“Hi, my name is Morne, and I’m an addict…. The topic for today’s post is Spirituality vs Religion…. When I came to Rehab and started working the 12-step program, I heard and read the word “God” a lot. Every time the word came up, I went back to the preambles where it says, “This is a simple spiritual – not religious – program.” This made me think, “Dude, for someone telling me this is not a religious program, you sure use the word ‘God’ a lot. So, who is BSing who here?”
See, from a young age, my parents (whom I love dearly, and I’m sure my dad is sitting up there somewhere on a cloud, smiling as I’m writing this) forced religion down my throat. I don’t blame them, as it was most probably forced down their throats too. As kids, we did not have a CHOICE; we were forced to go to church. So to me, “God” equals Church. And yes, I don’t like going to church. Let me tell you why. I see church as a carwash. Why a carwash, you ask?
It’s very simple. When your car is dirty, what do you do? Every Sunday, you take your car to the carwash and get it cleaned/washed so it’s ready for the week. And during the week, it gets dirty again, so Sunday, you are back at the carwash getting your car cleaned again. So, with going to church, you do all your wrongs (sins) during the week, and on Sunday, you go to church, pray for forgiveness (get washed), and off you go, ready for the week. I went to church many times (I had no CHOICE), where I saw the husband sitting in the front row with his wife and kids, as if nothing is wrong. But that same dude sitting there, looking all high and mighty, was in the pub last night, where he was cheating on his wife… Then there is the preacher’s daughter standing on the “stage,” singing praise and worship songs… The same girl doing cocaine and tequila shots at the party with me last night… Again, this is my experience. Anyway, let me not get carried away, as who am I to judge how others live their lives?
So to me, religion is a set of rules. And if I don’t live by these rules, I get labeled. And when my little light on earth fades away, I get sent to the sin bin. Whereas spirituality is a set of principles I live by (egoless, unconditional love, humility, etc.). And if I live by these principles, my life and the lives of those around me are just so much simpler. Hell, life itself is so much simpler.
Let’s keep it basic. This is how GOOGLE explains it (and I’m sure GOOGLE is a woman, cause GOOGLE is always right!… He He!!):
RELIGION: Religion is an organized collection of beliefs, cultural systems, and worldviews that relate humanity to an order of existence. Many religions have narratives, symbols, and sacred histories that are intended to explain the meaning of life and/or to explain the origin of life or the Universe.
SPIRITUALITY: Spirituality involves the recognition of a feeling or sense of belief that there is something greater than myself, something more to being human than sensory experience, and that the greater whole of which we are part is cosmic or divine in nature.
Let’s try and simplify it. Imagine a game of football. The RULES, the referees, other players, and field markings help guide you as you play the game, in a similar way that religion might guide you to find your spirituality. Kicking the ball around a park, without having to play on the field or with all the rules and regulations, can also give you fulfillment and fun and still express the essence of the game, similar to spirituality in life. OR Religion is man sitting in church thinking of sitting in a boat on a river. Spirituality is man sitting in a boat on a river thinking about “God.”
Spirituality is something that’s often debated and commonly misunderstood. Many people confuse spirituality with religion and so bring pre-existing beliefs about the impact of religion to discussions about spirituality. Though all religions emphasize spirituality as an important path of faith, it’s possible to be “spiritual” without necessarily being part of an organized religious community. What is the difference between religion and spirituality? Religion is a specific set of organized beliefs and practices, usually shared by a community or group. Spirituality is more often an individual practice and has to do with having a sense of peace and purpose.
Why do people like me, an Addict, practice spirituality? I see spirituality as a great way of seeking solace and peace in my life. It can often be practiced alongside things like yoga, which ultimately focus on stress relief and the release of emotions. I also use it as a way of gaining perspective, recognizing that my role in life has greater value than just what I do every day. Spirituality separates me from dependence on material things and establishes a greater purpose.
What does living a spiritual life give me? It gives me a CHOICE. It is not forced down my throat. And by practicing spiritual principles on a daily basis, I found something that was missing in my life for a very long time… to be exact, something that was missing since 1995 when my father was diagnosed with cancer. That day, I lost my connection with God; my spirit died. Spirituality gave me back the connection to God. It filled the void in me that I was trying to fill with drugs, alcohol, sex, money, and relationships for almost half my life.
This, to me, is a simple yet effective way of explaining Spirituality vs Religion… Hope this blabber makes sense… My name is Morne. Thank you for letting me share.”
