“I’m spiritual but not religious.” In today’s society, it is a trendy phrase that many people often use to describe their belief that they do not need to be affiliated with an organized religion in order to live a faithful and fulfilling life. As life becomes more frenzied and chaotic, people assert that they do not have the time to engage in organized religious activity and turn to a different alternative, one that can be less limiting and narrow minded. While spirituality means something different to everyone, at its core, spirituality provides our lives with context. It arrises from the connection one has with themselves and one’s search for meaning in life. Spirituality can take many different forms, such as meditation and yoga, whereas for others, it can be found in nature or in a secular community. These, along with the many different qualities of spirituality such as hope and forgiveness, can have many benefits that aid in overall mental health by improving coping skills, fostering feelings of optimism, and encouraging a sense of relaxation. Despite this progression towards spirituality, religious debates have erupted in response to the “I’m spiritual but not religious” phrase. The distinction between spirituality and religion, and what these terms have come to mean for many people, has come into greater prominence these past few years, with many people withdrawing from religious affiliation and participating in spiritual practices which improves one’s overall mental and physical health.
Due to how society works these days, many people do not have to time affiliate themselves or engage in some sort of religious activity and often turn to some form of spiritual activity as a quick fix to life’s stresses. The Pew Research...
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...nce this conscious relationship is forged, this connection can be carried into one’s daily life, permeating our lives with meaning. Unlike religion, spirituality allows the discovery of one’s authentic self without any labels, which provides one with a deeper meaning to life, whatever their religion. Spirituality highlights many qualities such as kindness, generosity, tolerance and faith, and so does religion. Still, whereas religion is defined by its teachings, spirituality is defined by our own experiences which arise from the inner search of finding of our own truth and not what we are taught. Lastly, it can also be said that religion tends to produce separation, whereas spirituality sets everyone on equal grounds. People should not be labels with this "ism" or that “ism”. Instead, people are spiritual beings whose purpose is to discover our own self and purpose.
There are many different types of spirituality such as believing in oneself, transcendent forces, or other people. Many authors define spirituality differently, according to Merriam-Webster Online dictionary(2013) spirituality is defined as the quality or state of being concerned with religion or the quality or state of being spiritual. As nurses, we know that spirituality and religion are not the same and one can be spiritual without being religious. When we encounter clients who have borderline personaliti...
Nancy Ammerman writes Sacred Stories, Spiritual Tribes: Finding Religion in Everyday Life to convey her findings of studying spirituality and religion in the ordinary life of her sample population. The inspiration for this book came from previous data about Christians and the “Golden Rule,” the concept of treating everyone how you would like to be treated (3). In order to understand this concept better, Ammerman decided to study religion and spirituality in everyday life. Her population included 95 people from the Boston and Atlanta areas. These participants came from “Catholic, liberal Protestant, conservative Protestant, African American Protestant, Jewish”, Mormon, Wicca and Neopaganism as well as an internet chat group (11). Unaffiliated participants were also
Religion and government in England had always gone hand in hand, and if one group’s ideas did not coincide with England’s laws controlling the practice of religion they would be denied. The unification of church and state within European countries led to many wars, resulting in massive debt. As England declared themselves a Catholic country, Protestants who did not hold the same beliefs needed a new homeland where they could be free to worship in their own way. This new homeland was America, and it allowed Protestants, now calling themselves Puritans, to practice Christianity without government interference. While original settlers came to America to create a Christian homeland where they could practice their faith how they wanted, America quickly became a homeland for religious freedom through a mixing pot of differing religions, cultures, and ethnicities, enough open land for them to exist together, and the key idea of the separation of Church and State.
While spirituality is often defined today as the synonym for religion, there are many dissonant voices in Christianity who would disagree with this meaning. Peterson is one of them, arguing that spirituality is not religion or exclusive, but that spirituality is deeply integrated in the
Melhem et al (2016) define spirituality as an “abstract, subjective, and complex term, whose definition varies between individuals, philosophies, and cultures” and has “many subjective meanings” (p.43). I have learned from many friends who view themselves as spiritual, but don’t follow any particular religion, that spiritualty has allowed them to find meaning and balance in their life. Many feel that all individuals have the capacity to be spiritual, but I haven’t felt the need to tune into this concept thus far in my life. I would tell you where I find meaning and balance in my life, but I don’t even fully know that answer myself. Spirituality is such a new concept for me, and I find it hard to wrap my head around the ways in which I may be able to view or understand it. Therefore, it is something I hope to explore as I mature and continue to understand who I am as a person in this
According to the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, people who regularly practice religion possess a greater sense of personal well-being (Diener, Tay, & Myers, 2011). Now, during the self-evaluation, it becomes apparent that the employment of religious practices enables one to escape from their everyday woes of life to a state of nirvana. Additionally, the employment of religious totems during periods of reflections, often aids in allowing the beholder to experience a close relationship sensation to their divine power. Furthermore, the idea of a divine power and gateway totems affords a person the ability to analyze morale events and actions in a way that can result in the realigning of life ambitions. Consequently, spiritual reflection drastically increases during times of stress, uncertainty, and moral dilemmas offering as a sign of relief or guidance. Furthermore, considering this information in its entirety, it showcases why religion is prevalent throughout society during adverse conditions. Now, that there is evidence of religion 's ability to influence society during times of peril, let’s move onward to the stage
Religion has 7 core attributes that allow someone to call it a religion, these include Narrative, Doctrine, Emotional, Material, Ethical, Ritual and Social. These seven attributes help individuals identify what can be classified as a “religion”, however spirituality has no “easy way” to identifying it. Spirituality can be found within the individual looking for their “meaning” but not physically expressed.
