Religion vs. Philosophy vs. Spirituality What’s it all mean?!

Religion A religion is a belief in divine being(s) and the practices and moral code that result from that belief. Beliefs give religion its mind, rituals give religion its shape, and ethics give religion heart.

Philosophy Many philosophies take up the questions of what is good and how people should act. In providing guidelines on living, philosophies have ethics just as religions do.

Spirituality Spirituality does not require membership within an organized religion, nor does it have the authority structure that religions do Spirituality is the willingness to follow rituals, ethics, and beliefs of different religions that are personally appealing, and not just the rituals, ethics, and beliefs of one single religion. Spirituality is deeply personal and not systematic, while religion has all its ideas clearly set out and organized.

Philosophies versus Religion Only religion has rituals Philosophies use reason to figure out what is true, and religions use both reason and revelation. Religions teach that miracles, which appear to supersede commonly held beliefs about Nature, are actually true.

Intersecting Circles Religion and philosophies are like two circles that intersect. The part they both share is the search for what is true about life here on earth. The belief that Buddha turned rain into flowers is part of the religion circle that does not overlap with philosophy…. But this is not how it has always been!

Back in the day… Although most current philosophies don’t include a belief in God, history hasn’t always been this way. Aristotle and Plato, two great Greek philosophers, believed that the existence of God could be proven. Thus, using reason and believing in God are not incompatible. You can do both at the same time. The main point to remember is that being religious doesn’t mean that you’re committed to being irrational, and being a philosopher doesn’t mean that you’re committed to being an atheist.

So, What Do Philosophers Say About Religion? Philosophers have had different opinions on what religion is, what it means, and what its purpose it. This semester you will be asked to use what you learn about religions to interpret these opinions.

So, What Do Philosophers Say About Religion? You will be asked to write a research paper in which you respond to a philosopher’s statement about religion. This paper will be due at the end of the semester in January- everyone will present their findings. Papers should be at least 3 pages in length with a clear thesis. You must make an appointment to discuss your thesis with me prior to Winter Break (I would suggest the sooner the better!)

Immanuel Kant (1775) “The wish to talk to God is absurd. We cannot talk to one we cannot comprehend — and we cannot comprehend God; we can only believe in Him. The uses of prayer are thus only subjective.”

Aristotle “For God is thought to be among the causes for all things and to be a kind of principle”

Aristotle “A tyrant must put on the appearance of uncommon devotion to religion. Subjects are less apprehensive of illegal treatment from a ruler whom they consider god-fearing and pious. On the other hand, they do less easily move against him, believing that he has the gods on his side. ”

Seneca the Younger “Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by the rulers as useful.”

“There is nothing divine about morality; it is a purely human affair” Albert Einstein, 1954 “There is nothing divine about morality; it is a purely human affair”

Friederich Nietzsche, 1882 “God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him. How shall we comfort ourselves, the murderers of all murderers?”

Leo Tolstoy, 1879 “The essence of any religion lies solely in the answer to the question: why do I exist, and what is my relationship to the infinite universe that surrounds me? ... It is impossible for there to be a person with no religion (i.e. without any kind of relationship to the world) as it is for there to be a person without a heart. He may not know that he has a religion, just as a person may not know that he has a heart, but it is no more possible for a person to exist without a religion than without a heart.”