Solomon: Difference Between Spirituality And Religion

Without realizing it Spirituality might be apart of our daily lives. Solomon seeks to inform us the difference between religion and spirituality and how spirituality ultimately determines who we are and what happens to us.

According to Solomon, “religions seemed (and still seem) to me to be overly parochial an exclusive” (SS, XIV). Religion seems to have its limits in what it will address, it follows the doctrine of the church to which it belongs. Spirituality on the other hand is more liberal and free of interoperation. “Spirituality, as I conceived of it, embraced both emotion and rationality, both philosophy and religion,” (SS, XIV). Spirituality, as Solomon describes it, follows both doctrines and teachings, but it also embodies the “love of wisdom”. Spiritualty “remains truly nonsectarian and international,” (SS, XIV), it is not exclusive, it is available to all.

In fact, Solomon believes that spirituality can be found in everything we do.

Spirituality can be seen in the music we listen to everyday, when looking at nature, and when following our passions in life. This is also something that separates religion from spirituality; religion is seen as parochial, where as spirituality is free and found in everything we do. Solomon teaches us that, “Spirituality is not contained to religion,” (SS, XV). That is because we can find ourselves in someway we never imagined when we listen to music, or appreciate nature, or just simply living our lives following our passions. How often do we hear a song on Pandora and we instantly relate, we feel as if the artist is personally speaking to us, as if they know everything we are going thru. “Music takes us out of ourselves,” (SS, XV) it shows us more about ourselves than we ever knew was

possible.
The same thing goes for nature. Some days we do not stop and admire the sunset or a rainbow after it rains, but according to Solomon we should because they have much to teach us about ourselves. “There is no denying the beauty and majesty of everything from mountain ranges, deserts, and rain forests to the exquisite details in the design of an ordinary mosquito,” (SS, XV), nature is apart of everything we see and everything we do without us even realizing it. Nature transports us to a different world, a world within the one we live, and it is here that we find spirituality in our lives, (Solomon XVI). We surround ourselves with things that intrigue us and we might just find out more about ourselves than what we are studying.
But nature is not the final place that you can find spirituality when studying things that intrigue you. When you follow your passions in life, in your family and friends, spirituality can be found. Spirituality seeks to place people in our lives when we need them most. Spirituality is what told alcoholic Ann Douglas that it was time to seek treatment and reform her life, (SS, XVI). Spirituality teaches us that ultimately we are not in control of our lives, but that there is something greater in control of us, something that is apart of us. Most religions would call the person in control God, but Solomon claims that it is a form of spirituality that he refers to as “naturalized spirituality.”
But what exactly is the difference between spirituality and naturalized spirituality? Solomon uses “naturalized spirituality” to teach that unlike religions, we should attempt to recombine spirituality with science, (SS, 5). Spirituality can be found thru nature so why should we attempt to separate it like religion does? Not only does spirituality connect to nature, it can also be connected to philosophy. Spiritualty and philosophy seem to have many similarities, one of the greatest is that they both involve questions to which there is no answer, (SS, 5). They both seek to dig deeper into the unanswered questions of life, they both want to find a wisdom that may be impossible to achieve, yet the journey teaches you along the way.
According to Solomon, one of the greatest things that the journey to spirituality teaches us is that our spirituality can be summarized as “the thoughtful love of life.” (SS, 6). Solomon suggest that spirituality makes you “think of what was already there,” (SS, 6). So the “the thoughtful love of life” too makes us appreciate what was already there. We learn to appreciate the beauty of nature, to appreciate those friends and family members in our lives, we learn to take a moment to actually hear what a song has to say to us, all in attempt to see what was already there.
Having spirituality makes you aware of things already in your life. And ultimately the things and events in our lives make us who we are. “Spirituality is the expansion of the self,” (SS, 6) its about looking deep inside and discovering who you are and how the world around you has shaped you. The journey to finding spirituality really isn’t about finding an abstract object, but finding what makes you you. Its about appreciating everything that has shaped you into who you are today and using what you have in your life to make you who want to be.