Religion

guillaumeb

(42,649 posts) Wed Apr 17, 2019, 03:41 PM Apr 2019

For millennials, mysticism shows a path to their home faiths

From the article:

Anthony Graffagnino describes himself spiritually as both frustrated and curious.
A Pentecostal turned Unitarian, the 28-year-old Graffagnino said he’s had his fill with “stale and dead expressions of faith that I saw really doing nothing to better the people around me or the world around me.”
Discovering the Christian mystical tradition through the work of Franciscan friar Richard Rohr helped change that.

“Father Richard’s work allowed an entryway into Christianity when I didn’t think there was any,” said Graffagnino, who is studying to be an interfaith chaplain at Starr King School for the Ministry, a Unitarian Universalist seminary in Berkeley, Calif....

While many younger Americans today are spiritually unaffiliated, aka “nones” — a quarter of all adults under the age of 30 in the United States say they don’t identify with any religion or spiritual tradition, according to the Pew Center for Religion and Public Life — millennials are increasingly finding contemplative spirituality appealing.

To read more:

https://religionnews.com/2019/04/16/for-millennials-mysticism-shows-a-path-to-their-home-faiths/

The future of faith?

11 replies

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Highlight:

For millennials, mysticism shows a path to their home faiths (Original Post) guillaumeb Apr 2019 OP

Part of a cycle zipplewrath Apr 2019 #1

Possible. guillaumeb Apr 2019 #2

I studied dozens. But left them all behind. Bretton Garcia Apr 2019 #3

The actual spiritualist movement from the last half of the 19th century Voltaire2 Apr 2019 #5

Which is no different than religion Major Nikon Apr 2019 #7

Kenneth Copeland and his $6 million dollar Gulfstream V.. Permanut Apr 2019 #9

I agree. But maybe some here would like a post on this? Bretton Garcia Apr 2019 #10

Shades of Madame Blavatsky! MineralMan Apr 2019 #11

And if that path works for you, guillaumeb Apr 2019 #6

Yes. Many of us have. MineralMan Apr 2019 #4

Oh, absolutely. Act_of_Reparation Apr 2019 #8

zipplewrath

(16,685 posts)

1. Part of a cycle

Reply to guillaumeb (Original post)

Wed Apr 17, 2019, 03:43 PM

Apr 2019

These things tend to be cyclical. I'd bet in 2 generations or so we'll be back to stories about how a generation is "returning to more traditional churches".

guillaumeb

(42,649 posts)

2. Possible.

Reply to zipplewrath (Reply #1)

Wed Apr 17, 2019, 03:45 PM

Apr 2019

I am 68, but even in my youth, I knew many Christians who were not satisfied with the generic faith.

Many of us have read and studied many faith traditions.

Bretton Garcia

(970 posts)

3. I studied dozens. But left them all behind.

Reply to guillaumeb (Reply #2)

Wed Apr 17, 2019, 04:02 PM

Apr 2019

Even the best of them still have subtle, hidden, residual ties to dozens of forms of abuse. And in fact, you can't really extricate the "good" from the bad elements inside the religions.

Even "spirituality" links to all kinds of abuse; like sado masochism, and escapism, in the "mortification of the flesh," and "hate" for the whole material "world. "

Voltaire2

(14,632 posts)

5. The actual spiritualist movement from the last half of the 19th century

Reply to Bretton Garcia (Reply #3)

Wed Apr 17, 2019, 04:35 PM

Apr 2019

was a bonanza for con artists and psychopaths (if that is a distinction).

It still lingers on in all sorts of ways, e.g. Ouija Boards and Tarot Cards.

Major Nikon

(36,899 posts)

7. Which is no different than religion

Reply to Voltaire2 (Reply #5)

Thu Apr 18, 2019, 06:02 AM

Apr 2019

Permanut

(6,604 posts)

9. Kenneth Copeland and his $6 million dollar Gulfstream V..

Reply to Major Nikon (Reply #7)

Sun Apr 21, 2019, 08:52 PM

Apr 2019

Perfect example of a consummate con man. Or maybe Jesus wanted him to have it. One or the other.

Bretton Garcia

(970 posts)

10. I agree. But maybe some here would like a post on this?

Reply to Major Nikon (Reply #7)

Mon Apr 22, 2019, 08:09 AM

Apr 2019

It seems some agnostics, atheists, or others here, want to hang on to some kind of "spirituality " Maybe secularized?

Maybe there's a better word for an atheist alternative to spirituality, if any? Maybe tolerance; or philosophicality?

I reject "spirituality" myself.

MineralMan

(147,334 posts)

11. Shades of Madame Blavatsky!

Reply to Voltaire2 (Reply #5)

Mon Apr 22, 2019, 08:28 AM

Apr 2019

guillaumeb

(42,649 posts)

6. And if that path works for you,

Reply to Bretton Garcia (Reply #3)

Wed Apr 17, 2019, 05:03 PM

Apr 2019

congratulations on finding it.

MineralMan

(147,334 posts)

4. Yes. Many of us have.

Reply to guillaumeb (Reply #2)

Wed Apr 17, 2019, 04:31 PM

Apr 2019

Many of us became atheists. Perhaps you will, as well.

Act_of_Reparation

(9,116 posts)

8. Oh, absolutely.

Reply to guillaumeb (Original post)

Thu Apr 18, 2019, 08:08 AM

Apr 2019

I was walking down the street yesterday, wallowing in my atheism, when I was approached by a fat, bald Baby Boomer with a smile so big I could almost see it beneath the gray beard he'd been cultivating since his days protesting the Vietnam war. He said to me, "Hey, you! Did you know you can believe in God without doing that church thing?"

"Can I???" I asked. "How so!"

"Easy," said the old man. "Just sit down and think about Jesus really hard."

"So, like meditation?"

"Kind of," the man admitted. "But this meditation comes with 100% more Jesus."

"Oh," I said. "Well, I'm convinced! I have been waiting my whole life for a quieter, more solitary approach to unempirical belief. PRAISE THE DIVINE SPARK. ALL HAIL THE CREATOR."

And from that day forward, I was no longer a millennial atheist. I was the FUTURE OF RELIGION.

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