We often hear people say that, while they aren't religious per se, that they do believe in God and consider themselves to be 'spiritual.' Do you think that claiming spirituality, without religious devotion, is genuine–or do you see it as being disingenuous or copping out?

Chris wrote:

We often hear people say that, while they aren't religious, that they do believe in God and consider themselves to be 'spiritual.' Do you think that this is genuine, or do you feel claiming being 'spiritual' is being disingenuous or copping out?

Not necessarily. As with most everything it comes down to the individual and who or what they believe "God" to be and how they live their lives.

Nope not a copout. My relationship with God is very genuine and very personal. Some people may be sheep enough to need a religion to dictate or to tell me how to feel about it but i don't.

No it's not a copout. A person can believe in god, a higher power, something greater than themselves without adhering to a man made set of rules. I think it's more the ones who have to cling to their rule book to tell them what to do because they can't or are unwilling to think for themselves who are copping out.

CeCe wrote:

No it's not a copout. A person can believe in god, a higher power, something greater than themselves without adhering to a man made set of rules. I think it's more the ones who have to cling to their rule book to tell them what to do because they can't or are unwilling to think for themselves who are copping out.

Couldn't have said it better.

It's hardly a copout, because religions are manmade and often they don't go much further than that, oh they may talk about God, but it's all about the church, and the church is run by people, a lot of times they have very little to do with God...and I see being spiritual and not-religious as cutting out the interferring middleman a lot of times.

I don't see it as a copout. Some people truly have no necessity for religion in their lives and even though I personally do, I can't smite them for not feeling the same way. Their relationship with the Lord is something that they form. Everyone's is.

nope, however people feel about their own personal spirituality is fine, imo.

Yeah yeah, what everybody else said.

I wouldn't call it a copout as much as I do a delusion? Kind of comes off to me like saying you're committed to health without proper nutrition or exercise. Just doesn't ring to me as believable. Just kind of comes off as wanting to have it both ways.

CeCe wrote:

No it's not a copout. A person can believe in god, a higher power, something greater than themselves without adhering to a man made set of rules. I think it's more the ones who have to cling to their rule book to tell them what to do because they can't or are unwilling to think for themselves who are copping out.

Game. Set. Match.

It's the other way 'round that chaps my hide....

I think it's a cop-out when people who obviously adhere to the tenets of a particular faith try to say that "it's not a religion; it's a relationship."

2xy wrote:

It's the other way 'round that chaps my hide....

I think it's a cop-out when people who obviously adhere to the tenets of a particular faith try to say that "it's not a religion; it's a relationship."

That is exactly me, I have said many times that I am spiritual but not into organized religion. To me, religious means, they go to church, they go through the motions, but it is unknown what they really feel.

I am not an atheist, not even an agnostic, but I am an ex-Catholic. I don't mind if anyone calls me out on it, I don't feel the need to defend myself.