EDE TOPIC
docx
keyboard_arrow_up
School
Pennsylvania State University *
*We aren’t endorsed by this school
Course
15
Subject
English
Date
Apr 3, 2024
Type
docx
Pages
3
Uploaded by CountUniverse24933
Vedant Agarwal
Ms Xiong
ESL 15, Section 025
28
th
August, 2023
Extended Definition Outline: Belief in God vs Spirituality I.
Introduction A.
Background: Conversation about the relationship between God and spirituality seems to be on the rise driven mostly by the popularity of spiritual practices such as yoga, mindfulness, and meditation. Generally speaking, belief in God implies being religious within faith-
based practices such as Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism. Although the exact definition of God may vary from faith to faith, God is generally considered to be the supreme power. B.
Thesis Statement: People often compare spirituality and religion and
also use this term interchangeably. But while they aren’t diametric opposites, neither are they the same.
..
In order to get an idea of it I shall be taking you through the meaning of religion and spiritual, origins of religion and spirituality, belief versus spiritual experience and lastly a few similarities between the two. II.
Body A.
Main point 1: Religion and spirituality are two different things and cannot be used interchangeably. a)
Supporting Point 1: Religion is a set of beliefs, attitudes, and practices directed toward a supernatural power or God.
For example- Members of religious faith can also have different dress codes and everyday life preferences like avoiding or preferring certain practices. b)
Supporting Point 2: Spirituality on the other hand is a personal search for a connection with the divine or something greater than you. It may or may not involve holding a set of beliefs regarding an entity and even the thoughts can change over time as one experiences spiritual
growth. For example- People can derive spiritual ideas from
existing religions or build a sense of wisdom over the years
through their personal experiences.
B.
Main point 2: Religion and spirituality have different origins and it is important. For us to k now where they originate from in order to develop a proper understanding. a)
Supporting Point 1: Religions are most often based upon the lives, teachings, and beliefs of a historical or archetypal figure
so they usually originate from written scriptures. For example- Story of Jesus Christ, Krishna, Buddha. b)
Supporting Point 2: By contrast, spirituality is more often based upon the practical application of the founder’s teachings. For example- Spiritual aspirants heed the advice of Japanese poet Matsuo Basho, “Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Seek what they sought.”
C.
Main point 3: Moving on it is vital to understand the difference
between belief and spiritual experience in terms of religion and spirituality.
a)
Supporting Point 1: Religion is all about faith and belief in God, it therefore, doesn’t require any evidence to validate the
claims. For example- Hinduism believes that Krishna exists but it doesn’t require anyone to prove Krishna’s existence. b)
Supporting point 2: Spirituality doesn’t dismiss faith; however, it often leans more heavily on direct experience of the soul or divinity which leads to experientially validating the teachings rather than accepting them on faith alone. For example- spiritual practices like yoga and meditation allow you to experience thing by yourself and help you to resonate with it. D.
Main point 4: There is an intertwined relationship between religion and spirituality. They are both foundations of many our moral principles. a)
Supporting point 1: both follow certain practices. For example- For the religious, it is visiting a place of worship, rites and ablutions, while the spiritual engages in meditation or similar activity.
b)
Supporting point 2: Reverence for the divine is another similarity between the two. For example: Respect, love and fear of God are central to most religious systems. Spiritual people may celebrate the natural order of the world.
c)
Supporting point 3: people seek peace and satisfaction by being religious and spiritual both. For example- for religious people, worshipping their god and visiting places might bring peace whereas for spiritual people yoga and meditation is source of peace. III Conclusion A.
Summary of Main points: As noticed there are several distinctions between spirituality and religion; however, these comparisons aren’t meant to be absolutes or an attempt to polarize one against the other. Religious beliefs and spiritual beliefs differ in the ways in
which they are practiced. However, each practice serves as a vehicle to lead you closer to the truth you seek. Whichever path or combination of the two you follow is the personal and subjective expression of your journey of awakening.
B.
Discussion of the importance: At the end, irrespective of the chosen path of self-advancement, both “God-fearing” religious persons and nontheistic spiritual practitioners are striving for the same end goal of inner peace and righteous living—and freedom from the suffering inherent in the material world.
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help