Religion and Spirituality: Are They the Same?
From the perspective of the Living in Alignment Model and body of knowledge, although religion and spirituality are not mutually exclusive, neither are they one and the same. The main difference is that religion is usually associated with an organization (along with dogma), while spirituality is not.
As a spiritual being you may or may not choose to be affiliated with a religious organization, but if you’re religious, you most likely will be.
As part of your Soul mission or calling in life you may be called to be associated with a religious organization; to be a transformative presence within that organization for the purpose of raising awareness, deepening people’s understanding, and/or to assist in bringing about change within the organization.
Many people who are religious think that they need an intermediary to access and/or deepen their connection with Source energy. In contrast, once you realize that you are a spiritual being, you’ll also come to know that you’re intended to have a personal relationship with and can access Source energy directly without the need for any sort of go-between.
As a spiritual being you have access to the wisdom of Source energy (i.e., the Universal mind) at any time, anywhere, and in any place. You can just as easily connect with Source energy in nature, in meditation, in your dream state, or while doing yoga, listening to music, taking in beauty, etc. as in a church, synagogue, mosque or other designated places of worship.
Do you think that you need someone or an organization to tell you what to believe about Source energy or spirituality and/or how to go about living your life? If so, be careful, because you’re likely to become a blind follower. Are you ready to develop your own viewpoints and make your own choices and decisions about Source energy and spirituality based on your direct experiences and what intuitively feels ‘right’ for you?
When you’re grounded in your spirituality, you will defer to and rely upon your Soul for the answers your mind seeks. This is about coming to know that your answers are to be found within, rather than thinking that you need to be told by others what to believe and/or how to live your life.
Being grounded in your spirituality is about becoming your own authority rather than living in tribal consciousness, in which following the leader is the norm. A grounded spirituality is the result of accessing your truth based on the insights, gifts, and lessons from your direct or subjective experiences of living your life. This is not to say that you won’t take outside influences into account, for this would be unwise, but that you’ll move into the position of allowing your Soul (or whatever word you use to refer to the power that is greater than your intellect) to be the final authority.