Spiritual vs Religious: What’s the Difference?

The pews in American churches are starting to become emptier each year. According to a poll by The Global Index of Religiosity and Atheism, religiosity in the United States has dropped from 73 percent in 2005 to 60 percent in 2012. A main reason for this, noted in the survey, is that the wealthier a person is, the less likely they are to be religious. In fact, it was the lower income bracket that had a higher religious percentage. However, the survey cannot necessarily claim that the other 40 percent of Americans are atheist. As indicated by a CNN article, many Americans are now stating that they are spiritual instead of religious. But what exactly is spirituality and how is it different from religion?Spirituality can be seen as more relaxed, with no set rules to follow like every other religious institution. Margaret Burkhardt, author of “Spirituality in Nursing and Health-Related Literature: A Concept Analysis” defined spirituality as “that which gives meaning to one’s life and draws one to transcend oneself. Spirituality is a broader concept than religion, although that is one expression of spirituality. Other expressions include prayer, meditation, interactions with others or nature and relationship with God or a higher power.” Spirituality can be secular or non-secular as it focuses on finding the meaning of life. Because of the liberal openness of spirituality, it can often be seen as a cop out, a way to dodge out of being persecuted for the certain beliefs that are associated with a specific religion. We live in a society where certain stigmas are placed on different religions and in a way, our moral character is labeled.

For example, Mormons are often stereotyped as all having many wives, and Christians are branded as believing homosexuals and non-Christians are destined to go to hell. Likewise, Catholics are judged by the various cases of priests molesting children and Muslims are seen as oppressive. Somehow we begin to stereotype different religions and only focus on the parts we don’t agree with instead of looking at all the other aspects that make up that religion. People’s religious views have started wars for years so it is not a surprise that a person may want to avoid such conflict by just saying they’re spiritual instead of religious.

Students at UT agree that religious commitment has changed over the years. Kelly Fitzgerald, sophomore and president of the Better Together Interfaith group on campus, believes that more people claim spirituality because of the cultural shift in the 60s. “There were new ways of thinking being explored, people were becoming more educated on other ideas.”

KC Phillips, a freshman writing major, believes that changes in the classroom have affected people’s outlook on religion saying, “Critical thinking is encouraged more in classrooms when it comes to learning about religions all over the world. It isn’t just one religion (Christianity) that is being taught.” Today, we have easy access to information throughout the world and thus we have more knowledge of other ideas and beliefs that don’t necessarily fit one religion.

Claiming spirituality can be seen as an easy way out when you figure in a person’s lack of commitment. Different religions call for sacrifice and one must reflect on whether they aren’t following a specific rule because they simply do not believe in it, or rather they just are too consumed with themselves to put their god or gods before them.Gretchen Rodriquez, senior finance major and president of the Catholic Student Organization on campus, explained, “One of the main reasons is the fear of commitment. People express that practicing a religion takes up too much of their time. Mostly, it’s a matter of being incapable of understanding and practicing the central aspects of a belief system.”

In regards to Christianity, the central tenets are forgiveness, self-sacrifice and the need for on-going conversion. Reverend Alan Weber, Director of the Catholic Student Union at the University of South Florida stated, “These are practices only possible for people who are mature, grounded and comfortable with the normal contradictions of life in a finite universe.”

Religion forces people to make decisions on what they believe in which can oftentimes be extremely difficult. This can be both good and bad. It encourages a person to stand up for their certain beliefs when not everyone agrees with it. By having to choose one side, you are not on the fence trying to please others. Your faith is between you and your god, gods or cosmic powers. The approval of others should not affect it. Certain rules and beliefs can give a person guidance throughout their life. On the other hand, if your interpretation of the Bible, Quran or Torah clashes with your religious institution, it may cause you to be excommunicated or feel cut off from the group.

As a practicing Catholic, I start to wonder what category I would fall under. I’ve had my baptism, communion and confirmation. I attend mass almost every Sunday, celebrate Christmas and Easter and give up something special every year for Lent. I truly believe I have a relationship with god and pray almost every day. On the outside, it would seem that I am a religious person, but there are beliefs instilled in the Catholic Church in which I don’t necessarily agree with. I believe that gay people should have the right to get married and that abortion should be allowed in the cases of rape, especially when the life of a young mother is at risk. In a way, I am bending the rules of a religious institution that has had the same rules and values for hundreds of years. Does this mean I’m spiritual or maybe a little of both? Is there somewhere I could check “Spiriligous” when applying for scholarships or answering surveys?

In the end, your faith or belief system is your business. We do not all believe in the same exact things and because of this we must find respect for each other in regards to our religious or spiritual beliefs.

Vanessa Righeimer can be reached at vanessa.righeimer@spartans.ut.edu