America’s Devout Aren’t as Close-minded as Many Assume

Last year, The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life surveyed 35,000 Americans and found that 70% of respondents agreed with the statement "Many religions can lead to eternal life." This may surprise many who assume that religious Americans are intolerant of other religions, according to an article by David Van Biema on Time.com.

As most Christians historically have embraced the words of Jesus, in the Gospel of John, that "no one comes to the Father except through me," it came as a surprise to discover that 57% of Evangelical Christians were willing to accept that theirs might not be the only path to salvation. Although many branches of Christianity have become increasingly tolerant, Evangelicals have long held the tenet that Christianity is only the path to heaven.

Peter Berger, University professor of Sociology and Theology at Boston University, says the poll confirms that cultural issues mainly lie between small groups and that the high levels of tolerance and religiosity "is distinctively American - and rather cheering. "

Although the results of the survey are good news for many denominations, it may not be good for the Evangelicals, as it may mean they are less willing to evangelize, preaching that the path to salvation is through the acceptance that Christ died for the sins of the world. The problem, says Albert Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, is that "the cultural context and the reality of pluralism has pulled many away from historic Christianity."

Only Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses who answered in the majority that their own faith was the only way to eternal life.

Apparently, the shift towards tolerance began in the 1960s, when immigration quotas were loosened. Rice University sociologist D. Michael Lindsay, the author of Faith in the Halls of Power: How Evangelicals Joined the American Elite says, "If you have a colleague who is Buddhist or your kid plays with a little boy who is Hindu, it changes your appreciation of the religious 'other.' "

It is unclear whether or not the religious tolerance is a good thing, which will open up religious barriers or whether it will cause groups to band together even tighter over issues that come up in political arenas. But it will be tough for preachers and pastors to reconcile the traditional view of one path to heaven with the multicultural view of their parishioners.

Eating Together Improves Overall Health

Throughout North America organizations are popping up to promote communal eating environments--and with the steady rise in obesity, it’s a good thing. The benefits of eating together around a table instead of being glued to the television, or one member of the family making sure they’re home in time to join in generate surprisingly effective results.

Organizations like Chicago’s Common Threads run by cook Art Smith instill the importance of nutrition and physical well being when it comes to home-cooked meals. This particular collective also encourages children to have an appreciation of foods from different cultures. Smith comments on his foundation, saying their motto is joining family and food by our ‘common threads.’

In British Columbia, a program funded by the Dietitians of Canada, promotes the education of healthy eating and encourages communal meals. Studies by Canada’s Heart and Stroke Foundation show that families who eat together tend to eat better, and one of their many suggestions for busy families is preparing meals in a slow cooker during the day so it’s done by the time everyone arrives home from work and school.

Studies by Science Daily surveyed over 1,500 students once in high school and once after they turned 20 years old to determine whether or not family meals have a long term effect on their eating habits. The results showed that the kids who’d eaten regularly with their family while living at home ate more fruit, dark green and orange vegetables and drank less soda.

Research conducted by Miriam Weinstein for her book, “The Surprising Power of Family Meals” includes facts like “Teenagers who eat with their family were twice as likely to get A’s” and “Family meals are 8 times more helpful in teaching children vocabulary than reading to children.” Also mentioned are the obvious results such as gaining better conversational skills, the ability to relate better and parents being allowed to monitor their growing children’s diet more closely.

Of course, there are challenges for families with busy lifestyles who work overtime, night shifts and odd hours. Also, children are normally involved in extracurricular activities that run late, or demand a lot of after school time. But with the embarrassing percentage of obesity in North America, making the effort could make all the difference to not only your (current or future) children’s overall health, but yours as well.

Organic Food Industry Booming Despite Recession

About 20% of the American public makes it a point to eat primarily organic food, and the numbers seem to be growing by a recent report despite higher gas prices and a looming recession.

