From the  New York Times :    The USA has 63% Christians, a decline of 15% in 18 years: However, people have stopped leaving churches en masse, according to   a new study released   by Pew Research. Further from the  Pew Research Center : 22%  of Americans are categorized as   spiritual but not religious (SBNR)  because they say they think of themselves as spiritual or they consider spirituality very important in their lives, but they neither think of themselves as religious nor say religion is very important in their lives. 58%  of Americans fall into an overall or   “NET” Religious   category because they say they think of themselves as religious or they consider religion very important in their lives. This group can be subdivided into U.S. adults who are   both religious and spiritual   (48%) and those who are   religious but not spiritual   (10%) 21%  of Americans are categorized as   neit...

Learned minds for more than 10,000 years have written about Heaven.  Every religion has some form of Heaven or life after death.  According to a  Pew Research Center  study in 2012, approximately   84%   of the global population is considered theistic, meaning they are affiliated with a religion and believe in a higher power;   this is based on data from a comprehensive study across over 230 countries and territories.   The remaining 16% are called atheists.  To some degree, atheism is forced on the population by dictatorial governments. 157 of 232 countries have Christian majorities. Earlier this year, a Pew survey revealed that 70% of Americans as spiritual. While 28% of U.S. adults claim no affiliation with organized religion, this number jumps to 43% for those under the age of 30.  The younger generation is less inclined to be theistic. Seven in ten believed in Heaven, the same percentage as being spiritual.  In most ways, they ...

We are on the Norwegian Encore from Miami to Southampton, UK, and will be at-sea for the next few days.  This gives me an opportunity to wonder how the USA got to the point where a convicted criminal, liar, misogynist and all-around lout, former president Donald Trump, has a 50-50 chance of getting re-elected tomorrow. About the voting public. Most of them have gone through our K-12 school system, which, in addition to academics, teaches you to be a good citizen, with some pride regarding our country.  Just about all states require students to daily recite the  Pledge of Allegiance .  Written by minister Francis Bellamy in 1892, it is short, simple and meaningful. I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. This was adjusted in 1954 when President Dwight Eisenhower, concerned about the Communist threat, asked Congress to add "under God." I pledge allegiance to the flag of the Uni...