Americans On a Spiritual Quest. And It's a Transcendental One Too

The new Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life as been making the news over the last few days. There is not much need for me to restate the findings here - you have already seen them if you read the newspaper at all.

The study reports that Americans are on a spiritual quest. They are leaving religions, changing religions, Then there are the really interesting people who state they are religious, but who practice no religion at all.

Let me see. Spiritual . . . buy practicing no religion at all? Sounds maybe a little familiar. Doesn't it sound familiar to you?

Just one more piece of documentation to support my argument that transcendentalism is America's sleeping spiritual giant.

Comments

[SteveG]

I love reading Thoreau, Emerson, Aurelius, etc. authors with ideas that are so new and profound you wonder… Did they reach some state of enlightenment yet choose not to discuss it thoroughly because of ridicule or criticism. I know that doesn't make any sense, an enlightened person worried about ridicule, but sometimes I wonder why they didn't express themselves spiritually more often and more openly.

To call them transcendentalist's I think is understatement. I like dissecting their words, once I understand their meaning and trying to figure out just how enlightened they were at that time, if at all.

I am a not a skilled writer, actually I'm horrible, I don't have the patience, and abhor the thought of typing several pages of my own thoughts, only to regret them once I see them wrote down and start an endless editing process that usually twists my original thoughts to the point that I don't know why I edited it in the first place.

You on the other hand are eloquent, and have a style that seems slow and easy, not forceful, in the presentation of your ideas. Readers will want to return and feel relaxed reading your points of view.

I stumbled upon your site from a link on Thoreau quotations. I usually don't make comments on blogs or websites but for some reason I felt compelled this time. I think you struck a chord with me, because I loathe Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, and I pity the people who think it’s the holy grail to their career. But it's true some books get hyped up by who ever or what ever and now all of sudden it's a must read, please spare me Oprah what you read. And like you said, there are so many books, many better that never get mentioned.

I also liked your quote "But on the other hand, isn't it crazy to spend so much in taxes and expect nothing in return?" It's amazing but true, our government is a total joke, so intrusive and costly. The total uncontrolled spending is mesmerizing.

You go Barry.

[Anthony]

Greetings Barry. Have you run across the New Thought Movement. Its seems like there are positive linkages with Transcendentalism? Regards.

[Barry Lenson]

Thanks to you both! Sorry for my slowness in responding - my email program decided that messages from this blog belonged in my spam folder.
I will investigate the New Thought Movement. Hopefully, I can find my way to it via Google or another popular search engine.
Thanks, too, SteveG. And by the way, you might not enjoy writing, but you write well anyway. I better get my face into some Aurelius. Lately I've been spending a lot of time with Saint Augustine, and you cannot go wrong with him, you are really in safe hands. His Confessions read like they were written only yesterday. They are so human and humble and full of life.