A recent CNN feature posed the question of whether or not it's okay to be "spiritual but not religious."
The term has grown so popular that it even has an abbreviation. People are now responding with "SBNR" when asked about their belief system.
The feature went on to discuss how many religious figures feel this is a new self-centered approach to faith--that picking choosing which elements you like about spirituality and then taking religion out of it isn't really believing in anything.
I found this to be incredibly insulting as someone who would say they are very spiritual, but not religious (although I'm not sure I'd use the abbreviation, as that does seem to take any sort of seriousness out of it).
About ten years ago, Oprah Winfrey started a feature on her show entitled "Remembering Your Spirit" and found instant backlash from viewers who felt that Oprah was trying to preach religion at them.
Winfrey explained that she wasn't preaching religion; she was just trying to help people get in touch with their spiritual side.
People argued that their spiritual side and their religious side was the same thing, and after awhile, Oprah just abandoned the entire project altogether.
At the time, I remember feeling disheartened by this. To me, it was like people were saying that my discomfort towards organized religion meant that I was never going to be able to have any sort of belief system. In recent years, as I felt myself being drawn to believing in things beyond my control though not necessarily believing in a specific higher power, I started to grow confident enough to say--
"Yes, I am a spiritual person. No, I'm not religious. And no, I don't particularly care if you understand that."
To hear that now there are more people saying the same time is refreshing and relieving to me. To hear religious people saying we're all being selfish is not surprising, but still very disappointing.
I would think that people who have strong religious beliefs would be grateful that others want to develop deeper beliefs in something, regardless of whether or not it directly pertains to the rules of their religion. I realize that sounds naive, but it would still be my hope.
As for the "pick and choose" comment, I think that's a result of fervent religious believers looking at people who are strictly spiritual and saying--"They just don't want to go to church!" Basically, it's my grandmother's approach towards anyone who isn't Catholic. I'm sure there are equal prejudices in other religions towards those who aren't diehards as well.
So how would I describe what I believe?
I believe that there are forces at work in world, and that my job as a person is to help add positive things to the world and the people I interact with, and to remove negative things by being a positive force within the world.
It may sound a little new age-y, but to quote my favorite composer--
It's better living it than looking at it.
So am I hoping one day more people embrace a general spirituality in place of rules and regulations dressed up as belief?
I'm hoping, but I'm not holding my breath.
Waiting for miracles just isn't something I believe in.
The term has grown so popular that it even has an abbreviation. People are now responding with "SBNR" when asked about their belief system.
The feature went on to discuss how many religious figures feel this is a new self-centered approach to faith--that picking choosing which elements you like about spirituality and then taking religion out of it isn't really believing in anything.
I found this to be incredibly insulting as someone who would say they are very spiritual, but not religious (although I'm not sure I'd use the abbreviation, as that does seem to take any sort of seriousness out of it).
About ten years ago, Oprah Winfrey started a feature on her show entitled "Remembering Your Spirit" and found instant backlash from viewers who felt that Oprah was trying to preach religion at them.
Winfrey explained that she wasn't preaching religion; she was just trying to help people get in touch with their spiritual side.
People argued that their spiritual side and their religious side was the same thing, and after awhile, Oprah just abandoned the entire project altogether.
At the time, I remember feeling disheartened by this. To me, it was like people were saying that my discomfort towards organized religion meant that I was never going to be able to have any sort of belief system. In recent years, as I felt myself being drawn to believing in things beyond my control though not necessarily believing in a specific higher power, I started to grow confident enough to say--
"Yes, I am a spiritual person. No, I'm not religious. And no, I don't particularly care if you understand that."
To hear that now there are more people saying the same time is refreshing and relieving to me. To hear religious people saying we're all being selfish is not surprising, but still very disappointing.
I would think that people who have strong religious beliefs would be grateful that others want to develop deeper beliefs in something, regardless of whether or not it directly pertains to the rules of their religion. I realize that sounds naive, but it would still be my hope.
As for the "pick and choose" comment, I think that's a result of fervent religious believers looking at people who are strictly spiritual and saying--"They just don't want to go to church!" Basically, it's my grandmother's approach towards anyone who isn't Catholic. I'm sure there are equal prejudices in other religions towards those who aren't diehards as well.
So how would I describe what I believe?
I believe that there are forces at work in world, and that my job as a person is to help add positive things to the world and the people I interact with, and to remove negative things by being a positive force within the world.
It may sound a little new age-y, but to quote my favorite composer--
It's better living it than looking at it.
So am I hoping one day more people embrace a general spirituality in place of rules and regulations dressed up as belief?
I'm hoping, but I'm not holding my breath.
Waiting for miracles just isn't something I believe in.
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