Unifying Potential of a "Civil" Spirituality

This is an important time for humanity, perhaps a most pivotal one. More people than ever before are identifying with spiritually aligned and integral choices for themselves and the planet.

How can humankind overcome thousands of years of conflict and heal itself? We believe the answer is as deceptively simple as the need to embrace it is urgent. As greater numbers of people rediscover the imperative of honoring the Earth, identifying with spirituality, and taking a responsible view of our future on this planet, a change has already been taking place in people's consciousness.

Data from the IOOW-2000 research and various other research studies show that over 90% of Americans believe in God or a higher spiritual consciousness. This is in dramatic contrast to some countries or local regions where only a minority may hold this belief. Most Americans (78%) claim to practice meditation or prayer, and almost two thirds (64%) say they follow the teachings of a specific spiritual or religious teacher. Most (70%) attend church services or other meetings of a religious organization. For more than two-thirds of Americans (67%), going to church, synagogue, or mosque gives them the opportunity to make and maintain social contacts.

Research shows that the number of Christians in America fell from 86% in 1990 to 77% in 2001 as more people identified with alternative faiths or organizations. However, the U.S. is still one of the most spiritual, "faith-oriented" populations in the world, and overwhelmingly Christian.

More important is the fact that over 90% of U.S. households "believe in God or higher spiritual consciousness" and that 83% agree that "whether we recognize it or not, we all just want to connect to God or a higher spiritual consciousness." Research also shows that the sense of a sacred interconnectedness is not related to whether a person identifies with organized religion or a religious practice.

Those people who most relate to this also report having experienced a sense of the sacred in everything around them or see everything as spiritually connected.