Being spiritual but not religious is a cop-out

[Ben]

Thank you, Ed.
As always - very informed and engaging.
I am also reminded of the dovetailing of the spiritual and the political in relations of mutual legitimacy that occur in traditional Theravadin countries.
As per the Sangha, laity and the post-coup Governments of Myanmar. And how it was the role of the Government of the day to purify the Sangha, and thus, directly influence notions of practice and authentic spirituality.
And if we look a bit deeper, those relations are ancient sociological, spiritual and political institutions.
(Burma's Mass Lay Meditation Movement).
Which, I know you are aware of.
with metta,

Ben

[David N. Snyder]

So, to an extent, the emergent 'Western Buddhism' that we are participating in today has developed alongside the modern notion of 'spirituality'.

Good analysis, thanks. I think you are right; to a large extent we may not be where many of us are in terms of our current philosophies and/or practice without the unity and development of institutional Buddhism alongside modern notions of spirituality.