"Religion, a system of thought, feeling, and action that is shared by a group and that gives the members an object of devotion; a code of behavior by which individuals may judge the personal and social consequences of their actions; and a frame of reference by which individuals may relate to their group and their universe. Usually, religion concerns itself with that which transcends the known, the natural, or the expected; it is an acknowledgment of the extraordinary, the mysterious, and the supernatural. The religious consciousness generally recognizes a transcendent, sacred order and elaborates a technique to deal with the inexplicable or unpredictable elements of human experience in the world or beyond it."
Dictionary meaning of religion is given as
"A set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.
A specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects."
So is it that a particular religion basically comprises of some common people who have certain similar beliefs about their God and the society they live in with the intent to convince others the truth of those beliefs? Like in Hinduism we have over million Gods and Goddesses who are worshipped in different forms and rituals for all of them vary drastically. So basically we have something tangible in store here. For instance Christians visit the Church every Sunday. Muslims consider Friday to be their auspicious day, Hindus consider Saturday or the full moon day to be inauspicious. Again Hindus consider cow as their holy god and whereas eating pig flesh is a taboo amongst the Muslims. So this is what religion means. Being religious is to subscribe to what your religion preaches and following the rules set therein. Basically everything is linked to God and religion is just another way of governing the society (in old days there was lack of legislations for immoral and unethical issues)
Spirituality, described as "adhyatma" in Sanskrit meaning "which pertains to soul (aatma)" In essence, spirituality does not confirm itself to tangible beings. It goes beyond physical matter, something larger and intangible than one self. Spirituality connects you with a higher dimension of life, beyond earthly pleasures. Some call this higher dimension God, Love, Spirit, Soul. Basically they are all the same. You may connect yourself with God or with other people and feel one with them. It helps you to increase your awareness with self, God, divinity, etc. It is a personal connection. There are no beliefs imposed on you like religion does. Spirituality does not asks you to perform in a certain manner. It does not tell you to place your belief in some particular God. We all are immortal souls belonging to ONE - Spirit. We have hundreds of religions preaching all over the world, but at the end of it we all are ONE. This feeling of higher consiousness of being one is being spiritual.
There is a very thin line of difference between reliogion and spirituality. Depending on how you look at it, there will be different opinions on the issue. There is no single answer, there are no right or wrong answers either. Beliefs are something you draw from your experiences and your surroundings!
Bibliography:
American Psychological Association (APA)
Modern Language Association
Chicago Manual Style (CMS)
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ahaan
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