond the outer forms to the ethical essence of it or I group together religions based on my own perceptions of how they affect its members.
To me the safest and most accurate thing I can do is speak from my own experience about my own faith. I hope I am explaining my view clearly because it helps me to stay in harmony not only with nature but the beings I interact with.
Do you identify as being spiritual but not religious?
Yes. As a Christian, people tend to throw that in along with religion, but really, it’s different. Other religions are about pleasing gods. Ours is about a relationship , a spiritual connection with God.
What does this mean to you?
It makes me feel free to not be pressured to always please God. Of course, sin is wrong and should not be done, but God will always forgive us if we repent.
Do you have any specific beliefs?
I believe what is written in the Word of God, the Bible. That the world was created by God for us. We tried to do things our way but that didn’t work out so God sent His one and only son, Jesus Christ, to be our Living Sacrifice and be crucified before rising again three days later, so that we might have eternal life with Him. That’s how much He loves us!!
Anyway that’s a peek into my faith, hope you have a wonderful day ❤️
@ThatChristLover
Wonderful written friend.
@Helgafy
Thank you!! 😊
@ThatChristLover
Friend - young woman.
Since I see you here I write a little bit. Thank you so much for your prayers. Yesterday I had a very fine day - all day - without depression. 2 songs for you; I guess you have heard them already - both by Hillsong: "Christ is enough" and "What a beautiful".
From your old friend Helga.
@Helgafy
Im so happy to hear that! Be sure to let me know if there is anything else I can pray for you ❤️
Ooo I’ll definitely check those songs out!
@AffyAvo
I do see myself as spiritual but not religious. To me being spiritual means that I accept everyone as they are, even if the chemistry does not work. It means helping others when they can't help themselves, no matter who they are.
One of my strongest beliefs is let people live the way they want to live if they do not harm anyone. Always try your very best to show kindness.
@AffyAvo Do you identify as being spiritual but not religious?
I identify as religious but I haven’t really thought about how I am identified as much as religion itself.
What does this mean to you?
I believe spirituality is more of the mindset but religious is more about what you believe. I’m not sure if that makes sense but I feel like they do fall hand in hand.
Do you have specific beliefs?
I am a Catholic but I believe in LTBTQ+ rights and abortion rights. I believe God is not a physical thing or person but is basically everything because he created everything. I need to improve on my faith because I am not really sure about all my beliefs.
@ivoryDog4942
Friend.
You talk about God as not being a physical thing or person.
Since you're a Catholic you maybe know what the Bible says about God:
@AffyAvo And thank you for tagging me @soulsings
I have started identifying as Christian very recently, but have been "spiritual" for years. I don't belong to any specific denomination or Church, so I mostly say that I am not religious in the strict sense of the word.
Being spiritual to me meant that I believe strongly in the existence of the soul. I believe and have long believed that there is something beyond the material world as we see it, something beyond time. For a long time, I knew instinctively that this was the soul. I believed that there must be more to a person than the laws of materiality, so the soul must exist. And I wanted to explore what it consisted of and whether it changed, remained still or even disappeared at any point.
There came a time when I accepted that I couldn't know any of that in a logical, analytic way. I don't think the soul can be explained in such a manner. So I just read as much as I could and embraced my intuition, which I think is the closest thing I've ever gotten to revelation. Ultimately, I have embraced Christianity because I felt it spoke to me most clearly. This might be because of my background, but I think it's more than that. I feel in touch with myself and with something greater when I pray, and I think this can be explained as social conditioning, but it can also be explained as grace, and I choose the latter.
I still want to learn from all religions and spiritual philosophies. My deepest belief is that the value of other beings and the world exists beyond what is physical and even what is purely logical. I try to nurse a faith that will inspire me to feel compassion and acceptance for others. And a faith that will help me accept that some things are beyond my control and beyond my understanding, but are not for that reason evil
@rhodawoolf
Thanks for using all these words to express your thoughts and feelings in your posting.
Edited Sept 17, 2023
@RedStar01
Thank you for your response and for sharing your opinion.
I am interested in the workings of nature and, to the extent that my time and the limits of my intelligence allow, I try to study biology and the basics of physics. [rempved] evolution, which I have definitely studied and which I recognise and believe in. I don't think believing in the soul is contrary to believing in evolution, these two things can both exist. I do not interpret scripture in a literal way, and part of the reason I don't call myself religious is because I read scripture very freely.
By the way, human evolution is quite complex. I guess you're aware of the discussion about why society has evolved the way it has, tending towards lower rates of birth and higher life expectancy, when evolutionary needs would require the opposite. I'm not saying there isn't a purely material way to understand this, there are many secular philosophical systems that argue this was the most practical course of action for humanity. I'm just saying that it's also possible to place special value on a desire to do good and believe that there are greater reasons for the existence of material phenomena.
When I first abandoned religion, I identified as agnostic. Because the more I read the more I became certain that we know too little to be certain of the ultimate origin or end of our perception or our universe
Edited Sept 17, 2023
@rhodawoolf
Nice reply, thanks!
I find it a bit presumptious to even question that what little inteligence man gained over his evolutionary development, mother nature may not have quite a bit more to provide us with, and of a much higher quality of understanding to make it easier to see how she imposes reality with all it's limitations on what exists and what is a pure fabrication of the human mind contrary to these rational limitations ...
