Talk:Spiritual but not religious

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On 22 February 2024, it was proposed that this article be Spiritual, but not religious. The result of the discussion was not moved.

The first paragraph of the article abbreviates the concept to SBNR, most likely for ease of use in the article. Yet in the "Types" section, the phrases "SBNRs are made up of..." and "Linda A. Mercandante categorizes SBNRs into..." turns the concept into a personification. It would be better if the section could say that "People who identify as SBNR are a heterogenous group with differing beliefs." and "Linda... categorizes those who identify as SBNR into..." and similarly throughout the article, as well. --Eddylyons (talk) 21:38, 12 January 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Some people are spiritual but non-religious, irreligious, anti-religious, joke religious, maybe other things.--dchmelik (t|c) 11:23, 4 March 2022 (UTC)[reply]

The section "Characteristics of SBNR" includes the observation that "Many go as far to view organized religion as the major enemy of authentic spirituality."

This influential proposition, in various permutations, has been around for some time. But I have not found a credible attribution. Can someone please provide one?

Cteno (talk) 18:51, 27 June 2022 (UTC)[reply]

See

Sufiism. - Tenebris 66.11.165.110 (talk) 04:00, 22 November 2023 (UTC)[reply

]

Mercadante is a theologian within a Judeo-Christian (monotheistic) tradition. She frames her definitions accordingly, and ignores any SBNRs who are not casual believers and who are not transitional to or from organized religion. In her view, these cannot exist -- and yet many of us know that they do exist. The journal reference I linked has an in-page free-to-download pdf where this is discussed in detail. (I linked the main journal page, not the pdf.) I also notice that the points mentioned in the "Criticism" section follow the same limited perspective. Possibly related is that this whole page has a distinct N. American slant, possibly because this is one of the few environments in which open declaration of such beliefs is possible, so the main classification of SBNR pulls from the environment in which it was first formally identified. - Tenebris 66.11.165.110 (talk) 03:58, 22 November 2023 (UTC)[reply]