Many years ago several things occured to me. 1. I didn't have to be religious to be a spiritual person. 2. No religion has the complete truth. 3. Religion is man made. 4. We create our own reality. 5. Spiritual people find their way with help not from a middle person, but by spirit and spiritual experiences. This was life changing for me. Many have told me over the years that I can't be both, that I must choose or fail a certain religion. (No Names Here) However, I chose to reach deep and connect as fully as I would allow with my inner self, and negate any religious beliefs for what I knew to be true in my reality. My reality is that we are all energy. Pure, beautiful energy, and that we create those things we feel we need at the time. So another journey began, where I would create my spiritual path with the knowledge that I am part of the light universe. I am connected to all that is, was and will be, and that I in part help to make up the fibers of the light universe with everyone else. We are all connected, all is relative. So, in my view, they are very, very different. What are your thoughts on the subject? Please be kind, everyone is peacefully entitled to their own opinions.

Gentle Hugs,

Julie

I like your thinking!

I have to go to children.  Would you send them to church?  Why or why not?  

We have a generation of children who have never entered a church and don't have any idea what religion even is.  Is this a good place from which to decide which religion or any religion for their own lives?  

We all have an inner spirituality.  Living up to the best of ourselves is a very good path of endeavour.  But there is no perfection in life.  So, when we fall short of the mark, what do we fall back on?  What lessons or lack thereof teach us our moral and spiritual centre?

I used to be friends with a very religious Christian person, but when she found out that I was pagan she dropped me like a rock. On the other hand I used to clash with a very spiritual Christian woman, but after we got to know one another we became friends and respected one another's beliefs. The moral of the story is that spiritual people seek to understand and religious people seek domination.

I have a button which says "Spiritual people inspire me Religous people frighten me".  I know exactly what they mean.  I belong to a group that many religous people condemn simply for existing.  In fact, is some places I can be executed simply for being who I am, and those that do this justify this atrocity with carefully selected sound bytes from their religious writings.  Spiritual poeople on the other hand tend  accept that not everyone can follow the same path.  They accept my statements that God made me the way I am, and she is pleased that I am being the person she made.  Spiritual people can even accept that I choose to see God as a woman instead of a man.

I believe in meeting together and worshiping the higher power we choose to, but  in the same breathe, I also believe being spiritual is what we all should strive for. It is each individuals responsibility to develope and enlighten themselves. And I believe we all need to help each other in this task since we all have differences and we all can learn from each other through the differences.

Lucia