I'm Not Religious, I'm Spiritual

We hear this statement a lot now a days, “I’m not religious, I’m spiritual.” Some people seem to say it with a sense of pride as if they are somehow superior to those who identify with a specific religion. To not claim a religion allows one to make his own rules, like making a pot of soup and kind of throwing in whatever ingredients sound best at the time. I can throw in some basic moral laws such as not killing, being generous with the poor, staying faithful to my spouse, etc. I can ignore things like attending church every Sunday, going to confession or practicing abstinence. The spiritual person raised in a Catholic home can convince herself that Jesus never spoke of abortion so he must have thought it okay. Being spiritual means not having to commit oneself to any rules or beliefs that one feels is too uncomfortable to keep.

I’ve heard the argument that atheists can live moral lives without some religion telling them how to do it. Atheists do good because they want to, not because they fear some deity will curse them if they don’t. I believe that mature Christians will act morally because they believe it is what God expects of them and they love God and so choose to act morally. But more than that, they see other humans as valuable because they are created by the God they love, in the image of the God they love. Even if they are treated poorly by someone, a mature Christian will respond in kindness.

Those people who claim to be spiritual may miss the point that we are ALL spiritual beings. We all have spirits which will exist forever after our earthly bodies die. The big question is what will happen to our spirits when we die? If the spiritual person claims no religion, the answer is pretty fuzzy. For Christians, the question is answered for us. We believe that our actions on earth will determine our spiritual future, not that we earn our way to heaven, but that we have the choice of asking for and accepting God’s mercy. The mature Christian knows that Jesus makes heaven possible for us. I would say that I am religious and I am spiritual. It’s a win-win for me.