Religion and spirituality are often used interchangeably, but they can mean different things to different people. Religion is usually defined as a personal set or institutionalised system of religious attitudes, beliefs and practices; the service and worship of God or the supernatural.
Spirituality, on the other hand, is often described as an experience of connection with something greater than oneself; living everyday life in a reverent and sacred way. It can refer to the way individuals seek and express meaning and purpose, and the way they experience their connection to the moment, to self, to others, to nature, and to what is significant or sacred.
Advice from the Japanese poet Matsuo Basho: “Do not try to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Seek what they sought”.
Humanism is a philosophical stance that emphasises the individual and social potential and agency of human beings.
It is a progressive philosophy of life that, without theism or other supernatural beliefs, affirms our ability and responsibility to lead ethical lives of personal fulfilment that seek the common good.
Humanism is informed by science, inspired by the arts, and motivated by compassion. It stands for building a more humane society through an ethics based on human and other natural values in a spirit of reason and free inquiry through human capabilities.
