Religious, Spiritual, Both, or Neither?

Are you religious? Spiritual?  Both?  Neither?  Insights from the Pew Research Center offer clarity about what people describe as religious or spiritual. Today, I’m exploring the research and what it says about us.

The following is a text version of this posting.

People talk about their beliefs in different ways.  Some people say that they are spiritual.  Some say they are religious.  Some describe themselves as spiritual but not religious.  Yes, some say they are religious but not spiritual.  Of course, some wouldn’t use either term to describe themselves.

Here’s what’s interesting to me:  about the same number of people in the United States consider themselves to be spiritual and not religious as do those who consider themselves to be neither spiritual nor religious.  According to the data obtained by the Pew Research Center, 22% of people in the United States consider themselves spiritual but not religious.  21% stated that they are neither spiritual nor religious.  Then there are 48% who consider themselves to be both spiritual and religious.  Just 10% of people describe themselves as religious but not spiritual. (Taken from Pew Research Center, published December 7, 2023.)

This research is very important.  There’s a false claim that’s frequently made:  that people are either spiritual or religious.  It’s claimed that being spiritual and being religious has nothing to do with each other.  It’s very clear that about half of the people in the United States experience a very real connection between religion and spirituality. 

Let’s step back from memes and pithy statements about what it means to be religious or spiritual.  Instead, let’s take a closer look at what the words mean.

The word “religion” is derived from the Latin word, “religio” meaning good faith, a sense of right, or moral obligation.  In the 13^th century, the term evolved in both English and French to give us the word “religion.”  Here’s a common mistake.  People often equate religion with dogma, doctrine, and practice – the external aspects of religiosity.  But that’s not what the word religion means.  When the Sanskrit word, dharma, is translated into English, it’s translated as “religion.”  Just as dharma refers to having good faith, embodying virtues, and leading a moral life, so does religion.  Ultimately, true religion is based on an inner experience that results in a way of living with others and the planet.

Spirituality is a bit different than religion.  Spirituality is about the human spirit, our inner awareness and consciousness.  It has to do with our experience.  It’s the experience of something transcendent, of something enlightening, or something that helps to transform us and bring us to a greater sense of being alive. 

In a sense, and yes, this is a simplification. Spirituality is about the inner experience of something greater than ourselves.  Spiritual experiences or active spirituality can lead us to live in a way that leads us to good faith, embodying virtues, and having a moral life.  In other words, spiritual experience leads to religious expression.

Does religious expression need to be part of an organized religion?  In my opinion, no it doesn’t.  But for me, the validity of a religious life is based on deep spiritual experience.  Yes, organized religion can lead to spiritual experiences.  Similarly, anything in life, like listening to music, being inspired by art, or watching the sunrise, can lead to spiritual experience.

In my mind, it’s great to have spiritual experiences.  Those experiences lead us to a certain kind of depth in life.  But if they end there, it’s just about one’s ego resulting in a self-centered kind of spirituality.  When spiritual experience leads us to lead a moral and ethical life with others, then we have a healthy spirituality with authentic religious expression.