Anyone who has desperately wandered the aisles of a Whole Foods store knows: eating healthy ain’t cheap. Americans who want to see an organic or “grass-fed” label on their food tend to spend 10% more for basics like peanut butter, jelly, bread, pasta, chicken, and beef. According to a report released to ENN, the smaller brands producing such foods are showing a considerable amount of economic growth. Ian’s Natural Food’s, for example, grows 45% annually while Nature’s Path Foods grew 30% in the first half of this year.

Overall, organic foods raked in “4.4 billion in sales for the 52 weeks ended April 19.” Sales are expected to grow to 6.8 billion by 2012 according to the latest economic models.

Is the end of preservative-loaded food nigh? Not a chance, but shoppers are well aware by now that organic foods are increasing in shelf-space at bigger supermarket chains. Interestingly, researchers are finding that while some loyalty for certain organic brand names exist, it’s “not as much as you would hope,” according to Pam Dietz, director of soy milk manufacturer Vita Soy. Rather than products like Annie’s natural macaroni and cheese completely replacing Kraft Velveta shells and cheese, the bigger companies like Kraft are offering their own organic line of foods.

Apparently fewer Americans are willing to put a price tag on their stomachs despite economic threats. Could it be a sign of more individual, self-empowerment?

Hindu Community Furious with 'Love Guru'

A group of artistically concerned Hindu leaders living in Los Angeles campaigned to screen a preview of Mike Myers’ new comedy The Love Guru this week and were flabbergasted by what they witnessed after Paramount Pictures granted their request.

The Hindu activist group, led by Rajan Zed, expressed interest in previewing the comedy after rumors of its offensive material towards Hindi religion and culture. After the screening those opinions were further validated by Zed and his fellow group members.

Not only did they find the film ‘disrespectful to Hindus and their beliefs’ but Zed is also urging the Hindu Community to boycott the film saying it “lampoons Hinduism and Hindu concepts and uses Hindu terms frivolously.” (WENN)

In an interview following the screening on Thursday, Zed expressed his disappointment further by saying it was even worse than what he’d gathered through the film’s trailer, websites and other media.

His further negative comments of the film included criticizing Myer’s character repeatedly narrating penis jokes, mocking yoga, mocking the concept of the third eye, inducing elephant copulation in front of the crowd, and “whose goal in life seems to appear on the Oprah Winfrey show.”

Okay so apparently it’s offensive. Somehow that’s not incredibly shocking considering it’s a HOLLYWOOD blockbuster. Nor should the Hindu community expect anything less. To cut the film some slack, its advertising reveals its slapstick Indian-slurring mockery so no one who pays to see Guru should expect otherwise. The problem lies in a mass audience’s desire to see it anyway and follow through on their temptation, even if some sense its derogatory tone.

Which is why I can understand and appreciate the concern spawning out of the Los Angeles Hindu community, but….they live there, it’s hard for me to believe they don’t know what to expect from what the city’s film industry creates by now.

Still, why make films like these that have no artistic or comedic value? Zed defends his public reaction by stating, “Today it is Hinduism, tomorrow Hollywood might attempt to denigrate another religion.” He also commented on the fueling of Indian stereotypes the film is determined to keep alive and well in the West.

Comedies have made fun of other religions in the past. Monty Python’s Life of Brian made a politically incorrect spoof on the story of Jesus. But the difference in tone is quite distinct.

First of all, Monty Python’s films were mainly funded in Great Britain, whose film industry is a far cry from Hollywood’s dumbed down sense of bathroom humor. Secondly, Brian’s witty, clever dialogue that references the bible and its primitive times is an unquestionably worthy effort in the name of intelligent and unique comedy.

But films like Myers’ Guru do nothing for the genre, nor does it do anything in helping western culture understand the mysteries of the east in a sensitive time in international history. And that is undoubtedly a subject Rajan Zed and I agree on.

Green Tips for a Cooler Summer

Trying to save energy this long, hot summer? Air conditioners run on electricity, which is the main contributor to global warming. Using “passive” cooling practices can cut down on the electricity you need to generate. With heat records being broken around the world, here are some tips to keep you cool, without having to use the air conditioner, courtesy of eartheasy.com:

• Insulation is the key to keeping cool air in and warm air out (and vice versa in the cold months). A lot heat is absorbed through the attic floor, so making sure that the attic floor is well insulated protects the rest of the house as well. Also, caulk doors and windows to keep additional heat leaks out.

