The struggle between Spirituality and Religion II

This is the second part of an article intended to help understanding the phenomenon of spiritual groups, something that is increasing its influence in the world today. Next week, the last post.



Religion and spirituality

Just like Technology is Science’s daughter and sometimes they are so mixed up that they seem to be equal, the same thing happens with Religion and Spirituality. If you read the Old Texts, it is easy to realize that spirituality came before religion, with its customs, scriptures and priests. In fact, it is famous the conflict between Jesus Christ and the religious people during his time(Luke 5:33-6:11), the same happening with other religious founders, like Guru Nanak. They all faced religion not for its spiritual side, but for the rituals and other aspects.

As a good daughter, Religion still keeps much of its mother, Spirituality. A very religious person is often very spiritual too and rituals and customs just become a way of expression instead of the main reason. On the reverse, many spiritual people are very religious, respecting and following their traditions not because they are obliged, but they feel it is something to be treasured.

However, the gap between Religion and Spirituality is increasing, creating some kind of vacuum for people who are interested in their own spirit. The Washington Post published that the third religion in the world is the non-religion, putting in the same bag all those who belong to some spiritual group and even atheists and agnostics…

To reduce the gap, many spiritual people gather around some focus, objective, aim, knowledge or person. That created spiritual groups, which is relatively a new phenomenon. That is an interesting way we humans have created to organize ourselves with a spiritual goal in mind, but without the religious constraints.

But, how can we discern a religion from a spiritual group? Many spiritual groups do look like a religion in many senses and many religions are organized in such a way that they look like a spiritual group.

In a very empiric outlook, religions are exclusive. They don’t allow people from other religions to come without conversion. Just a simple example: if a Catholic Church offers a positive thinking course, do you think people of other religions, even other non-Catholic Christians, would go there? Hardly. Everything promoted by one religion excludes naturally people who come from other religions. And even when you belong to that religion but does not agree with everything said there, you will feel uncomfortable going to their temple.Inclusion is a major feature of a spiritual group. Anyone who is aligned to their thinking and are happy with their behavior and practices will feel comfortable; it does not matter if they belong to some religion, they are part of other spiritual groups or even they don’t agree with all that is said there. I have seen even Atheists feeling comfortable in the company of spiritual people.

Responding to that reality, many groups have created events and learning initiatives that are “clean” of the “hard core” of their knowledge, more focused in giving others tools rather than knowledge, which makes them even more inclusive.