Religion Discussion
What is the religious landscape in America? How is it changing?
New Age Spirituality
Fundamentalism
Rock-Star MegaChurches

• 76-84% Christian ...
• 75% say they pray to God on a daily basis
• Only 33% actually make it to church each week,
• Only 40% can name more than 4 of the 10 commandments
• And barely half can name even one of the 4 gospels.
• 60% believe the Bible is literally and completely true
• 75% agree that the Bible teaches that "God helps those who help themselves."

Emphasizes Individualism - Independence, etc. But yet there are many important differences:

• 224 Million Christians
• 42 Million Non-Religious
• 4 Million Judaism
• 2 Million Muslim (Islam)
• 1.6 Million Buddhist
• 1 Million Hindu

Over 60 Million Non-Judeo-Christian. (about 22% of US Population) See comparison of survey statistics at http://www.adherents.com/rel_USA.html#religions

Bottom line: We live in a Pluralistic Society. (many cultures - many religions)



THE QUESTION: What role should religion play in a pluralistic society?

We then looked at how Joseph Campbell's studies of World Religions have inspired movies like Star Wars, the Matrix, and many others. We analyzed the Matrix in depth, demonstrating how it is weaving together themes from Christianity, Hinduism, and Buddhism.