Religion vs. Spirituality

     In Fern's article Soliloquy of a Housemaid, I found it really interesting how the housekeeper holds her master and mistress responsible for the upkeep of her own soul. She says, "If I own a soul I have not heard how to take care of it for many a long day. Wonder if my master and mistress calculate to pay me for that, if I lose it?"
     It seems to me that Fern may be poking fun of religion. Or maybe she's making a case for the differences between "religion" and "spirituality". To me, being spiritual is very private and involves a lot of self-reflection. Anybody can be spiritual. I think Ruth in Ruth Hall  was a very spiritual person. From the book, it didn't seem as though she attended church regularly yet she still prayed and believed in a higher god. Religion to me seems very full of rules and regulations and guidelines. And I think this is what the housekeeper in Soliloquy of a Housemaid wants: she wants to be told specifically how to care for her soul. She thinks that she cannot accomplish this without attending church on a regular basis. Its sad how she feels due to the circumstances of her busy job, that she is almost "soul-less".