Sometimes I can be slow on the uptake so could you do me the favor of explaining exactly what is your point.
As a Christian I disagree with Jennifer's argument that spirituality is found from within. Well let me be more specific. While I might agree that spirituality is first noticed as an inward working I'm compelled to believe that its beginnings are found in the extrinsic force of God himself compelling me to believe certain things. That is if the presuppositions of Christianity are true. Otherwise, yes it's just a bunch of stuff I make up in my mind.
gromit said:
Okay okay okay... what I meant to ask is something like
Obviously religion is about more than spirituality. Yet people still find purpose in it. What meaning does it give to life beyond a spiritual purpose? I'm assuming it gives some other meaning, or else wouldn't people just seek for spirituality within themselves as Night/Jennifer suggest? People are still very active in faith communities, and I want to understand, from those people, why they are choosing to participate...
Does that make more sense?
I'm not sure I think religion is about more than spirituality. Christianity spiritualizes everything... not in the gnostic sense that I ignore the material world, but in the sense that I can accomplish the lowliest of tasks, such as picking up dog poop, for the glory of God, the most holy and righteous being in the universe. If my heart is aligned correctly and I do all things for the glory of God than the other material benefits may come... community, love, self-fulfillment. But, in my religion if I chase after those things in and of themselves and apart from seeking after God than I'm chasing after idols.
You might find John Piper's, not to mention Jonathan Edward's, views of these things interesting. He abhors kantian altruism and adheres to what he calls "
Christian hedonism" that is he believes that seeking after God and seeking after happiness are not mutually exclusive endeavors. His premise is "we value most what we delight in most" and that if we desire to be happy we should seek after God and value him and delight and joy will necessarily follow. In other words there is nothing wrong with seeking after God for the sake of being happy.
Amongst other reasons, I seek after God because I want to be happy.
I don't seek spirituality merely within myself, because in my experience I am a poor source of truth. I want my spirituality to be based on facts and truth, so I look outside myself. My faith community provides me with answers as to how to seek after and value God both in action and in word.