Religious beliefs have to do with beliefs (creeds) about divinities and other invisible beings, ourselves, the world in which we live, other worlds, and how we behave in relationships with divinities and others (codes and cultus). They may or may not say anything about our own spirit and that of others.
If a set of beliefs is not about our own spirit or that of others, why call it spirituality? If a belief has nothing to do with spirit, why call it a "spiritual belief"?
If it is a personal collection of beliefs picked from the world's religions, why not call it "personal religion"? Doesn't "personal religion" more accurately describe what it is?
Likewise, why not call personal religious beliefs what they are- personal religious beliefs rather than "spiritual beliefs"?
Those who are allergic to the "r" word can drop it and just say "personal beliefs."
Then we could use the word "spirituality" to refer to something actually related to spirit: a collection of ideas and practices related to spirit. We could also use the words "spiritual beliefs" to refer to beliefs about our own spirit and that of others.
If we are going to advance our love, knowledge, wisdom, and ability with regard to spirit, we need our use of the words spirit, spiritual, and spirituality to support rather than confuse our efforts.
More on this topic in Part 4, the final part in this series.
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