Religious versus Spiritual

[timcath]

Is there a distinction between being religious rather than spiritual ?
I have always thought that a religious person would be more concerned with the Church as an institution, more concerned with dogma, process, the way the mass is said etc as a way of connecting with God, His creation, and the people of God. They want to protect the movement started by Christ.
A spiritual person is more contemplative, prayerful, seeing God everywhere and is not concerned with the method of being with God but is more directed to just experiencing Him. The ways of the Church and the personalities in it are not as important as the personal relationship to God.

In following the debates over Vatican II, the Latin Mass and the changes in the Church, it seems that the religious, or those that are more religious than spiritual, are the ones that seem to take exception to criticism and want to vigorously defend (or criticize) the Church. The spiritual seem to stay silent and just progress on the path to God, no matter what happens to the institution.

I know many will think this is too simple a distinction, but it just seems that there are always two sets of Catholics whenever you see a group or read what is written on forums such as this.You could say that some religious orders are more religious than spiritual. Some priests are more religious than spiritual. I am not saying that one sort of person is better than the other.

Tim

 

[tjmiller]

See the thread, “Religious vs. Spiritual” in the Non-Catholic Religions Forum…

Peace,
other Tim

 

[timcath]

Thanks for the reference.

The debate over at that forum seems to be about people defining themselves as one or the other, amd whether they can be more spiritual or more religious by doing something.
I was trying to discern whether there was either a religious or a spiritual “flavour” to the way that people react to issues, and the way that this affects the things they say and do.

Tim

 

[asquared]

timcath:

Thanks for the reference.

I was trying to discern whether there was either a religious or a spiritual “flavour” to the way that people react to issues, and the way that this affects the things they say and do.

Tim

you cannot do so unless you first define “religious” and “spiritual”. Almost everyone here would reject your definitions, I suppose, and that is why the debate is raging on the other thread, so probably no point to starting a parallel discussion here.