The Phrase “Spiritual-But-Not-Religious”

When you are truly free from religion, you no longer need to invoke it.

The phrase “spiritual but not religious” isn’t new. It’s been around for decades and when I first encountered it, I considered myself spiritual but not religious. It was the late 1990’s and I was part of Unity in Chicago. The Unity Church was co-founded by Charles Fillmore in the late 1800’s and they believe in the power of meditation and prayer, that we all have Spirit within us, as we think so it shall be, etc.

When I joined Unity in Chicago I was ripe to believe all of that and more. The place was full of people who called ourselves spiritual-but-not-religious. But you know what? It felt like a religion. We were a New Thought community, healing from our repressive religious upbringings, but it seemed like we simply replaced “Father” with “Spirit,” “sin” with “not serving my Highest Good,” and the ten commandments with “serving my Highest Good.” Saints became guiding angels or spirits, and Sunday services were still Sunday services. I stayed at Unity in Chicago for several years before I decided that no faith whatsoever was right for me. In 2002 I embraced atheism.

Since then, the social and professional circles I inhabit bring me into contact again and again with people who call themselves spiritual-but-not-religious. I know…