[Steve]
I would draw the line between spiritual and religious
differently--along the same line as Rorty's public-private
distinction, where spiritual is a private concern whereas religion is
a public one.
[Arlo]
Not familiar with Rorty, but its a decent distinction. I was thinking
more in terms of "identity". From my, albeit limited, conversations
with Buddhists over the years, one thing I've noticed is a lack of
concern with labels. "Are you a Buddhist?" "I am just me." Whereas
the primary impetus in fundamentalism is that the
association-via-label is *very* important. Without belaboring the
Buddhism-Christianity distinction, I think back to seeing Cadillacs
pouring out of one of our local churches every Sunday, after being
taught that morning that Jesus was a champion of the poor and downtrodden.
Maybe it was the height of irony one week when one of the wealthier
members of our community delivered the guest sermon that happened to
focus on Matthew 19's discussion of how we should be to gain eternal
life. Aside from not committing adultery, or stealing, or lying, and
the other of Moses' Big Ten, the passage contains this: Jesus said
unto him, if you will be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and
give to the poor, and you will have treasure in Heaven (King James).
I don't think it even phased him (the guest speaker) when he shook
some hands after church, got into his Caddy, and drove back to his
gated mansion on the hill.
Right there I'd say is someone very concerned with being labeled a
"Christian", with having that as his "identity", but aside from that
not giving the ideas much thought. Meanwhile I also knew a poorer
family down the road who, although not churchgoers, volunteered and
did much charity work for the community. Someone concerned with the
meaning, I'd say, but with no concern for labels. This was more or
less the distinction I was aiming for.
[Steve]
Someone who is spiritual but not religious is someone who does not
identify with any such communal practice but has a private practice
or concern with relating to a higher power or integrating one's own
life into a wider order of existence.
[Arlo]
I can buy it. Okay.
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