God, Mystics, Yoga: What Americans Believe

Martha Teichner Examines Poll Results on Religion, and Visits Those Taking Different Paths in Faith

(CBS)  With matters of faith there's always plenty left open to interpretation. There may be no scientific way to characterize something as deeply personal as religious belief in this country. Still, this weekend's Parade Magazine tries to do that in a new survey. Martha Teichner looks at the findings, and some surprising perspectives, in our Cover Story:

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For Garrett Sarley, yoga was the answer . . . a way to intensify how he felt his spirituality, emotionally and physically, not just intellectually.

Yoga gave him that. Going to church did not.

"I think I had the sense that there was a reality beyond the reality I was just participating in," Sarley said.

Sarley grew up Episcopalian, then was drawn to Catholicism. He loved the ritual, the repetition.

"The chanting of the rosary beads was very calming to me and very important in some way," he said.

But it was not enough.

"I kept searching," he said. "It's like searching for water. Once you taste it, you know, you can sort of smell it on a spring day."

Today Sarley is CEO of Kripalu, a huge yoga center, near water, in the beautiful hills of Western Massachusetts.

Every year, 30,000 people come here, many for extended retreats.

The Jesuit seminary once on this site closed. That fact alone illustrates the central finding of a survey, published today in Parade Magazine, that the religious landscape in the United States is changing.

The poll, conducted online, showed that nearly a quarter of respondents now say they are spiritual but not religious.

Nearly 7 out of 10 say they believe in God, and more than three-quarters pray. But half rarely, if ever, attend religious services.

"I think people start to look for, 'How do I produce the experience that I want from my religion, without having to adopt the beliefs that don't seem to match, or don't seem relevant, or don't even seem consonant or resonant with how I'm living my life,'" Sarley said. "That's why the Eastern techniques, particularly things like yoga, there's . . . you don't have to believe anything in yoga."

While we are still among the most religious nations in the Western world, the Parade Magazine poll shows barely half of respondents practice the religion with which they grew up. Americans, it seems, have a tendency to customize belief.

Randall Balmer, a professor of American religious history at Barnard College in New York City, and an Episcopal priest, described a composite character he had in mind: "A good, say, Presbyterian, and yet does tai chi in the park on Sunday Morning, consults the astrological tables in the newspaper and does yoga when she comes home from work at night, and sees no sense of contradiction among these various sorts of activities.

"You have all these religious options out there, and we Americans are good consumers," Balmer laughed. "And the criterion seems to be, what can this do for me? How can this make me a better person? How can this make me happier?"

If that all sounds very "New Age-y," consider this: the term "New Age," in fact, was used in the mid-1800s by followers of a Swedish mystic named Emanuel Swedenborg. To this day, there's a Swedenborgian Christian church in New York City.

"And the first minister at this church, upon the building's completion, was a Swedenborgian and spiritualist named George Bush," said Mitch Horowitz.

Yes, same family.

"Swedenborg would be the kind of figure that today we would call a channel medium," said Horowitz, author of a new history of the occult in the United States. "He reported channel-traveling to other realms, the afterlife, other dimensions, even other planets, and speaking with beings who occupied this other world."

In other words, what we would consider the occult was employed in the name of religion, a widespread and very American phenomenon according to Horowitz.

"Most people would never even use the word, and yet, occult ideas have provided the software for most of our self-help and therapeutic religious philosophies," he said. "They don't think of themselves as New Age and certainly not as occult, but they may be participating in things - like meditation, or positive thinking philosophies or some kind of mind/body healing - that at one time was very esoteric, and has today become very mainstream."

From Norman Vincent Peale's "The Power of Positive Thinking," to Christian Science, deep down there's a connection to the occult, says Horowitz.

For a while in the 1870s the center of the occult universe was a New York City apartment building, at the corner of 8th Avenue and 47th street, in what's now an Econo-Lodge.

It was home to the founders of the Theosophy Movement. Madame Blavatsky was a flamboyant Russian émigré; Colonel Henry Steel Olcott, a respected military man, was appointed to investigate President Lincoln's assassination.

