What are they thinking about?  SBNRs have been misrepresented as “salad bar spiritualists” or “eclectic dabblers.” But when you really listen to them, you find they are thinking seriously about theological issues.  For more on this, see my recently published book with Oxford University Press: Belief without Borders: Inside the Minds of the Spiritual but not Religious.  Available in hardback at your local bookseller or through oup.org, or as an ebook, on Amazon Kindle and other ebook sellers.  See my blog posts as well on CNN.Com Belief, Oxford University Press blog, and The Huffington Post. Let me know what you think.

Log on to the “Spiritual but not Religious” Show as host George Lewis interviews Linda Mercadante about her spiritual memoir and research project.  They also have a good chat on spirituality, religion, and mystical experience.  Listen and post a comment. 

• “The Spiritual but not Religious Show” interview with host George Lewis, Mar. 1, 2011 http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/13033144

Check out this article in America magazine by a professor at a Roman Catholic school. His observations on the current needs and contributions of students, as well as their critique of religion, is well taken.  He calls them idealistic realists, which fits well.  Read it and let us know what you think.

http://www.americamagazine.org/content/article.cfm?article_id=12681

I was walking on the beach in Isla Mujeres, Mexico and saw a wedding in progress.  I watched and listened, interested to hear what kind of spiritual approach was being used. I didn’t hear the word “God” used nor were there any religious undertones. Nevertheless, the union was being blessed and celebrated. Afterwards, I asked the officiant if I could interview her for my project.  This very pleasant woman readily agreed, so we met several days later in her office.  What I found most fascinating is that even though she was a European living in Mexico, her beliefs were very similar to the many people I’ve interviewed in the U.S. and Canada.  Especially her beliefs on the “transcendent” or “sacred” dimension, and her beliefs in after-life, were things I could have easily heard in Boulder, CO, northern Ontario, or rural Central Ohio.  I’ve interviewed and surveyed more than 80 people by now and keep hearing similar beliefs.  Therefore, I’m suggesting that a new “meta-narrative,” — in other words, a new theological world-view — seems to be emerging.  I’ll be conducting more interviews this year and would be interested in hearing from my readers:  Do you agree?  What beliefs do you think are emerging?

Many people say it does not matter what people believe, as long as their actions are good. Others insist that religious or spiritual beliefs are private, that they don’t need to be consistent with each other, or that spiritual things are too mysterious for anyone to come to any conclusions.  Yet when I have interviewed people who say these things, I find they do have beliefs and are grateful and relieved to be able to share them.  What about you?

So many people today say they are “spiritual but not religious.” I’ve spoken to hundreds of them and they give similar answers to what they don’t like about organized religion.  They say things like: “I don’t want anyone to tell me what to believe;” or “Religious services are just boring;” or “I get just as much from a walk in the woods,” or “All those people are hypocrites,” and other similar things.  But is there anything good about religion?  I’d like to know what you think.  Write me.  Dr. Linda