What is the difference between spirituality and religion?
When speaking about the differences between religion and spirituality we need to remember that there are different perspectives when looking at this question. This answer will focus on a Christian perspective. From a Christian understanding there is a difference between religion and spirituality. Though there is a difference between religion and spirituality, this does not mean that two are incompatible. From a Christian perspective to be Spiritual is to know that Jesus Christ came in the flesh and is King and Savior (1 John 4:2). From a Christian understanding nothing else is Spiritual. This might seem harsh, especially considering all the different religions and spiritual perspectives that there are in the world. But spirituality is not determined on what people feel or experience. Spirituality is determined on knowing God, because God is Spirit and the only way to worship him is through his Spirit (John 4:4).
The founders of all the great religions taught spirituality, yet religion and spirituality are not the same. When my own spiritual master was asked if he was trying to start a new religion he replied: “I am not interested in religion. I am interested in human beings and the goal of human beings, and how to bridge the gap between the two.” Many religions may make the same claim, but the reality is that all too often the spirituality taught by the founder of those religions has been lost, or obscured by dogma and ritual. There are profound differences between the teachings of Christ and the practices of mainstream Christianity, between what Krsna taught and Hinduism, between the teachings of the Buddha and Buddhism. Over time, divisions have developed within religions, which have sometimes led to persecution and even war. When you look at the darkest periods of religious history, it is hard to believe that people could depart so far from the exalted teachings of their great preceptors. T
