Religion and Spirituality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Religion and Spirituality - Essay Example Religiousness can be described as having a personal belief or faith in God and the values levied down by a certain sect or a school of thought, performing activities i.e. rituals that demonstrate alliance to a certain religion (e.g. church memberships or alliances etc), adhering to a belief-based system of life and following God’s will (Zinnbauer et al. 557). On the other hand, a research conducted by Zinnbauer et al. indicated that spirituality is an outcome of a scared experience. Some of the definitions of spirituality include being connected with God or any other form of almighty power, belief in transcendence, integrating certain beliefs into a system of life, demonstrating God’s love to others, focusing on gaining inner stability and personal growth. Other definitions of spirituality are â€Å"an ultimate concern, an integrating or unifying factor within the personality, authenticity, a source of yearning, a meaningful identity and purpose, a union with God. It c an be seen that the definitions of religion mainly surround existence of God. Hence, it accepts the fact that there is a supreme power who has defined certain rules and principles which are meant to be followed if one wishes to have indemnity. These religious morals and values define an institutional system of life in various forms. Taking example of Christianity, there are various sects that have their own set of doctrines which are reflected in their lifestyle as well as in their manner of praying. Hence, religion defines a rather concrete set of beliefs, accepting existence of God and its supremacy giving it an outlook of obligations that one has to follow in order to be associated with a certain religion. On the other hand, spirituality is a matter of choice. It concerns personal experiences and feelings that surround the existence of a superior power. It is important to note that other than accepting presence of God, some may find spirituality in a non-sacred phenomenon as well . The later concept relates to karma or an output of one’s deeds and nature’s responses to them. A critical analysis of these two definitions may indicate that where religion can be a heart less observance of certain principles, spirituality is more about gaining inner peace and inspiration through nature, other humans and different phenomenon of life. Also, where religion can lead to association with different derivative social functions, spirituality can make one opting for isolation in order to find self-actualization and inner stability. 2. Spiritual assessment allows one to be aware of their stimulants that inspire them spiritually. There are various tools that can be used to asses one’s spiritual alliances. One of the most common tools that are used mainly in palliative, elderly and end-of-life care is FICA spiritual assessment tool. FICA stands for faith (or beliefs), importance and influence, community and address (Borneman 2). The tool has been designed to assist physicians and various healthcare professionals to consider spiritual needs of their patients in order to give a holistic treatment and also of themselves while providing services in their respective fields. This tool assesses how one perceives himself to be religious or spiritual (â€Å"FICA Spiritual Assessment Tool† n.p). Also, it defines the things that give meaning to the phenomenon of life and life after death. Second important component of this assessment is how one incorporates such religious or spiritual values into their life and how it influences their behaviour during illness and role of these beliefs in regaining health. Third part of assessment concerns the environment or community