Spiritual but not Religious
What does it mean to be Spiritual but not Religious? (SBNR)
Generally speaking, religion is concerned with beliefs and tradition. The aspect of religion that many SBNR folk prefer to live without is the limitation of beliefs that are out of step with a contemporary experience of life. There are three specific aspects of religion that many SBNR folk resist.
1. Blind adherence- Beliefs that are unbelievable and irrelevant 2. Empty ritual- Rituals that are otherworldly or archaic 3. Guilt- A set of rules to follow, and the fear of punishment.
Many SBNR folk still have an experience of a higher power, or the Source of life, without the limitations and baggage of doctrine and religion.
A recent poll suggests that of the one in five Americans who see themselves as “spiritual but not religious,” forty-seven percent view religion negatively.
This 2005 Beliefnet and Newsweek 2005 gives a sense of the American landscape in relation to spirituality and religion.
Which best describes you? Age 18-39 40-59 60+ Total
Spiritual but not religious 27% 28% 15% 24% Religious but not spiritual 10% 8% 8% 9% Religious & spiritual 48% 56% 66% 55% Not spiritual/ not religious 11% 5% 6% 8% Don't know 4% 3% 5% 4%
“Spiritual But Not Religious” describes a radical new worldview that is inclusive and open as opposed to separatist and closed.
Spirituality is……..
a rainbow emerging through violent storm clouds, a newborn baby cradled in your arms, a brilliant sunset illuminating mountains, a friend comforting you through a dark and troubled time, a daybreak sky filled with magnificent shades of magenta, lavender, and sapphire, a scientific breakthrough advancing civilization, a look of recognition when someone sees you and truly understands
and so much more……………………
Spirituality includes all people, and all possible experience, whereas religion often limits wonder and meaning to certain experiences and certain language.
Bishop Spong writes about Jesus in the context of being “religion-less”.
“I have sought to understand Jesus as a boundary-breaker, as one who calls people to step outside the circles of their security systems. To walk the Christ path is to be empowered to step outside and beyond these various human security systems. It is to walk beyond all religious forms that bind our humanity in order to enter the religion-less world of a new humanity. It is to seek divinity not externally but as the deepest dimension of what it means to be human. (Spong, Jesus for the Non Religious)
Spirituality is………….
Children experiencing the power of now Lovers experiencing the wonder of connection Families experiencing the joy of spontaneity Activists experiencing a passion for justice Artists experiencing creative inspiration Scientists experience the wonder of discovery Friends experience the power of connection Animals and plants experience the abundance and flow of nature
and so much more………
Spirituality honors all universal wisdom, including wisdom that flows through religion. People who are spiritual may find greater resonance in one or many religious traditions, but the wisdom is universal. The religion is the language or culture around which wisdom is expressed. Religion is the map, spirituality is the terrain. Religion is the menu. Spirituality is the meal. Spirituality is the joy and miracle of being alive.
Universal Wisdom includes-
From Buddhism, the liberation from compulsive mental conditioning (monkey mind) From Judaism, the authenticity and meaning of story- telling and community From Christianity, the incarnation of divine compassion From Islam, the value in discipline and surrender to mystery From Hinduism, the celebration of diversity From Bahai, the possibility for waging peace From Sufism, the power of inner awakening From Nature traditions, the wonder of earth’s patterns………………..
Ken Wilber points to some features of universal wisdom. He says that most of the great wisdom traditions agree that: 1. Spirit, by whatever name, exists. 2. Spirit, although existing "out there," is found "in here," or revealed within to the open heart and mind. 3. Most of us don't realize this Spirit within, however, because we are living in a world of sin, separation, or duality-that is, we are living in a fallen, illusory, or fragmented state. 4. There is a way out of this fallen state (of sin or illusion or disharmony), there is a Path to our liberation. 5. If we follow this Path to its conclusion, the result is a Rebirth or Enlightenment, a direct experience of Spirit within and without, a Supreme Liberation, which 6. Marks the end of sin and suffering, and 7. Manifests in social action of mercy and compassion on behalf of all sentient beings. Ken Wilber, From "Sense & Soul: An Integral Spirituality"
Spirituality is direct experience of wonder.