Their exotic salon was frequented by famous patrons, including Thomas Edison.

"Edison spoke very forthrightly to them about his desire to create some kind of a machine or instrument that could measure for ethereal beings or ghosts or beings from the afterlife," said Horowitz.

"Like a spiritual Geiger counter?" asked Teichner.

"Exactly."

Yes, just like in the film "Ghostbusters." But theosophy wasn't that goofy. It still exists, by the way. We interviewed Horowitz at the Theosophical Society Library in New York.

He says early Theosophists were just ahead of their time.

"Theosophy pioneered the idea in the United States, and then later throughout the world, that all religions, all the historic faiths, had universal truth to them," he said.

According to the Parade Magazine poll, nearly 6 out of ten respondents believe that all religions have validity, and nearly 2/3 expect to connect with dead loved ones when they themselves die.

So the fact that seances were held in the White House after the Lincolns lost two of their sons doesn't seem quite so bizarre, or that the ouija board Parker Brothers sells as a toy was the patented version of home-made "talking boards" which 19th century spiritualists used, supposedly to contact the beyond.

The online Parade Magazine poll found that nearly 1 in 5 respondents claim they've actually had contact with the dead.

It should come as no surprise then that just about that same number, one in five of those polled, watches someone like John Edward on television.

Edward (left) is a psychic/medium who sees no conflict between his own Catholic upbringing and what he calls his gift, even if, in this century, the church does.

"I couldn't understand why the church wouldn't say it's okay to help a parent who's lost a child, and to show that there is something else and that there is a heaven," Edward told Teichner. "It only reinforced what I was taught."

In fact, Edward has written a book about prayer and is a big believer in reciting the rosary, but feels disillusioned by formal religion.

"Major organized religion has failed people by not becoming more open to the reality of things, and trying to hold tight to the dogma of fire and brimstone and control and fear," he said. "That's going to be the downfall of the church."

Carlene Bauer was deeply unhappy in the Evangelical churches of her childhood.

"You got the sense that anything that didn't have anything to do with church was bad and would corrupt you, and I knew that wasn't Jesus as much as it was the churches I had grown up in," Bauer said.

She became a Catholic, but then, after 9/11, left the Catholic Church, too.

"When you grow up thinking that God is the cause of nearly everything, it's hard to think how could He let this happen.

"I'm not listening to God anymore," she told Teichner. "I'm not going to pretend that He cares what I do. I'm not going to ask Him for help. I'm not sitting in church anymore. It's OK if I walk away. I tried really hard for a really long time.

"It sounds like somebody got jilted, actually," she laughed.

Bauer has written a memoir of her break with God which, listening to her, it's clear was agonizing.

Her pain is buried in another poll statistic: More than one out every four respondents practice no religion at all.

If she is the face of religion lost, Rabbi Sigal Brier is the opposite, of religion found - by way of yoga.

She was born in Israel and is now an American citizen. Growing up, her Judaism was more a fact of life than the calling yoga became.

"Yoga opened my heart, kept me in my body, and allowed my soul to do the dance it needed to find Judaism," Brier said.

Instead of leading her away from her traditional faith, yoga is how she happened to become a rabbi.

"I was able to bring the light, the fire of the practices of yoga to shine upon Judaism, and Judaism came to life," she said.

"Part of my work, that I created, is moving through prayer," she said. "I combined liturgy, prayers from the Jewish tradition with music, and with yoga flows. That is a very powerful experience."

There is little in the Parade Magazine poll to describe people like Rabbi Brier. This statistic, maybe: Six out of 10 respondents still say religion is an important part of their lives, but it's only a number and cannot begin to convey the enormity of what that really means.

For more info:
Complete Results from Parade's National Poll
Take Parade's Readers Poll
parade.com
johnedward.net
infinitequest.com
kripalu.org
mitchhorowitz.com
"Not That Kind of Girl" by Carlene Bauer (HarperCollins)

[Virgil-1]

God's word is truth!Read it!

