Spiritual, Not Religious
We live in a postmodern world where we often hear the lament of people claiming to be “spiritual, but not religious.” I have often asked myself what they mean by this. I now understand that this may mean that they probably believe in a supreme being, but they do not believe in institutional religion or they have been disappointed, hurt or embarrassed by a particular institutional religion. To say that I have been disappointed, hurt or embarrassed by institutional religion would be an understatement. I have felt all these things and more at various occasions in my life, both before and after I entered religious life. What makes me remain part of institutional religion and not choose something else is because I believe in a Trinitarian God, which is to say I believe in a relational God. I also believe in a God who sent God’s Son for sinners and a church that is made up of sinners. As Sinsinawa Dominicans we believe, “At the heart of minist...