Science vs. religion : what scientists really think - File PDF

52Crossing the Picket Lines: The Personal Faith of Scientistsspirit guides, and belief in angels to meditation and prayer fellowships. Wuthnowconcluded that while some Americans hearken to the spiritual practices of earlytraditions, others partake of endless spiritual seeking that starts to look entirelyforeign to traditional religion. American spirituality is often fragmented, as individualsdevelop their own personal belief systems from bits and pieces of traditions.The individual attending Mass on Sunday, for example, might follow aform of Buddhist meditation during the week. This base in religion means thatmost Americans use the vocabulary of traditional religion to also describe spirituality.“The spiritual, for the ordinary person, is most often and most easilydescribed in language that has religious connotations,” says Wuthnow. 3There is disagreement about the cultural implications that new forms (or areturn to old forms) of spirituality have for American religious life. Some holdthat “new” forms of spirituality stand in sharp but benign contrast to traditionalreligion. These scholars argue that spirituality might be a “culturalresource” that helps people retain meaning in life and a connection with thetranscendent when they are uncomfortable with traditional religious communities.4Proponents of spirituality argue that spiritual practices—those thatmight be part of no particular religious tradition or that have homes in manytraditions, such as meditation—can lead to a peaceful outlook that deemphasizesthe importance of the self. This awareness, which results from meditation,for example, could decrease war, poverty, and a host of other social ills. 5Others posit that the new spirituality could be a negative result of and/or acause of secularization (decline in religious authority) in American society.Berkeley sociologist Robert N. Bellah and his colleagues think that Americansare becoming more individualistic and less committed to strong local communities.In this vein, researchers argue that while traditional religious involvementpromotes concern for the common good, those who are spiritual but notreligious are more concerned with self-fulfillment. Increasing emphasis onspirituality rather than religion can lead, then, to an inward focus that neglectsthe needs of others. Picture the person in a solitary room meditating to achieveenlightenment versus the person volunteering with a religious community at asoup kitchen.6THE SPIRITUALLY THINScientists who consider themselves spiritual generally view their sentimentsand practices as less robust than that of other spiritual Americans. Nearly 29percent of Americans say they are very spiritual. But only 9 percent of scientists