Religion - Spirituality.....Are they linked or are they seperate?

Hi there, There is only one way to know whether religion and spirituality go hand in hand. If it really troubles you, I suggest search the Scriptures - the BIBLE. To understand the Bible, you need to have a relationship with the author - God. It is only Him who can give you understanding. If you try to understand it in your own way, you'll be more confused!

I see spirituality as being personal... while religion is institutional. I know a lot of people who say they are spiritual but not religious, meaning that they have some kind of personal relationship with the divine or personal beliefs about spiritual matters, but don't belong to a specific religion. I personally think of myself as both religious and spiritual, because I do have a specific religion I associate myself with, even if it's one that is fairly unorganized. My religion is Celtic Reconstructionist Paganism... but what makes me spiritual is my relationship with my Gods. The way those things connect is that I chose my religious doctrines based on the relationship with my Gods, though I suppose sometimes people come at it the other direction as well (discovering a religion first and then developing a personal relationship with whatever deity or deities that religion follows).

I see religion and spirituality as being entirely separate. Spirituality is the essence of God, and our direct connection to Him. Religion is manmade. It can be a vehicle to draw us near to others who share in our spirituality, and we can gain strength from them. But there is a danger there, because you can start depending on those people more than God. And if those people hurt you, (which people are prone to do), then it can affect your relationship with God ...IF you place too much faith in religion.