Americans Seek Connection To God Without Religion

krsna · June 19, 2005

www.prweb.com

SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO, June 15, 2005: Is religion gaining ground in America, or are people simply looking harder for answers? Religion and spirituality books are selling strongly, while the number of Americans not identified with religion is rising. It appears that more and more people are seeking God on their own rather than through established belief systems, says this article. The new book "God Without Religion: Questioning Centuries of Accepted Truths" by Sankara Saranam shows seekers how to develop a direct understanding of God, unhindered by dogma, creed or ritual. At last week's BookExpo America in New York City, religion titles dominated, continuing the growth trend that showed a 17 percent gain in religious book sales in 2004 to reach US$3.8 billion. On the other hand, according to a survey by the Institute for Jewish and Community Research in San Francisco, the number of Americans with no organized religious affiliation has doubled over the last d ecade. In fact 16 percent of the population--more than 47,000,000 Americans--has no religious affiliation, the article continues. Though not yet officially released, "God Without Religion," with a foreword by nonviolence activist Arun Gandhi, has already racked up significant sales on Amazon.com, on June, 7, hitting number 65 out of the site's top 100 religion and spirituality bestsellers.

gHari · June 19, 2005

Y'all have something to say. Seems now someone may pay to hear it.

theist · June 20, 2005

The spiritual urge is inherent and not dependent on religion. Current offerings do not answer enough questions so many people may be seeking answers elsewhere.

Unfortunately they mistake religion with surrender in love to Krsna. No need for a new book the Bhagavad-gita is already here.

BG 18.66: Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.

krsna · June 20, 2005

Interview with Spiritual Leader Dada J. P. Vaswani

in.rediff.com

NEW JERSEY, U.S.A., June 9, 2005:

Dada J. P. Vaswani, spiritual head of the Sadhu Vaswani Mission, will be 87-years old in August and upholds his Sindhi tradition with total dedication and enthusiasm. It was during a US visit to a Sadhna camp in Hamilton, New Jersey, that Rediff's New York-based correspondent, Monika Joshi, was able to interview Dada Vaswani.

Vaswani explains his beliefs and realizations, "I am never alone. There is an invisible presence with me. When you know you are not alone, whatever be the conditions around you, whatever be the circumstances you are placed in, you smile. If there is one word that I would wish to pass on to everyone, it is, spread the light of love. It is love, which the sad world needs. The world does not need your assistance, philosophies and other things. The world needs love. People have the same problems wherever I go. God has taken me to five continents. The problem is not outside of you, you are your problem. The 18th century gave rights to man. In 1786, the French national assembly passed a bill of human rights. The 19th century gave rights to slaves, thanks to Abraham Lincoln, who did not mind facing a civil war. He said slavery is a sin against humanity. The 20th century gave rights to women. The 21st century will give rights to animals."

Vaswani believes that the strength of the mission comes from regular satsangs that are held each day from 6 a.m. to 6:30 a.m., 9 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and a bigger one in the evening. Satsang is important because, "Man is a composite creature. He is made up of the body, mind and soul. The body needs exercise and food, the mind needs education. The body will drop, the mind will go one day, but the soul will remain. Satsang is meant for the soul. Our difficulty is we are beginning with the body, whereas the root is in the soul."

Check "Source" above for the full inspirational interview with Dada J. P. Vaswani.

June 22, 2005

<h3>Most Doctors Surveyed Believe in God</h3>

CHICAGO (AP) -- A survey examining religion in medicine found that most U.S. doctors believe in God and an afterlife - a surprising degree of spirituality in a science-based field, researchers say.

In the survey of 1,044 doctors nationwide, 76 percent said they believe in God, 59 percent said they believe in some sort of afterlife, and 55 percent said their religious beliefs influence how they practice medicine.

"We were surprised to find that physicians were as religious as they apparently are," said Dr. Farr Curlin, a researcher at the University of Chicago's MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics.

"There's certainly a deep-seated cultural idea that science and religion are at odds," and previous studies have suggested that fewer than half of scientists believe in God, Curlin said Wednesday.

A previous survey showed about 83 percent of the general population believes in God.

But while medicine is science-based, doctors differ from scientists who work primarily in a laboratory setting, and their direct contact with patients in life-and-death situations may explain the differing views, Curlin said.

The study is based on responses to questionnaires mailed in 2003. It is to appear in an upcoming issue of the Journal of General Internal Medicine and was released online to rs earlier this month.

Dr. J. Edward Hill, president of the American Medical Association, said religion and medicine are completely compatible, as long as doctors do not force their own beliefs on patients.

Belief in "a supreme being ... is vitally important to physicians' ability to take care of patients, particularly the end-of-life issues that we deal with so often," said Hill, a family physician from Tupelo, Miss.

Religions among physicians are more varied than among the general population, the survey found. While more than 80 percent of the U.S. population is Protestant or Catholic, 60 percent of doctors said they were from either group.

Compared with the general population, more doctors were Jewish - 14 percent vs. 2 percent; Hindu - 5 percent vs. less than 1 percent; and Muslim - almost 3 percent vs. less than 1 percent.