Religious versus Spiritual

During an interview in 1998, Barbara Walters asked Monica Lewinsky: “Are you a religious person? Do you attend any church? She giggled and said: “I am more spiritual than religious.”

“I am more spiritual than religious” has almost become a fashion statement by people who don't want to make the sacrifices necessary to be part of a faith community or attend church. Is being spiritual and religious mutually exclusive? Can a person be religious without being spiritual or spiritual without being religious? Was Jesus religious or spiritual?

First of all let me define terms. Being religious means being part of an organized religion and following its teachings and rituals. Spirituality on the other hand, does not require formal membership in a particular religion. Being spiritual mostly refers to personal piety and private practices such as meditation, contemplation etc.

These days, there is no shortage of religion. Mega churches are everywhere. In my city, there are ten churches in a two mile radius. So, the external symbols of religion are everywhere. Do they make us truly religious or authentically spiritual is another question.

I have a good friend who was a staunch Catholic all his life. Last year, he stopped attending church, because he is “turned off by the hypocrisy of Christians.” He wrote: I could not understand why they would be so vocal against abortion, but not so against the war or the death penalty? I could not understand why they would be such big defenders of capitalism, small government, and survival of the fittest, while ignoring the poor, the widow, and the downtrodden, those Jesus instructed us to care for? I could not understand the way most vocal 'Christian leaders' responded to the events of 9/11 and supported a violent military intervention without asking any serious questions about why they attacked us? I did not see forgiveness and non-violence being taken seriously. In summary, I was turned off by the televangelists and the Heralds of Hate and the conservative talking heads on radio and TV. What I saw was a bunch of extremists, fundamentalists, literalists and radicals, spreading fear and misinformation. This mix of religion and politics really turned me off and unfortunately many people in the Church were embracing those views and so I left the Church.

I think my friend raises many valid points. I also think that he is throwing the baby with the bath water. Yes, organized religion has its flaws and faults. But isolating oneself from a community is not the answer. As disciples of Jesus, we are called to live out our faith in the context of a community. That is why Apostle Paul described Christians as the “body of Christ.” As members of the body of Christ, we have so much to give to others and receive from them. It is in the context of a community that our spirituality is tested, corrected and perfected.

So, it does not have to be an 'either or' position. We don't have to choose between spirituality without church attendance or church attendance without spirituality. We can be both; in fact, we must be both, because, religion without spirituality is empty and spirituality without religion can be self-serving. For many people, when they say “I am spiritual,” it is very often an excuse for not attending church. They don't do much to tend to their spirit at home either.

As disciples of Jesus, we are not meant to be solitary purveyors of individualistic spirituality. We are called to be companions in a journey of faith that is experienced, lived and shared in the context of a community.