Zeraph

Religion is an organization of people who have similar beliefs about a higher power. Higher power, god-like, being the key. Some of the stuff you mentioned is more spiritual. One can be spiritual without being involved with religion. In fact I remember a survey of some church goers being only something like 60% of them going to church for spiritual reasons. The 40% could have been going for social reasons, what's expected of them, etc.

The simple belief in a higher power* does not constitute spirituality. Nor like I said does a whole bunch of people believing in a higher power together constitute spirituality, but it does count as religion. Religion is really more about a group of people to hang out with, and a way or instructions on how to live for that higher power. Spirituality usually ensues from this, but not always. Spirituality is more about a feeling, an action that you must keep up, something toward a "truth" you put your faith into. Simply lip singing churchly ways so to speak, does not a holy man make.

But you are right, the line of religion is being blurred. It is no longer easy to know what to follow, a large reason that religion has existed is being taken away and the thing that will be left is spiritualism. But religion is not spiritual for all people so we have confusion and turning toward other methods.

PS buddhism is not a religion, yes people treat it as such, but if you've studied it it is black and white with the other major religions. It is more of a form of philosophy/spiritualism.


*The term "higher power" comes with conotations of afterlife, why we are here, etc. None of which, does buddhism really answer. I'm not looking to argue about buddhism in this thread, but siddhartha gautama said not to worship him, he didn't specify anything else to worship, nor did he truly comment on the after life. When pressed he would say that our karmic intentions are reincarnated, yet we have no souls that persist, and nothing is permanent.