Is it possible to be spiritual without being religious?

You have probably heard people say “I’m spiritual but not religious.” It’s a trendy phrase people often use to describe their belief that they don’t need organised religion to live a life of faith. Cecilia Kapalamula went on the streets to find out what Malawians think.

Jesuit priest James Martin says the phrase ‘being spiritual and not religious’ hints at something else: egotism.

“Being spiritual but not religious can lead to complacency and self-centeredness,” says Martin, an editor at America, a national Catholic magazine based in New York City. “If it’s just you and God in your room, and a religious community makes no demands on you, why help the poor?”

Definitions for the two words read:

Spiritual: gradually came to be associated with a private realm of thought and experience while the word religious: came to be connected with the public realm of membership in religious institutions, participation in formal rituals, and adherence to official denominational doctrines.

Reverend Patrick Mbanga : Polytechnic

No.  In any religion, there is a spiritual element.  Spiritual comes from different   beliefs.  Spirituality comes from religion.   Whatever that religion believes, that’s spirituality.  This means that spirituality is attached to religion. Therefore, the two are inseparable.  However, we cannot deny, the fact that others can be spiritual without being religious depending with the peoples world view.

Ndaziona   Guduza   : Ndirande

Yes. It depends with the hope. You cannot go to church for the sake of going there. There is no need to go to church, you need to be spiritual first before you can go to church. If you do not do this, there is nothing you can gain. It means that you can still be spiritual even without going to church.

Litness Jofiasi: Ndirande

Yes. We only go to church to worship together with fellow friends. You can still be spiritual without being religious and not going to church. Most of the people just go to church for the sake of going there.

Alice Kampani: Chilobwe

No. By default, everyone is born spiritual because of the way God created us. You can still be spiritual and communicating with your God in your home. The Church only creates a platform for us to worship Him. The Church will never save anyone  but the deeds.