A friend of mine makes a distinction between religion and spirituality of this kind, "I'm not a religious person, but I am spiritual." It's a good distinction to make as it expresses a deep intuition. Whatever spirituality is, it is a good thing, something we ought to embrace as it speaks to us of something foundational about being human (and I suspect being animal). But religion ... religion is a very mixed bag! Dabble in religion and you may well get your fingers burnt!
My friend is happy to be associated with spirituality, but not with religion. I have some sympathy with my friend.
However, to make this distinction is quite tricky. In many contexts the words religion and spirituality are used interchangeably. A religious tradition is a spiritual tradition. A religious experience is a spiritual experience. In usage the words are often the same. So, William James' classic, The Varieties of Religious Experience is a book about spirituality. When we make a distinction, then, it is helpful to say, "When I say religion I mean this ... and when I say spirituality I mean this ..." It will help in communicating more clearly what you mean.
I suspect that my friend is saying something like:
Religion is both friend and enemy of spirituality.
As friend religion provides a framework in which spirituality can grow and blossom. It gives spirituality shape in texts to ponder and from which to gain wisdom. It provides a living tradition with a sense of belonging and community and accountability and order. Religion gives spirituality its rituals and practices—essential for healthy development. Anyone claiming to be spiritual who finds no use for text, tradition, ritual and practice deceives themselves.
Yet, when religion ossifies it becomes the enemy of spirituality. Then religion, rather than being the finger that points to the moon becomes merely a finger pointing—and usually pointing in a accusing way at someone else. It is a grave danger to mistake religion for spirituality. People fight each other over religion, but not spirituality. There is such a thing as religious hatred, but not spiritual hatred. There is religious intolerance, but not spiritual intolerance.
To finally separate religion and spirituality is impossible. As yin and yang spirituality and religion need each other, are contained in each other, mirror each other and balance each other. Spirituality needs the vehicle of religious text, tradition and ritual for healthy growth. But, when religious text, tradition and ritual lose the core of deep and lively spirituality, then religion becomes mere husk. A dry and hardened husk with no kernel may be—perhaps ought to be—discarded without worry or grief.
+Ab. Andy
My friend is happy to be associated with spirituality, but not with religion. I have some sympathy with my friend.
However, to make this distinction is quite tricky. In many contexts the words religion and spirituality are used interchangeably. A religious tradition is a spiritual tradition. A religious experience is a spiritual experience. In usage the words are often the same. So, William James' classic, The Varieties of Religious Experience is a book about spirituality. When we make a distinction, then, it is helpful to say, "When I say religion I mean this ... and when I say spirituality I mean this ..." It will help in communicating more clearly what you mean.
I suspect that my friend is saying something like:
This deeply important aspect of being human—let's call it p—has very helpful and beneficial elements for well-being and wholeness. I identify with those. But aspect p also has elements that are unhelpful and work against human thriving and wholeness. I do not identify with those.Human aspect p—religion and/or spirituality—is that human grasping for, and seeking to understand and give meaning to, the experience of transcendence, Freud's "oceanic feeling."
Religion is both friend and enemy of spirituality.
As friend religion provides a framework in which spirituality can grow and blossom. It gives spirituality shape in texts to ponder and from which to gain wisdom. It provides a living tradition with a sense of belonging and community and accountability and order. Religion gives spirituality its rituals and practices—essential for healthy development. Anyone claiming to be spiritual who finds no use for text, tradition, ritual and practice deceives themselves.
Yet, when religion ossifies it becomes the enemy of spirituality. Then religion, rather than being the finger that points to the moon becomes merely a finger pointing—and usually pointing in a accusing way at someone else. It is a grave danger to mistake religion for spirituality. People fight each other over religion, but not spirituality. There is such a thing as religious hatred, but not spiritual hatred. There is religious intolerance, but not spiritual intolerance.
To finally separate religion and spirituality is impossible. As yin and yang spirituality and religion need each other, are contained in each other, mirror each other and balance each other. Spirituality needs the vehicle of religious text, tradition and ritual for healthy growth. But, when religious text, tradition and ritual lose the core of deep and lively spirituality, then religion becomes mere husk. A dry and hardened husk with no kernel may be—perhaps ought to be—discarded without worry or grief.
+Ab. Andy