Spritual But Not Religious

Ok, I have commented on this before, but it really is a load of hoey. More than that it is now becoming a full blown Christian heresy. I know what many Christians means when they say they are Spiritual but not Religious. They mean that they are not like those "other" people who appear to be hypocrites, or who are "traditional" and practice stodgy religious activities that people can't relate to and seem to have no relevance to the present religious trends. But the fact of the matter is this......While you can be religious and not spiritual you cannot be genuinely spiritual without being religious. Let me say it again, "While you can be religious and not spiritual you cannot be genuinely spiritual without being religious" A person may attend church or synagogue and not give any place in their lives to allow that activity to transform them and they may not be better people for it. They may be hypocrites, they may be cranky, they may be superficial. But people who claim to be spiritual who are not practicing some sort of religious discipline and activities are self-deceived. A person cannot truly be spiritual without going to church regularly, without a lifestyle of prayer, without observing certain religious activities and obligations. More than that, a genuine Christian cannot be genuinely spiritual without practicing self-abasement, self-mortification (usually done by obedience and fastings), a rule of prayer, participation in the sacraments, reading of the scriptures, and service to others. In short, there is no such thing as being a Christian and not being religious. The people you meet you are "religious" but do not seem to exemplify the life of Jesus and the Spirit of God - these are the people who are not actually religious. They put on a veneer of religion but do not really practice it. Being religious does not make you stodgy, it makes you spiritual. Now, being religious without dependence upon the Holy Spirit to fill you and empower you........now that is a different post.