Is America more or less religious?

[Rabbi Daniel]

Is America becoming mor or less religious? And why?

 

[Spirit of Light]

Is America becoming mor or less religious? And why?

I can only speak from how I see it. Others may see it totally different than I do.
I think it depends on how people look at religions, some people think America and even the world become better spiritually, but then it seems they do not look at what religious teaching truly teaches. because if we see the world today through morality, we clearly can see that all the world becomes less morally good, and more obsessed with money, fame, greed, hate, anger and so on. So no I would say both America and the rest of the world are in decline when looking at it from a spiritual/religious viewpoint. And fewer people understand the true spiritual lifestyle.

 

[Salvador]

Is America becoming mor or less religious? And why?

Americans are becoming less religious.

Reference: U.S. Public Becoming Less Religious

Please allow me to hypothesis the internet has provided more widespread public access to information exposing faults with religious organizations.

 

[BSM1]

Less...

 

[Rival]

It appears so, but depends how we define 'religious'. The stats say Christianity is losing ground but that the number of atheists is roughly the same and more people are identifying as 'spiritual' or 'other'. As I don't live in the U.S. I can't say, but if it's going the same way as Britain, less religious seems about right.

 

[Thief]

I have no religion

that's one

 

[Rabbi Daniel]

I can only speak from how I see it. Others may see it totally different than I do.
I think it depends on how people look at religions, some people think America and even the world become better spiritually, but then it seems they do not look at what religious teaching truly teaches. because if we see the world today through morality, we clearly can see that all the world becomes less morally good, and more obsessed with money, fame, greed, hate, anger and so on. So no I would say both America and the rest of the world are in decline when looking at it from a spiritual/religious viewpoint. And fewer people understand the true spiritual lifestyle.

Very interesting. Are you trying to say that secular morality has rised , and religious values are lower?

 

[sun rise]

Organized religion is disappearing with mainstream Christianity losing ground faster. "Spiritual but not religious" or "believe in God but don't follow an organized religion" numbers are growing.

But what is the question or thought behind your question about the numbers following a religion?

 

[Spirit of Light]

Very interesting. Are you trying to say that secular morality has rised , and religious values are lower?

Again from my viewpoint.
Without being too blunt, there is mostly no morality left in the human world if we look at how a God would want us to act, speak or think, we as a human race are far from how a God would agree that moral beings should behave. Its enough to watch Tv for 15 minutes and we can see that the world are in turmoil.
And since spiritual lifestyle/cultivation of mind and body are more or less none existing in the mundane world people are blinded to the truth today than in earlier times.
People today see wealth and status as the main thing to happiness. But for us who still Cultivate mind and body, those things do not matter at all.
Spiritual lifestyle means to give up all the mundane things by letting go of attachments to physical things. So what we are left with then is a mind that is only focused on how to gain enlightenment and become someone who arise in wisdom.

 

[Rabbi Daniel]

Organized religion is disappearing with mainstream Christianity losing ground faster. "Spiritual but not religious" or "believe in God but don't follow an organized religion" numbers are growing.

But what is the question or thought behind your question about the numbers following a religion?

Indeed, it was a very general question. Are people going more to churches and synagogues? Do people believe more in God? Are there more atheists?
You seemed to say that believing in God is not necessarily connected to religion. Am I wrong?

 

[Spirit of Light]

Indeed, it was a very general question. Are people going more to churches and synagogues? Do people believe more in God? Are there more atheists?
You seemed to say that believing in God is not necessarily connected to religion. Am I wrong?

If you disagree with what I write here I understand and respect those who see things differently then I do in this moment of time.
There is in my experience religion that is based on faith in the teaching and in a God or a Buddha. And then there are Cultivation paths where the teacher(teacher would have to be already an enlightened being) gives teaching that the student/follower cultivate within themself (removing all the negative thoughts, feelings, and cultivate their own language(how to speak in righteous manner)
So in my understanding, many see religion as to believe in a God or Buddha, and they think it is enough to be saved(they think it is God who save them, but in practice, it is themself who could save them self by cultivating their mind and body to become purified and ready for a paradise.
whereas a Cultivator does not rely on faith alone, but to purify themself toward realizing enlightenment (becoming a being of higher realms)

Cultivation path is the true teaching from the beginning, and when the master/teacher dies the teaching becomes degenerated because people, later on, start to misunderstand the true teaching given. And this is when a cultivation path becomes a religion. it goes from inner wisdom and enlightenment to belief and faith in a higher being. And then it becomes a lot more difficult to be saved or save oneself.

 

[BSM1]

Again from my viewpoint.
Without being too blunt, there is mostly no morality left in the human world if we look at how a God would want us to act, speak or think, we as a human race are far from how a God would agree that moral beings should behave. Its enough to watch Tv for 15 minutes and we can see that the world are in turmoil.
And since spiritual lifestyle/cultivation of mind and body are more or less none existing in the mundane world people are blinded to the truth today than in earlier times.
People today see wealth and status as the main thing to happiness. But for us who still Cultivate mind and body, those things do not matter at all.
Spiritual lifestyle means to give up all the mundane things by letting go of attachments to physical things. So what we are left with then is a mind that is only focused on how to gain enlightenment and become someone who arise in wisdom.

