*** " Religion is for those who are afraid of going to Hell.

Spirituality is for those who have already been thru hell ".***

I love your quote. Must remember it for the next time the subject of how to be spiritual without church comes up.

Religion and spirituality are too often linked and rarely should be if at all.

Here's my favorite quotation:

Cliches are for idiots who have nothing to say but want to keep on talking.

Nice illustration of your own point. :)

"Here's my favorite quotation:

"Cliches are for idiots who have nothing to say but want to keep on talking."

I hate cliches. I avoid them like the plague.

I wouldn't touch a cliche with a ten foot pole.

I love the religion/spirituality quote- and I think it is so true.

I dont see it. I dont follow the logic. something about 'fantasy is ok if you've had a tough life'?

I guess I would have to know your exact definition of 'Spirituality' to start to make sense of it

I tend to agree with 'stuck and white'.... that's a logical point I can follow

Why would you reduce spirituality to "fantasy?" Two different words. Two different concepts.

Spirituality is a very important part of many lives. Why not explore it rather than discount it?

If you look up different definitions of spirituality it usually all boils down to this one:

"Spirituality is a broad concept with room for many perspectives. In general, it includes a sense of connection to something bigger than ourselves, and it typically involves a search for meaning in life. As such, it is a universal human experience—something that touches us all."

As an atheist my connection to others, to the world, to animals, to everything, is very important to me.

Spirituality for me is based on reciprocity and empathy and exploration. These are not fantasy.

Religion is fantasy disguised as spirituality and that is what the quote is getting at.

Thanks for articulating the concept so well. I was discussing leaving the church with TBM. I had expressed feelinbgs of faith in the church not being worth the cost (implied connection with my loss of self esteem and voice). She had tears in her eyes and asked 'which of the lords blessings arent worth membership in the church?'

Have to admit i felt like i was rejecting blessings from thinking this way even though my point was not the blessings (there is great value in defining myself in humanity with spirituality) but point was the delivery of spiriutality in the religion.

If the "lord" withholds blessings from people who are non-members in your church, your church has it all wrong. Love has no limits.

Being sucky is too high a price to pay for a false sense of security.

Good point. There are other perspectives out there that may have it right.

spirituality ?

WTF ?

And eschewing religion AND 'spirituality' is for those who find the 'hell' stories patently ridiculous. :)

I like the word "spirituality" to describe feelings that I get when looking at art, or nature; when reading great literature; or just feeling connected to the world and people around me.

But not as a name for a magical essence that fills the Universe or survives death.

I think of it more as a holistic way of thinking about the good we come across in this little life.

"Religion is for those who are afraid of going to hell." Rings a little hollow because there are a lot of reasons people choose religion.

Religion is like a penis.
It’s OK to have one
and it’s OK to be proud of it.
But don’t take it out in public
and don’t try to shove it down my throat! ~ Unknown

“There is no one as stupid as the truly arrogant… and no one as arrogant as the truly stupid.” ~ My Mother

˚°º¤•●§●•¤º°˚˚°º¤•●§●•¤º°˚

“Science flies you to the moon. Religion flies you into buildings.”

“I’ve never seen faith move mountains, but I’ve seen what it can do to skyscrapers.”

“There is no one as stupid as the truly arrogant… and no one as arrogant as the truly stupid.” ~ My Mother

That reminds me of a similar one which applies to people like Daniel Peterson: He is often wrong, but never in doubt.

It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice.

Religion is fear of the unknown.

Religion and spirituality aside, my most favorite quote is this.

"Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it's better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring." Marilyn Monroe

I like that one!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/10/2016 05:38PM by fool.

I was told by a dip shit stake president that it was impossible to be spiritual without attending your Sunday meetings.

My response was this:

"It's funny you say that because that's when I feel the least spiritual. Here, on Sundays."

"Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read."
---- Groucho Marx

"Die Religion ... ist das Opium des Volkes"

Religion is the Opium of the People

Marx

Ya true. Being 'spiritually high' is a disadvantage in connecting with other people. It feels like when ive been a TBM, that it is kinda like an addiction. Feeling withdrawls from stopping TBM habits

Confirmation bias comes quicker with crowds. The Righteous Ones.

"Look for those who seek the truth. Flee from those who've found it."

Or words to that effect....

“One thing I have learned in a long life: that all our science, measured against reality, is primitive and childlike -- and yet it is the most precious thing we have.”

- Albert Einstein