Friday, December 11, 2009

(Religious) State of the Union


From the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, a highly-respected polling organization, comes these new statistics.
The poll... found that nearly half of the public, 49 percent, report having a "Religious or mystical experience… a spiritual awakening." That's up from 22 percent in 1962.... And 29 percent of Americans say they've felt in touch with someone who died -- that's up from 18 percent in 1996.
The poll went on to find that, "nearly six in 10 Americans from all religions blend their faith with New Age and Eastern beliefs, and....yoga." It's comforting to know that, from the perspective of Jewish Tradition: "More than one path leads to the top of Mt. Sinai."


You can read the article here:
Americans and Faith

2 comments:

Paul Kipnes said...

I never heard that idea, "More than one path leads to the top of Mt. Sinai." But I love the image and the teaching. It informs our Congregation Or Ami's vision that we "walk down Jewish spiritual paths...", in the plural to teach that there are multiple ways to Jewish spirituality. I love this post!

Rabbi Eric M. Berk: Blog said...

You're absolutely right. "Paths," plural, is crucial. A colleague recently asked me, "Mr. So-and-so isn't 'religious.' Is he still Jewish?" I often reassure my patients, especially those who describe themselves as "not religious" or "atheist" - that "there's more than one way to be a Jew." Thanks for your insightful comment!