Are Americans Religious, Spiritual, or Neither?

I realize that this is not an easily answered question.  Many Americans will claim to be spiritual, not religious, and when they say that, they mean it in contrast to being part of an organized religion.  Others will claim to be spiritual, but what exactly they mean by that may not be very clear.  Still others will say that they are neither religious nor spiritual, and yet, that kind of a statement can never completely be true.  After all, we all have things that are of great importance to us, and that makes us "religious" in at least some way.  Really, when we think about it, anything that we dedicate and devote ourselves toward is something that we are religious toward.

Now, if you have followed my blog for a while, you know that I'm not one for fuzzy thinking (except my own, of course, which often drives me crazy!).  That's why, when I hear someone say a statement like "I'm not religious, but I'm spiritual", I want to know what they mean by that.  Or, on the other hand, if someone claims to be an adherent to a religion, but that religion doesn't seem to be lived out in their life, I want to know if they really do believe it, or if they are just attaching to some form of a religion because "it's the right thing to do" or "because I was raised that way" rather than "I really do believe this."

So, are Americans religious?  Surveys done from time to time by various organizations show that a great number of Americans claim some kind of religion as their own, but numbers of such things as worship attendance or participation in the activities of that religion do not bear those claims out.  I myself have known people who claim to be a particular religion, but haven't taken part in anything of it for years (or even decades!).

Does that mean, then, that Americans are spiritual?  Again, this depends on how you define "spiritual".  If you mean a search for meaning, then, yes, Americans are spiritual.  In fact, with very few exceptions, all people are spiritual.  All people look for the meaning of life, or try to bring meaning to what happens in life.

But if you ask that question meaning "do you believe in a spiritual reality outside of mere physical existence", you will likely get a different response.  Many people search for meaning, but do not believe that there is meaning beyond the here and now.  Others will believe that there is something out there, but that "something" cannot be well-defined.  Still others will believe that there are active spiritual agents at work and active in every moment of life.

This week, I'll be sharing a few thoughts as I think my way through some of these questions and similar ones.  But as you walk alongside me, give some real thought to what you mean when you use words such as religious or spiritual.