[vicnoho]

Dear CBS Sunday Morning,
I usually love waking up in the morning and watching this show; your stories are always so inspirational and upifiting and I was really looking forward to viewing this one. But sadly, I was disappointed, as usual, when shows discuss religion.

Usually, religious conversations on television lead to how attacking Christianity and Catholicism in particular; this episode didn't even try to disguise it. In fact, it blatantly showed how Catholocism is lacking in content and ritualistic and basically vapid, since everyone you portrayed left the religion for no other.

When it came to Judaism, however, it portrayed the religion as fulfilling, enlightening and leading to other beneficial aspects of spiriturality, like Yoga. This seems to be the norm on most television shows when it comes to my religion and while I do not attend church regularly, I do believe in Jesus (and not as my homeboy) and grew up and remain a devout Catholic.

Thanks for joining the ranks of the rest of the tv stations that obviously have a similar agenda since all I ever see is a my religion and God being made a mockery or worse, non-important and perhaps even evil religion as The History Channel is referring to it as something Hitler fashioned his beliefs around. I wonder who or why it's so important to continue the perpetuation of such dogma.

Victor Velez
NYC

[mdnght]

"Truth is a pathless land, and you cannot approach it by any path whatsoever, by any religion, by any sect." Krishnamurti

[mdnght]

As far as changing "spiritualism" i think this might be something to do with the changing of "Ages," that we are leaving the age of Pisces, and moving into the Age of Aquarius. This change leaves the age of the "dogma" of "religions" into a more "fluid" age of Aquarius, more related to the crossing of lines and fluidity of thought, feelings, and "spiritualism." I wish i knew more about this 21 year changing of ages, as i believe it is part of the "paradyme" shifts people are encountering in life. This changing of "ages" i belive is changing our ways of seeing, feeling, and other parts of human existances.

[peedo5]

Astrology is a pseudo science and also a by product of an age of the past.

[aspirant83]

The article/program God, Mystics Yoga: What Americans Believe is a great effort to promote an interfaith dialog. The Theosophical Society in America is the first organization in the United States to promote interfaith dialog. Theosophy which means divine wisdom or wisdom of the gods is a resurgence of neo-platonic thought and embraces buddhist idea's along with those of all religion. Theosophy is not a religion, it gives its members complete freedom of thought and encorages each to pursue their own path to spirituality as they see proper for themselves, to the end that they come to understand by direct knowledge and not relying on blind faith. It is interesting that the founders of the society explored paranormal phenemona. It is a well known fact that after the Civil War in the United States, that many people sought mediums and psychics to locate a lost loved one or to try and communicate with a war casuality. It took off from there. The focus of the Theososphical Society in America as an organization is to promote its three objects, as anyone visiting its website will see.

[namedujour]

Why did CBS News cover yoga as if it were a "religion"??? It's an exercise program that some people use to meditate. Nobody worships anything, unless they choose to in their own minds, on their own time. Classes at the YMCA are filled with people who just want to stay limber.

There is nothing bad about yoga - nobody's uncovered anything yet, anyway - and medical researchers keep finding new reasons why it's good. Just this week they learned that elderly people who practice yoga have less curvature of the spine. Previously they learned it lowers blood pressure, helps with stress, and even depression. Elderly who practice yoga have better balance, and are less apt to fall and break a hip. You can't say the same about Christianity or any actual "religion".

What CBS has done is give ammunition to the right wing religious conservative nut faction that wants to keep yoga out of schools, lest the children be tainted with heretical ideas. Scary yoga must be fought at all costs because it's a religion that isn't Christianity!

Why would you do that?

[saiditbfore]

Ozziedownunder, I believe you. Not meaning to pun here, because I know how serious this can get.

My sister was trapped into the Occult and couldn't stop making Ouija boards, she said she made over 100 of them. That's after getting enticed into a group of New ager's. An evangelist friend, who was in an Asian country, at the time, told me a demon possessed man came into his home, for deliverance. My friend said he could hear the mans bones break as the demon tormented him for trying to seek deliverance. In Africa it is very bad. I guess some people have to put their finger in the nail hole sometimes in order to understand they are dealing with something greatly smarter than they could realize. It's safer to remain in ignorance. If you want proof of the bad, then ask a Satanist, believe me, they know the truth and take it very seriously.