• The color of your house does more than just infuriate neighbors. It also plays a role in how much heat your home absorbs. Dark-colored houses absorb more heat than light-colored houses. You can install a radiant barrier on the roof rafters to help offset excess absorption.

• Go green outdoors to stay cool indoors. Planting greenery can help provide shade and cool spaces around the house to keep heat out. Trees and plants also help the planet absorb excess carbon dioxide, so everybody wins.

• Windows let in a lot of heat. Heavy drapes or “black out” fabric can keep excess light and heat from leaking in. For a green air-conditioner, hang your wet laundry in front of an open window and let the breeze blow in. Air-drying your clothes also saves energy and emissions, so you’ll be killing two birds with one stone.

• Use ceiling fans on a room-by-room basis, rather than cooling a whole house with central air.

• Keep your chimney closed. You won’t need it in the summer and it lets cool air escape.

These tips will not only lower your greenhouse emissions, but your energy bills as well.

Save the Planet, Get a Little Green

The easiest way to recycle is to dump everything into your curbside bin and let the city cart it off. But you could be dumping some money into that bin along with your bottles and cans. Here are a couple ways to get some money back when you recycle:

Grocery Store:
Many grocery stores have recycling centers in their parking lots. Save your glass, plastic and aluminum up and then use the recycling center on your next shopping trip to the store. Depending on your items, you may make more money by recycling per item than by weight.

Also, save your grocery bags, some stores will give you 5cents for paper bags or a discount for each plastic bag you reuse. If you use reusable fabric bags, some stores discount for that too. It all depends on the store, so be sure to ask.

Trade it in:
Many stores where you will be making major purchases, like electronics and mattresses, will let you trade in your old stuff for a discount off your new stuff. Not only will you not have to worry about how to get rid of your old things, you’ll be saving some money.

Ladies, recently DailySugar.com posted an item saying that you can do the same thing with your empty fragrance bottles. Bond No. 9 or Saks Fifth Avenue stores will recycle and sanitize your bottles for reuse. In return for your good deed, you get a free refillable pocket spray ($40 value) with any new Bond No. 9 purchase. Just make sure you don’t go out of your way to make your donation, otherwise your car’s carbon output may outweigh the exchange.

Lots of stores and companies are going green and giving you green, so just ask what the business’s recycling policy is and you could start earning something back.

Americans Unite To Save Budweiser

Take away some of their civil liberties with the Patriot Act and they’ll turn a blind eye. Threaten them with an upgraded “Victory” Act and maybe a few will raise their hands in concern. But God help you if you take away their beer. Nearly 40,000 Americans joined recent petitions to keep Anheuser-Busch in business.

Savebudweiser.com is part of a new movement to keep Budweiser beer strictly American. The Missouri-based brewer was offered an unsolicited $46 billion bid from the Belgian company InBev, maker of Stella Artois and Becks.

The website speaks of a “hostile takeover” and reads, “Let’s band together as one voice and try to save more than just our beer. We don’t want another American icon turned over to a foreign company; we want the motto to remain…The Great American Lager.”

InBev promises to keep St. Louis, Anheuser’s hometown, as the company headquarters, but savebuddweiser.com doesn’t acknowledge it anywhere on the petition.

Missouri governor Matt Blunt also opposes the company sale, seeing it as a threat to local jobs, as well as an American tradition. His own website, SaveAB.com, currently holds a little under 7,000 signatures. According to the Guardian, he is currently working with the Missouri Department of Economic Development to see if anything can legally stop the sale.

“Shareholders should resist choosing dollars over American jobs,” Martin says. “Selling out to the Belgians is not worth it—because this is about more than beer: it’s about our jobs and our nation.”

InBev is attempting to fight back with their own website GlobalBeerLeader.com