There is a difference between spirituality and religion. Spirituality is all about the soul, beliefs, and free will. It is how a person feels inside and presents themselves to others. Religion is a dogmatic organized group which requires a person to follow the rules set forth in a particular doctrine. It is how well a person follow others and mimic beliefs whether or not it is truly believed within themselves. A person can have both spirituality and religion.

According to Amit Goswami, PhD in his book Quantum Creativity –

“People generally practice spirituality under the aegis of a religion. But religions are based on a particular creed; there’s not much fervor among them about the nature of reality or God. The word religion originated from the Latin religare, which means to bind. Spiritual salvation is traditionally based on saving oneself from sin (separateness) and binding oneself with wholeness (God) in heaven. But how many religious people have you met lately who interpret their spiritual search this way?

Different religions say different things. Most speak of spiritual paths as if there were a charted route to follow to achieve your goal…There is no path from an ego driven by base emotion to nonlocal wholeness with its higher values; it takes a quantum leap to get there……

Religions and esoteric spiritual traditions leave us frustrated in our pursuit of spirituality by making it an all-or-nothing proposition. God or bust. Kill the ego, the source of your sin and suffering. Surrender to God, or at least to your guru. Humanity has been pursuing these goals for millennia. “

This is in the beginning of chapter 18 but the whole chapter is a great read if you are interested in all of this quantum stuff related to spirituality and religion.

I got so caught up in rules and regulations of religious dogma because I was so entangled in the Baptist church for so many years. I was dissatisfied and unfulfilled until I broke free from that. I am not saying that is what everyone should do by no means! What I am saying is that it is okay to be open and accept people where they are at in their beliefs and still have one’s own belief system.

For SO many years I had a very bitter taste in my mouth for Christianity, and here is why; most of the churches I attended, the people were very judgmental and not as loving as the preacher described what Christians should be. I was one of those people. I was Pious (not in the good way) and believed that if your name was not written in the book you were going to hell. I panicked because my husband was a sinner, and he was going to hell.

I was led to believe that if you didn’t worship the one true god then hell was your destination. I was threatened and scared into believing all of this. I am NOT saying that all churches and people are like this, I know some very loving caring Christians who I call friends. What I am saying is that after years of hearing and believing this stuff I knew there was a better more peaceful loving way FOR ME.

I have found my true north as far as spirituality is concerned. Over the years I have faced my bitterness and have accepted people and what they believe. I have not forced people to believe what I believe; I just want others to be educated and aware that not everyone believes the same things and that is okay. It is called FREE WILL, and everyone has that.

I love you no matter what you believe or who you worship. I look at you as a human and spiritual being. I hope you look at me the same way.

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