Religious or Spiritual?

Several months ago I read a book that introduced me to the idea of "Am I religious or am I spiritual?".  And the idea has stuck with me ever since.  The difference between the two, as presented in the book, reminds me of Jesus and Pharisees.

Think of it this way, when Jesus teaches in the New Testament, whether he tells us either directly or through parable "this is what you need to be doing" it is usually posed to us as a choice.  At least when I read the Scriptures, that's the sense that I get.  But when you read about the Pharisees in the New Testament, and other similar people or groups, it's usually a "my way or the highway" approach.  I get the sense that the Pharisees are "all or nothing" and if you don't agree, believe or act as they do, then you're doomed or not a person of Faith.  The point I'm trying to make here is that Jesus acts as a spiritual person and the Pharisees act as religious people.

So what does this have to do with us in modern times and in relation to the religious versus spiritual idea?  Optimistically, we should consider it a challenge to how we practice our Faith.  Are we just going through the motions of what we're supposed to do because we're supposed to do these things?  Or do we put our full heart and soul in how we practice our Faith?  This question reminds me of something I heard recently in a Homily.  It's not enough just to be present in the Church at Mass.  We should be PRESENT in the Mass.  Fully participating and engaged in what's going on and the connection it has to our personal Faith or spirituality.

Also, how do we share or express our Faith to others?  Do we tell them, "Well, if you really want to be faithful, you should do this, say this, join this group and only watch these programs or read these books."; presenting a set of rules or ideals as the absolute way that a person of Faith should conduct their lives.  Or do we share different examples or ideas of Faith with others; respecting their free will and letting them make up their own minds.  Do we let our actions speak for us more than our words?  Personally, I think many times the difference between religious and spiritual people is that the spiritual show you their nature by steadfast example and with an open dialogue while the religous tell you what they do and how you should be doing it too.

While this may be a little late in the game to bring up, please don't think that I consider myself a fully spritual person.  I'm not, believe me, I'm NOT.  The more I think about this idea of religious versus spiritual, the more overwhelmed I am at what a slippery slope it can be from one to the other and how hard it is to be completely spiritual in our lives.  Optimistically, I hope that I recognize the religious areas in me and that I'm open to  how I can change those to a more spiritual nature.  And that in turn, I must be willing to see and embrace both in others, knowing that what I see is simply to be observed and not judged.

It's an intriguing question, am I religious or am I spiritual, and one that forces us to take a long, hard look at ourselves and our Faith journey.  We just have to be willing to do so and face the answer head-on, no matter what it may be.