To be honest, it's too painfully obvious to me that not all things man wishes to imagine can or do infect exists in the real world [removed] I am very much for us to focus a bit more on all forms of thought creation BUT to also advance our mental capcity to draw a clear line between ration and irrational thought and use considerable critical thinking skills not to confuse creative thinking with phantasy ...
I see every day how difficult it is for quite a few people to grasp the whole idea of critical self-discovery and use it as an applied and practical tool for intellectual development motivated to gain a clearer understanding of reality
Edited Sept 17, 2023
@RedStar01
Sorry to write yet again, but I have just reread what you said about Nature not being dependent on human science. And.... exactly. I don't think we're as different as you believe.
Science is a tool to understand nature with our logical minds. But, as you pointed out, there are aspects of the outside world and the inner self that seem to escape science. (You mention the cosmic and sub-atomic levels of natural studies — I assume you know that there have been some contradictory findings in these two fields.)
What you would call the supreme and science-eluding aspect of Nature, some people would call God. You don't have to jump on that bandwagon, but since neither of us can explain Nature fully or determine whether it has any ultimate meaning or reason, I think it's fair to respect everyone's different takes on that (for now) dark side of experience
I would like to remind people that we may not always agree or have the same opinions, but this community is not a place to move into a debate. Please consider the guidelines which state to speak from personal experience. That is something where people speak of what happens in their own lives and it is less likely that people will argue with others about their uniqueness.
Thank you for keeping posts civil and not turn this into a debate. Here are the guidelines by Cheerymango the CML of this community. https://www.7cups.com/forum/religion/General_2605/ForumModerationGuidelinesforReligionSpirituality_312959/
@soulsings
Thank you for this reminder. I'm sorry if any of my posts crossed a line, it wasn't my intention. I simply wanted to reaffirm the validity of my personal experience. I know that was unnecessary. I will make sure to keep the guidelines in mind henceforth 🙏
@rhodawoolf
I don't think you did anything wrong.
@soulsings
Thanks for the reminder
Edited Sept 17, 2023
@RedStar01 I agree that we may say things that are unique and others may think differently about.
Where I am concerned is when people start going back and forth restating and rewording their opinions and commenting and or refuting what the other person says, it risks becoming a debate or an argument.
I am fine if you want to tell me about events in your life that shaped how your faith, whatever it is in, was formed. That is something the community welcomes.
Where things get difficult is when it becomes like a political debate where one side tries to show that what someone says is untrue or unreasonable. That is not welcome because we want the threads to be open for all people to share their experience. Having a heated debate is not conducive to others joining the discussion. Some people run away when they see an argument brewing. That would make the community less welcoming.
Thanks for keeping to talking about your experiences, and maybe just agreeing to disagree when we see things differently than another.
@RedStar01
I don't think you did anything wrong.
@Helgafy
Thanks for your support, Helga! I like your open spirit for free expression as long as it is insightful and educational.
I also think, when we can only ask a listener a questin directly, but I can't ask you directly, being from Canada and of about equal age, if you like to be my friend in Norway, it just shows again quite clearly that not all the rules are as conducive for a more open and honest environment in support of better mental health, as we may like them to be ... :)
@RedStar01
Hi redstar from Canada - welcome to 7Cups. I hope you'll have many fine moments at 7Cups. And of course I'm your friend from Norway. My first listener (I have not had many) at 7Cups came from Montreal Canada. He was an Indian and helped me.
@soulsings
Hi soul.
I thought this was @AffyAvo 's site. Why not let him decide what is OK to discuss. Let us be a bit free! Here is what the guidelines say: " 1. Respectful Dialogue: Encourage respectful and open dialogue that allows members to express their feelings and thoughts about religion without targeting specific religious groups. Ensure that discussions maintain a courteous and tolerant tone." I have not seen that these two persons was not respectful. Also "open dialogue" - let people discuss please.
@soulsings I appreciate you coming in here to keep this thread on track.
@Helgafy I intended this space to be for those who are spiritual but not religious to share what that means. Questions and conversation are fine, but this isn't a debate space. Even if respectful, debate can be very uncomfortable for people who opened up and just came here to share.
While I did have this in mind for those who are spiritual but not religious, I am appreciating others posting too, and they are welcome to participate.
@soulsings
Soul - I would also like to say that @magnificentNutella and I had really fresh discussions about Christianity and Islam. Meaningful silence let us discuss I he/she even invited me back to write more in
Religion & Spirituality Community Check-in: September 1st-7th @MeaningfulSilence
I do identity being religious.
It helps me define good karma in life.
Yes, i do have specific beliefs.
Thank you for reading.
SECOND POST PLEASE READ THIS✨️
@soulsings yes I am a follower of Jesus Christ; nonetheless most churches reject me!
I am too real. I think church needs to be salt and light for the world and not potluck social clubs. These radical ideas get me ousted regularly!
@RogueOne1983 I was not ignoring you but I was confused because the thread was about whether you see yourself as more religious or spiritual, not necessarily what your specific beliefs are.
I am sorry you feel that your beliefs are not supported by organized religions. Does that make you feel like you are more on a spiritual journey?
@soulsings yes and thanks for this reply and telling me what was up
@AffyAvo
Do you identify as being spiritual but not religious? Yes, the nearest I come to is Panteism.
What does this mean to you? It means, like for many ancient cultures, the spirit can be seen in everything living.
Do you have specific beliefs? Hold all life sacred!