How important is religion and spirituality?

Could you live a good life without it or is it absolutely neccessary to have such foundations?

I could very happily live without organized religion, thank you very much. I don't need someone telling my how to think and teaching bigotry, exclusionism and hatred.

Spirituality is a very different thing. It's quite important in my life, though it's not necessary for my partner, so long as he accepts my spirituality without feeling the need to change me.

Christ Himself was very much against religion, and when we look at the word spiritual, well, it's not that great for man to be so; let's look at the first occurrence in Scripture, as The Lord does not throw us curve balls upon the first usage of a word:

Hos 9:7 The days of visitation are come, the days of recompence are come; Israel shall know it: the prophet is a fool, the spiritual man is mad, for the multitude of thine iniquity, and the great hatred.

And just because The Lord is Spirit, spiritual is not necessarily a good thing, for we also read:

Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

So we find there is spiritual wickedness, moreover, we read that there is none that are good, no not one, and that even our righteousness is as filthy rags.

However, when one is covered by His righteousness, His peace, then we are seen as He is seen.

religion/no
spirituality/yes

Provided, of course, you believe in the tenets of christianity. FYI, Jesus was not a christian. I wonder what he'd think of it?

organized religion ===== the root of evil

Huh, who knew? I tend to agree with you there

I believe one does need a foundation. My problem is when they start disguising these foundations as a business.....

wonders never end

agree and disagree within minutes

i guess yer right sometimes

I try not to think in terms of "right and wrong," "black and white" etc. There's just too many variables in everything for that. I do try to think in terms of understanding and validation, openness of heart and mind so that everyone has room to learn and grow (even if there is still disagreement). I think that if people worked more toward understanding and validating another's opinion and thought process and less toward always having to be right, the world would be a much better place.

I dont have a problem with Organized religion, it has its place, it is what broght me to the place I am now, and for that I am greateful, but I feel I have outgrown it, and am more spiritual, comcentrating on what I have been able to take from other belief systems, and building on that as well.


I consider myself very spiritual as well. I remain a christian.


Yes I believe both are equally important.

I think each and every one of us have a duty to be true to ourselves, watever that may mean.

I dont NEED spiritualism, but i AM a spiritual person.

Some people need organized religion and I don't think there is anything wrong with that. I have heard people say that "religion is for the weak minded" and I think that's an unfair statement. Organized religion has many good points. I also don't believe it's fair to blame the religions for those adherents who take things to extremes and commit atrocities in the name of their religion.

I am a spiritual person and don't practice much in the way of religion these days. I will, however, be sending my two children to catechism class starting this fall now that they are old enough to attend. I am doing this for a couple of reasons.

First, I believe it's important for them to know and understand the religion (Christianity) that has been the practicing faith of their family going back for generations even if I don't practice it now.

Second, I think having an understanding of religions and what they teach is a good thing in helping them form their own beliefs over their lifetime. Going to CCD (catechism class) will teach them a lot about the Bible and what Christians believe.

I participate in both Christian practices (that was my upbringing and I am comfortable and familiar with them) and Pagan practices which makes me somewhat religious, but mostly spiritual. In answer to the original question, I think both are important and most people need them in some way, shape or form.

My way of life is spirituality... I could not function very well with out the practices I choose, they work for me, improve my relationships, I am more productive, happy and optimistic. I use a mix of eastern and western traditions and find the concept of karma keeps me in check much more effectively than the concept of hell.

I am quite confident you know my answer

Like 7'Up, never had it, never will.

That's the way I feel too.

I don't need spiritualism, but it's a natural part of my intuition.

Although having said that I don't support any relgion that claims to have a book that contains the word of the creator of this universe. I consider those kinds of religions to truly be dangerous and to have been historically proven to be so beyond any shadow of a doubt. It's crystal clear to me that there is nothing divine about those religions.

So I reject the notion that any humans speak for any supreme being (and that includes ancient authors who may have written down their thoughts in books). That's not spirituality, that's just bigoted dogma, IMHO.

As far as I'm concerned books such as the so-called "Holy Bible" are truly nothing more than a hardcopy of an ancient "Internet Forum Thread" (speaking metaphorically of course) where someone went through and cut out all the opposition to the points they wanted to make and then just kept the posts that supported their views, printed them, and called it the "Holy Bible".

It's just an extremely biased and known-to-be-edited view of an ancient argument, IMHO.

I believe that only the weak minded need either of these two things.
Religion and spirituality are a placibo made to pacify our pathetic existence.

The former portion of your statement is, well, axiomatic, duh ! while the later is in question, you are saying here, that Christ did not support His own statements ? That believing what He says is unbelievable because He was not Himself believing what He was saying ? That is ludicrous at best...

Of course, Christian means believing what Christ promoted, the creation, upright morals, the reason truth has been and is being undermined - Of course Christ is a Christian, in other words, Christ, above all else, exemplified the life of Christ.

Being that you asked the question, why not ask you for an answer? What do you think Christ would say that you don't think He believed in His Own Words ?

LOL

amen!