Your first sentence is indicative of why religion is losing it's pull and popularity. People are realizing that those who tell you they know the mind of God, or what God wants, or what God feels, really don't know any more than the next person. Once a person escapes the hard boundaries of a restrictive religion they usually find that the ever expanding horizons of spirituality are clearly seen.

 

[Spirit of Light]

Your first sentence is indicative of why religion is losing it's pull and popularity. People are realizing that those who tell you they know the mind of God, or what God wants, or what God feels, really don't know any more than the next person. Once a person escapes the hard boundaries of a restrictive religion they usually find that the ever expanding horizons of spirituality are clearly seen.

I can not say what a God or other enlighten beings think, The things I speak of here is within the Falun Dafa teaching. but when I speak it is from my own understanding of Falun gong and Falun Dafa teaching, No human beings are at the same wisdom level. So this is one reason many disagree when it comes to spiritual discussions. Because we think what we understand is the highest of wisdom, But as soon as you rise to a higher level, you would understand that what previously understood was actually not the highest truth.
A God or a Buddha has reached enlightenment and has surpassed human understanding so much that if you looked into a Buddha's mind, you would not see a ripple in his/her thought.

All I speak of in this forum is my understanding of the teaching. Probably in a few months or a year i will look back on this discussion and understand that my words now, did not give the full truth. But it does to my ability and understanding right now. I have never said and will never say I understand everything in spiritual teaching.
If you disagree, that is ok to me because I know that we see reality in different ways.

 

[dybmh]

I spend time with young people in an urban west coast city in America.

From what I am seeing, young people are becoming more spiritual and less religious. However, this is only a small subset of America.

 

[Revoltingest]

Less...

...cuz bunk.

 

[sun rise]

Indeed, it was a very general question. Are people going more to churches and synagogues? Do people believe more in God? Are there more atheists?
You seemed to say that believing in God is not necessarily connected to religion. Am I wrong?

That's correct. My personal path is "spiritual but not religious". By this I mean that I don't practice any of the traditional rituals and ceremonies of organized religion. Since you are a Rabbi, I'll use the "language" of my birth, Judaism, in my reply.

When I practice a mitzvah, I don't do it as a religious mandate but because my heart rejoices.

Here is a couple of quotes from the Facebook group "Lights of Kabbalah" as an example of what I find inspiring in my birth "native tongue". I find equal inspiration in other faith traditions as well.

“To me, religions are like languages: no language is true or false; all languages are of human origin; each language reflects and shapes the civilization that speaks it; there are things you can say in one language that you cannot say as well in another; and the more languages you learn, the more nuanced your understanding of life. Judaism is my mother tongue yet in matters of the spirit I strive to be multilingual. In the end, however, the deepest language of the soul is silence.”

Rabbi Rami Shapiro

Truth can come from anywhere—there is nothing that does not have its truth. Because, without a spark of truth, nothing can exist. Not even falseness.

Therefore, the wise person is one who knows how to learn truth from every person and discover the truth of each thing.

Rabbi Tzvi Freeman

 

[BSM1]

I can not say what a God or other enlighten beings think, The things I speak of here is within the Falun Dafa teaching. but when I speak it is from my own understanding of Falun gong and Falun Dafa teaching, No human beings are at the same wisdom level. So this is one reason many disagree when it comes to spiritual discussions. Because we think what we understand is the highest of wisdom, But as soon as you rise to a higher level, you would understand that what previously understood was actually not the highest truth.
A God or a Buddha has reached enlightenment and has surpassed human understanding so much that if you looked into a Buddha's mind, you would not see a ripple in his/her thought.

All I speak of in this forum is my understanding of the teaching. Probably in a few months or a year i will look back on this discussion and understand that my words now, did not give the full truth. But it does to my ability and understanding right now. I have never said and will never say I understand everything in spiritual teaching.
If you disagree, that is ok to me because I know that we see reality in different ways.

I'll wait...

 

[Skwim]

.

There are all kinds of stats, but basically they break down as follows.

.​

 

[Vinayaka]

Define religion, and religious. In a sense, people who drop religion, automatically in that release from dogma, become more religious. So it all depends on how you see religion.

I say we're becoming more religious, but my personal definition of religion varies widely from the old one.

Not that any of it matters.

 

[Revoltingest]

I can not say what a God or other enlighten beings think, The things I speak of here is within the Falun Dafa teaching. but when I speak it is from my own understanding of Falun gong and Falun Dafa teaching, No human beings are at the same wisdom level. So this is one reason many disagree when it comes to spiritual discussions. Because we think what we understand is the highest of wisdom, But as soon as you rise to a higher level, you would understand that what previously understood was actually not the highest truth.
A God or a Buddha has reached enlightenment and has surpassed human understanding so much that if you looked into a Buddha's mind, you would not see a ripple in his/her thought.

All I speak of in this forum is my understanding of the teaching. Probably in a few months or a year i will look back on this discussion and understand that my words now, did not give the full truth. But it does to my ability and understanding right now. I have never said and will never say I understand everything in spiritual teaching.
If you disagree, that is ok to me because I know that we see reality in different ways.

Revoltifarianism.....
- Our understanding of things changes.
- Ideally, it changes for the better.
- We're poor judges of this.
- Beware people who proclaim The Truth.
- Bokononism seems useful.

The above are useful untruths.