Are You Spiritual but Not Religious?

[Gratitude Magic]

I am. If you are, too, will you answer the following three questions, please? I am preparing to start new coaching programs early next year, and your input is well appreciated.

1. Do you belong to any organization or group for the “spiritual but not religious” people like yourself?
If you do, do you mind sharing which organization it is.

2. How do you connect to your god / higher power / whatever you call?
Do you meditate? Do you feel connection when you are in nature? Or?

3. What is your biggest challenge in terms of your spirituality?

Thank you!

[Terumoto]

An organization for spiritual but not religious people?

Aren't religions simply organizations of spiritual people of a particular type?

[Parthon]

1) I don't belong to an organisation because I think it's impossible to create such an organisation centered around a belief without it turning into a mess of rules and regulations. Belief turns into identification and position which eventually turns into control. Bhudda never said monks had to shave their heads, live in temples and wear orange robes, but they do now, and I would consider them to be some of the most enlightened.

2) I tend to "connect" with "god" by being present in each moment, whenever I remember to I bring myself fully into the moment and feel the connection with source and everything around me. I can be anywhere, the office, on the train to/from work or at home on the computer. What is important though is doing it whenever I can, most often on the train to work.

3) My biggest challenge is expanding my sprituality and avoid being squished by the "unideals" of the western world. I work in a rather boring office job with people who don't seem so spiritual. Being centered, grounded and truely myself in all that is a real challenge. Being able to live a western life and be spiritual at the same time.

[estrella]

Originally Posted by Gratitude Magic

1. Do you belong to any organization or group for the “spiritual but not religious” people like yourself?
If you do, do you mind sharing which organization it is.

no, don't belong.

2. How do you connect to your god / higher power / whatever you call?
Do you meditate? Do you feel connection when you are in nature? Or?

see Parthon's post, it's much the same, + meditation. (experiencing present, not any special method.)
Parthon writes:
"feel the connection with source and everything around me" ==>> thus much experiencing the Presence in any form. (Love foremost, etc, and in discontinued situation as experiencing the "Presence" through other people)

3. What is your biggest challenge in terms of your spirituality?

hm, perhaps not staying in the present (= not staying humble, which goes with that).
Impatience: evidence of doubt (instead of patience: = evidence of faith)
The two (not staying in the present+impatience) are connected.

[The David]

Originally Posted by Gratitude Magic

I am. If you are, too, will you answer the following three questions, please? I am preparing to start new coaching programs early next year, and your input is well appreciated.

1. Do you belong to any organization or group for the “spiritual but not religious” people like yourself?
If you do, do you mind sharing which organization it is.

2. How do you connect to your god / higher power / whatever you call?
Do you meditate? Do you feel connection when you are in nature? Or?

3. What is your biggest challenge in terms of your spirituality?

Thank you!

I don't know how 'spiritual' I really am, but I am interested in spiritual pursuits and am definitely not religious, so I'll answer.

1. Nope. Just this website.

2. Yes, I feel a connection of some kind in nature. My view of 'God' is kind of hazy and impersonal, but I feel most connected to something 'higher' when I feel connected to people who have purpose in their life. I guess I experience God through other people.

3. Letting go of nihilistic thinking and religious baggage.

[freshwala]

1. nope, i think organizations easily become religions n cults n behave like sheep so i avoid them, just be broad minded n take in from and share with everyone.

2. "the truth is out there" lol, but seriously i meditate but thats more for personal peace, and gives much greater control of my aggression. my belief is kind of blurry... i do feel more connected around nature, i guess it could be a sense of energy/chi/the universe whatever u perceive it as.

3. biggest challenge is baring with my friends and family, its like everyone i religious and when they aren't religious its because they are arrogant not because they are wise. People act as if im the stupid guy for not following old politics, even the lazy ones that just class themselves as something when i would know more about there religion than they do.

^^^im not a hater, i was very religious myself once upon a time, but i don't know in my early teen years i just saw the light i guess n had to ask myself what makes my religious beliefs realer than the Muslim, the Christian or ancient Egyptians... the only real answer is "because thats what my parents are and raised me as" then i just asked myself what do i really believe? and began my journey to rediscover myself for who i want to be not who i was made to be.
peace

[Lallymac]

1. No I don't belong to any group but I do periodically connect with other like minded people to share ideas and experiences. Enjoy being able to converse freely without the usual social constraints of 'mugglesville.'

2. I've always had a natural awareness and ability to see/travel through the gaps in physical reality. Meditation heightens my awareness and gives me more clarity when I need it but I drift into the gaps easily when I'm doing routine things like housework.

