While the words
religion and spirituality are often incorrectly used interchangeably, an important distinction exists between spirituality
in religion and spirituality
as opposed to religion. In recent
[update] years, spirituality
as opposed to religion often carries
connotations of a believer having a
faith more personal, less dogmatic, more open to new ideas and myriad influences, and more pluralistic than the
doctrinal/
dogmatic faiths of mature religions.
[1] There are, however, non-creedal mature religions (e.g.,
Unitarian Universalism) whose adherents can be spiritual in the sense of having a more personal faith.
[2]
It also can connote the nature of believers' personal relationship or "connection" with their god(s) or
belief-system(s), as opposed to the general relationship with a
Deity as shared by all members of a given faith.
Those who speak of spirituality
as opposed to religion generally believe in the existence of many "spiritual paths" and deny any
objective truth about the best path to follow. Rather, adherents of this definition of the term emphasize the importance of finding one's own path to whatever-god-there-is, rather than following what others say works. In summary: the path which makes the most coherent sense becomes the correct one (for oneself). But just as aspects of spirituality can be found in many religions and traditions, spirituality based on spiritual practice rather than belief, with the aim simply of developing inner peace, is another option. This
secular spirituality (QV) is consistent with holding any supernatural belief, or importantly with holding none.
