Something that fascinates me is how people claim to be Spiritual but not religious associating Religion with the institution (prayer, dogma, rituals, edifices) and Spirituality with everything else. From my view, RELIGION abounds in the US with something other than attending churches and synagogues. CAPITOLISM is a world religion. Individuals spend their money based on their beliefs with vigor, passion and zeal. People who travel in ‘spiritual’ circles seek classes, mediums, meditate, and speak mantras for Wealth Consciousness and Abundance. Really? That god or the universe intervenes in the affairs of man with regards to finance is a devotion many individuals fervently believe. The first three definitions in the dictionary state that Religion is:

1) a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.
2. a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects: the Christian religion; the Buddhist religion.
3. the body of persons adhering to a particular set of beliefs and practices: a world council of religions.
4. cult, creed, doctrine, communion, prayer

Doesn’t this define the global panorama with regards to the worship of capitalism?

Ironically, the definitions of Spirituality include;
1) immateriality, unearthly, incorporeality, timeless, indescribable

These religious beliefs are subliminally and overtly transmitted to children. So how do children (and their parents) in schools (and home) demonstrate their prayer, devotional rituals to their gods? These all fall under the definition of religion: designer labels; cliques who participate in various rituals like sports or exclusive clubs; type of cars driven; number and scope of participatory events; defined by kind of foods eaten – vegetarian, carnivore, vegan; neighborhood where schools are located; hair style; television programs, movies watched; technology purchased, latest, fastest and greatest; amount of cash or more importantly credit cards on hand for purchasing power; kinds of prescription designer drugs consumed; even the type of school attended- public, private, alternative, home schooled, glass cases filled with trophies, pictures, jerseys and awards. Much like the prayer books disseminated by religious institutions that convey the emphasis of devotion, are the local newspapers filled with the accomplishments (because this is supposed the reason for the participation in schools and institutions of higher learning) of children who have excelled in math, science or reading? Not even a mention. However, an entire page and section is devoted to sports! These are all religious in nature because of the zeal, passion and intensity with which each is pursued, condoned and elevated to status.

Nothing speaks more clearly about the religion of the modern age than the RELIGIOUS ritualization of children’s music. Instead of worshipping the gods of the church or spirituality, children glorify, revere and venerate musicians. Here is a comparison of the religious rituals around music with respect to traditional religious practices: 1) attending devotional concerts much like church with alms giving vs. admission fee, groupies vs. devotees; 2) worship, pray and singing songs vs. hymns or chanting; 3) posters, tee shirts, pins and other merchandise immortalizing musicians not unlike religious statues, rosaries 4) dress code much like wearing hats in church or dressing-up; 5) drinking alcohol, drug consumption vs. communion blood and body of Christ; 6) worship television/movie/recording star vs. a human being now god 7) purchasing music from a variety of mediums all symbolically are forms of ritual, devotional observance 8) intense adoration of the habits, lifestyle and utterances of music heroes (in the scheme of things, why do we care about the foods eaten by stars, where they shop or what they are doing) much like the dissection of biblical texts on the life of Jesus?

In my opinion, Religion is alive and well in the Western world having been transferred from one medium to another but religious in nature all the same.