3. It was kind of a shock to realise that most people don't experience what I do and I can get frustrated with ignorance and bible bashers who choose believe all a massively reconstructed story fulled with fear, prejudices and rediculous manmade statements and miss the whole point of Christ's life.
Christ was a highly evolved mortal. Joseph and Mary had sex. In his life, he attempted to show us more of our potential. We are spiritual beings having a physical experience. We all rise up from death. Moses and Christ were gifted channels, in communication with more highly evolved beings. They weren't the only ones. We are all capable of doing it when we can comprehend ourselves beyond the three dimensions of this life.

But I guess it's conditioned fear of the unknown that makes it easier to believe a 2000 yr old book than attempt to experience more of ourselves.

lallymac.. now stepping off her soapbox

[Love]

Originally Posted by Gratitude Magic

I am. If you are, too, will you answer the following three questions, please? I am preparing to start new coaching programs early next year, and your input is well appreciated.

1. Do you belong to any organization or group for the “spiritual but not religious” people like yourself?
If you do, do you mind sharing which organization it is.

2. How do you connect to your god / higher power / whatever you call?
Do you meditate? Do you feel connection when you are in nature? Or?

3. What is your biggest challenge in terms of your spirituality?

Thank you!

1. Nope! I might be interested if there was a good one. Being spiritual and not religious can be lonely.

2. I write to spirit in my journals. I also just think in my head to them.

3. My spiritality itself is not a challenging thing. Commuicating the way I think/believe and even wanting to communicate the anything about the way I think/believe, however, is harder. My family and friends belong to specific traditions.

[Gratitude Magic]

Thank you for answering the questions. I am learning far more than I expected.

[Lola]

Originally Posted by Gratitude Magic

Are You Spiritual but Not Religious?

Yes. Very much so.

Originally Posted by Gratitude Magic

1. Do you belong to any organization or group for the “spiritual but not religious” people like yourself?

No. I was raised in a conservative, protestant religious organization and technically still *belong* to that group, but no longer define my spirituality by that doctrine and do not attend services.

Originally Posted by Gratitude Magic

2. How do you connect to your god / higher power / whatever you call?
Do you meditate? Do you feel connection when you are in nature? Or?

Prayer. Meditation. I feel a connection most all the time regardless of my surroundings or activities.

Originally Posted by Gratitude Magic

3. What is your biggest challenge in terms of your spirituality?

I think my biggest challenge is missing a connection with like-minded people.

ps to Terumoto---

Originally Posted by Terumoto

Aren't religions simply organizations of spiritual people of a particular type?

Not necessarily. Sadly, in my experience, many religious organizations are devoid of any true spirituality, but are more about forced compliance to a particular idea of what's *right*, appearances, guilt, and/or the business of religion.

[estrella]

Originally Posted by Lallymac

But I guess it's conditioned fear of the unknown that makes it easier to believe a 2000 yr old book than attempt to experience more of ourselves.

lallymac.. now stepping off her soapbox

but you believe in this book, too, though not in the same way, right?
It's interpretation/translation that's it, and an ambition to understand what one doesn't (yet) that has been the origin of false truth spread by some religious groups... even if in the original "book" there is a high truth in it.
right?
I think you know what I mean.

[Amatrine]

I grew up going to church believing what I was tought. Then in my early 20's I actually sat down for a month and read the bible myself, and came to the conclusion from what I read, that I did not believe what the churches tought. Then in doing research found where a lot of beliefs originated.

I have not gone to church in years, as a result but have a strong spirituality.
I have a connection that is ever present to God, or awareness, one and same to me. I teach my daughter what I believe. I do teach her to pray,
and to have that connectivness.

I also believe organised religion is just not the way. In my opinion, it comes down to power. Churches want power, governments use religion or lack of it for power. At the same time, I do not bash those that go to church, and believe the way they do. That is where they need to be . I just choose not
to be told what it is correct, but to understand from my own understanding.
Not because I am told it is this way or that.

While I do believe a lot of the bible, I think there are different relegions that have a piece of it correct somewhere. I also have no faith in man in the sense, that they change things. Look how many versions of the bible there are, and how many verses have been changes over the years.
So while I believe the inpsiration is correct, I do not take it word for word.

I go with my gut on what feels right, to me and that extenal power outside myself, yet inside of me.

Ama

[OMG]

I am

1. Do you belong to any organization or group for the “spiritual but not religious” people like yourself?
If you do, do you mind sharing which organization it is.
Nope

2. How do you connect to your god / higher power / whatever you call?
Do you meditate? Do you feel connection when you are in nature? Or?
Live in the moment, meditation

3. What is your biggest challenge in terms of your spirituality?
To be a fully conscious being and find the God inside mi