Increasingly, people are bypassing religion in preference for a direct experience of life’s wonder. There is no longer such a strong need for a minister, church or sacred texts to put boundaries on an experience of wonder. Spirituality doesn’t only happen on a Sunday, or in a church, or with eyes closed. Spirituality is a direct experience of every moment in life.
Swirling clouds, a child's face, beginnings, innocence, first friendships, gentle touch, kites lifting your dreams up high, shared secrets, commitment, holding a trusting hand, sitting, being, Side-by-side. First steps, sibling connections, a fiery sunset, jagged icicles, everyday chores, endless oceans. Hands clasped, first kisses, lives shared, stories told.
Spirituality includes the ordinary miracles. Each moment is pregnant with the rapture of life. There is beauty and meaning in all things.
From Religious Belief to Spiritual Value
Following are some examples of the way spiritual values transcend and include religious beliefs.
1. It is human nature to seek something greater than self. Religion gives names to this “greater” force; i.e. God, Kosmos, Higher Power, Universal Spirit, Source or the Sum that is greater than the parts. Spirituality is not focused on the names as much as the experience of expanding our circles of care and compassion. 2. Life is full of death and rebirth. Religion creates beliefs about resurrection and salvation as imposed by an external force. Spirituality is more focused on being awake to the aliveness of each moment and allowing hearts to break wide open to pain without breaking down. 3. Miracles happen all around us all the time. Religion suggests that miracles happen at the hands of a supernatural force. Spirituality is more concerned with being open to the wonder of life and nature. 4. Life has cycles, and people and events seem to be connected. Religion teaches that God has a providential plan. Spirituality seeks to trust and learn from the mysterious interconnectedness of life. 5. Prayer and meditation are ways to spread healing energy. Religion teaches that an external God is hearing and answering prayers. Spirituality sees prayer and meditation as an inner intention for peace and compassion.
God and Wonder
Spirituality is more concerned with experience than dogma. God is often used as a name for an external force that is captured in a set of beliefs or a particular religion.
Many people who don’t resonate with religious beliefs, or find religious notions of God too limiting, still use the word God.
God is a name that many people put on connections.
“God is not God's name; God is our name for that which is greater than all and yet present in each.” Forrest Church
God is a name that many people use for an experience of wonder.
"In music, in the sea, in a flower, in a leaf, in an act of kindness. ...I see what people call God in all these things." Pablo Casals
In an experience of human love, in being part of a Greater Whole, in the sense of peace and satisfaction……I see what people call God in all these things.
Ann Lamott, describes the time her son, Sam, said to her, "I think the reason they call God 'God' is because when you see something really, really beautiful, you go, 'God, that's beautiful!'" As Ann said, "OK, that works for me."
Many people use the name God to describe a quality of depth in life.
“I hear and behold God in every object, yet understand God not in the least… I see something of God each hour of the twenty-four, and each moment then. In the faces of men and women I see God, and in my own face in the glass; I find letters from God dropped in he street, and every one is signed by God's name, And I leave them where they are, for I know that whereso'er I go others will punctually come forever and ever.” Walt Whitman
All creating and living is an expression of wonder . People are the way God experiences sibling rivalry and human struggles. People are the way God builds bridges and tears down walls of hostility. People are the way God experiences success and failure, joy and sorrow.
The universe is constantly manifesting God in humming birds and human beings, stars and stray dogs, cells and cedar. All of life is a revelation of divinity, a language of reverence, a vision of wonder.
God is a name for internal imagery that excites our imaginations, sharpens our vision, builds our ethics and broadens our circles of compassion. God is a name for the relatedness that we feel to a growing set of people, nations, species, planets, perspectives. God is not the only name, but it is one valid name.
God is a name for the expanded sense of peace that can be traced to particular parts of the brain. God is a name for evolution and an ever expanding understanding of biology; that atom and cell, molecule and limbic system all interact with the environment, filling human thoughts, words and actions with enormous power. God is not the only name for this nature/ nurture balance, but it is one valid name.