Worthington et. al. (2011) says historically, religiousness involved individual and institutional elements; however, now spirituality is thought of as an individual phenomenon and linked with meaningfulness, New Age beliefs, and personal transcendence. Additionally, spirituality is described in personal terms like one’s relationship with God, and as a result, spirituality is more highly regarded than religion. The authors define spirituality as a feeling of closeness and having a relationship or dedication to God or a higher power; this can be a religious experience or a nonreligious one. They state that what one considers sacred is usually related to the awareness of social influences. According to the authors, four types of spirituality have been identified based on closeness to God. First, is religious spirituality. Religious spirituality’s connectedness to God is based on one’s specific denomination and the closeness is specific to the deity identified. Second is humanistic spirituality. Humanistic spirituality involves closeness to humans. This type of spirituality fosters a loving connection with a specific group of people and a sense of selflessness and concern
Throughout history, it seems that medicine and spirituality have been linked in many circumstances. In a study looking at the use of complementary and alternative therapies in cardiac patients, spiritual healing was one of many practices patient sought to utilize. In another study, 29% of participants chose to use prayer or premeditation as a way to cope with their chronic illness. In both studies, prayer or meditation was more likely to be used by individuals who had a large social network, as well as support from another person in the same health situation. Based on these studies, it seems that many individuals (not just cardiovascular patients) turn to their spirituality in times of health distress.
Historically, the concept of caring for the afflicted was founded on biblical principles, especially morality. On a personal level, an individual’s spirituality also influences how one copes with stressors in life, such as illness. When addressing an individual’s emotional and spiritual needs, health benefits such as decreased pain, decreased stress and anxiety, improved rates of insomnia, as well as decreased cardiac and respiratory rates have been realized (Puchalski, 2001). More broadly stated, “Spiritual practices have been shown to improve health outcomes” (Puchalski, 2001, p.
Religion and spirituality is a major essential part of one’s’ health. They have included things such as prayer in healing, counseling, and the use of meditation. Spiritual issues make a difference in an individual’s experience of illness and health. With spirituality, the health care providers can learn to support the values for the art of healing. The health care provider must have respect for their patient’s religion. (Larry Dossey. Healing Words: The Power of Prayer and the Practice of Medicine. Harper Collins, San Francisco. 1993.)
American fundamentalism and American evangelicalism seem to go hand in hand. Evangelicalism and fundamentalism both stress life based on the bible, repentance, and a personal relationship with God. No one would deny the massive influence that fundamentalism had on evangelicalism or the similarities between the two. Although some historians would suggest that evangelicalism was experiential and sectarian while fundamentalism was conservative and anti-modernist, it is clear that fundamentalism would never have survived as long as it has if it was not able to adapt to modernity and exist within a pluralist society.
In this paper two topic from the Psychology and Spirituality course will be discussed in regards to spirituality and their influence on my personal life. I will examine how I have grown and what I have learned from the week on Spring Lake ranch and how I wish to continue moving forward in my attempt to be spiritual and build a closer relationship to God.
Greenstreet W, 2006. Integrating Spirituality in Health And Social Care: Perspectives And Practical Approaches. 1 Edition. Radcliffe Publishing.
The dynamic holistic view of the human individual as a biological, psychological, social, and spiritual being is the foundation of most nursing theories (Puchalski, 2006). Integral in these models of care is the recognition that the client is more than their physical being (Puchalski, 2006). To ensure the patient and family receive the most compassionate, comprehensive care, the consideration of spirituality is essential (Puchalski, 2006). According to Govier (2000), spirituality affects and embraces all that we are and do. Addressing spirituality is necessary to provide the experience of holistic care (Noto, 2006). It is imperative to attend to the spiritual dimension of the client in order to deliver nursing care that is compassionate and