I am spiritual. I very often get asked questions about my beliefs and approaches to theological views and I can never give a short answer about what I believe. I always have to run into long explanation of what religion means to me and how it is not necessarily a dominant force in my life, however I don't disregard it completely. From my perspective, there is a specific difference between spirituality and religion that many overlook. I know many spiritual people who are not religious and many religious people who are spiritual. Spirituality and religion can both go together as one, or they can distinctly act independently from each other.

I was raised Catholic, but religion never really became a big part of my life. I believe in the goodness of people, the afterlife and salvation. Pretty basic. I do base my religious beliefs on the Bible and I believe in Jesus and the Kingdom of God. Religion to me is an institution that people either choose to belong or are raised within it. On other ends, spirituality is a connection to a higher power without the need of justification. I like to separate these two terms because I personally consider myself spiritual, but not religious. I strongly believe in the idea of the higher power/Father/Lord that Christian theology created, but I don't believe in the need to go to church for example to feel like I'm doing good to the world.

I have nothing against those who choose to abide by religion in order to seek redemption, but my idea of being spiritual promotes the inner eternal goodness rather than the external factors. I know many people who agree with my approach to religion and spirituality, but it is hard to define what I concretely believe.

I think that self-acceptance is the first way to allow God to be part of your life. I strongly promote the relationship with a higher power without the need of doing it through an institution. This is what spirituality is to me: the direct and independent connection to God without the need to confirm it through an organization. Someone's relationship to a higher power should be based on that person's desire to be saved. I look up to those who are committed to going to Church to demonstrate their devotion to their beliefs, but I just need myself to understand my own ways of relating to God.

Being spiritual and religious at the same time is something I really admire, but understanding spirituality independent from religion is something I encourage as well.