We sit in our comfy homes and run keyboards like we were Generals, but there is a real world out there with real demons and also real angels too. The light is greater than the darkness. :)

I could go on, but what would be the point? I also think that we have passed a point where God will retract what is coming as a way to clean things up. They won't understand that part either, they will deny it, say it's just nature. That's what prophets are for, they warn, they make these outlandish claims of things coming upon the Earth, and many just think they are crazy-then they are angry at them when it happens. Some will see that God has done these things, and repent, while others will still want to believe in science. It reminds me of the Ostrich burying his head in the sand, it's comfy, until it's too late.

To those concerned: Revelations is starting to unfold, I know, you don't believe it-yet. That's ok. It's a prophets job to let you know what's coming, it's not up to him to make you, or force you to believe. Just go easy on the prophets when things start to happen, it's not their fault.

Once again - seek God, not man. Seek the Son while you can, before the judgments fall and God won't listen to your prayers. If you come to Him, please try to remember that He is the creator, not our servant, deep respect will get you much further than anger there. He also knows your heart-He can see inside your soul, and knows exactly what is bothering you, and wants to help you. If it helps any-HE is even more angry at the reprehensible way the Church has gotten out of hand, and is taking steps to straighten that out too, or you wouldn't be seeing the exposures going on everywhere, this bad behavior is detestable to Him. I hope I've given a different perspective here, not as patronizing, but as one standing in the same crowd of people on this Earth. Shalom

[peedo5]

Can you give ways that Revelations is unfolding?

[Ozziedownunder]

My previous comment about yoga being unacceptable as a spiritual practice is occultic and demonic after experiences we had and bringinga Yoga practicing book into our home in the 80s with the evidence of a demonic attack in early hours of the morning . The word "om,om,om," was coming out of the darkness and had to rebuke it in Jesus Name , then it faded away into the distance. I believe the attack came because I was priest of my household and allowed the book from the public library to be in my house and we are practicing Christians,Yoga and Christianity are poles apart.
I checked back on the archives of wwwsidroth.org when he had an ex Yoga teacher Mike Shreve on his show it was on Monday July 30th 2007 if you want to check him out and what he says about renouncing Yoga.
He had an Ashram of 400 student followers, his name is Mike Shreve and has websites I guess. All of his yoga class renounced it too.
God has done and shown my wife and family great healings physically and emotionally as well as financially. Does yoga practise do that?
As far as I have seen here in Australia you pay to get Yoga taught to you . We had to deliver people yaers ago at a ministry in the 80s from demons of Yoga and TM mantras ,they are real.

[MPHgrad]

People, particularly southerners and those of African descent, go into near convulsions when I tell them that I do not subscribe to organized religion and that I favor agnosticism. It is always entertaining & ironic that those who profess to love the Xian gods/trinity & believe in its doctrines become increasingly superstitious and fearful when they hear someone who does not share their beliefs. It is all a form of control. If anyone read books or took a western civ class, they would know it was a farce.

[Ozziedownunder]

Yoga has become a modern day ritual that started in India by yogis for money.I saw on WWW.SIDROTH.com last year an ex Yoga teacher of 30 years renounced the practise to 300 of his students of yoga as it is occultic. Check Sids archives for his story.
Further more those who don't believe in God have never had an experience with God. I was a non believer for 42 years of any spirituality and at aged 72 now have had many experiences thru Jesus Christ of seeing him and hearing Him talk to me and of angelic appearances to others as well . This is not a regular happening but I have His peace and love always . I am not mad or a nut case as non believers tag us Christians when they do not have the faith to believe , I am sorry for them as they miss out . God is love I have seen Him in practice with many healed people and many die in peace too knowing they have heaven to experience forever.
You can knock all you like but He is still God

[peedo5]

Have you seen god heal amputees?