ITEMS of INTEREST

TV CHANNELS FOCUSED ON SPIRITUALITY EXPAND IN INDIA

"Spirituality sure sells. After ETC Networks Ltd. and the Times Group announced plans to start religious channels [In India], several such channels are set to be launched shortly. Among the prominent ones are Mata Amritanandmaya's channel called Amma, the Brahmakumari Ashram's Om Shanti-The Peace Channel, the RSS-backed Sudarshan Channel, and two others called Satya and Sanskriti.

"Currently there are several full-fledged 24-hour [spiritually based] channels ... already on air. Other general entertainment channels carry a religious block both in the morning and evening.

"So is there space for so many channels? 'The potential is tremendous. For a deeply religious country ... there can be several more religious channels,' said Mr. Atul Phadnis, Vice-President, TAM India. ...

"The Zee Group, which launched its channel Jagran just six months ago claims to be doing very well. Mr. Anil Anand, business head of the channel, said, 'Our channel is just six months old but in parts has done better than the older ones. Currently we are trying to expand our distribution in a big way.' The broadcaster is planning a huge promotional activity, which will include on-ground events and a multimedia campaign. 'Viewers spend a lot of time on these channels. For a three-week period, the [average] time spent on Jagran has been about 49 minutes,' he added.

"On the advertising front, religious channels have been able to attract advertisers .... 'We are getting a lot of queries from telemarketing companies and people selling religious products ...' Mr. Anand added. Also, followers of religious groups pay these channels to carry discourses of their spiritual leaders."

Nithya Subramanian "More channels to ride wave of spirituality" The Hindu Business Line August 5, 2004

Medical journal highlights research and need to address spiritual concerns of patients

"According to a myriad of surveys, most Americans consider spirituality and religion a significant part of who they are. Although definitions and expressions vary, in general spirituality is defined as a search for what is sacred or holy in life, coupled with a transcendent (greater than self) relationship with God or a higher power or universal energy. Religion is seen as focusing more on prescribed beliefs, rituals, and practices as well as social institutional features, and on the undertaking of a spiritual search using specific means or methods (i.e., rituals or behaviors) within an identifiable group.

"Research in the field indicates that spirituality and religion are seen as a core aspect of life, and patients want physicians to address issues of spirituality in the context of medical care. A public survey done in 1996 by USA Weekend showed that 63 percent of patients believe doctors should ask about spirituality issues, but only 10 percent have actually been asked. In another study, 77 percent of patients surveyed said physicians should consider patients' spiritual needs, and 37 percent wanted physicians to discuss religious beliefs with them more frequently."

Stephen Kliewer
"Allowing spirituality into the healing process"
The Journal of Family Practice
Volume 53; Issue 8
August 2004

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Floridians find solace in prayer after Hurricane Charley

"The Rev. Scott Borden survived Hurricane Charley by huddling in a small closet and praying as the storm passed over his home, then hit his nearby church, leaving the sanctuary in tatters. Fearing his 600-member congregation would be scattered after [the August 13] storm, Borden was surprised when dozens of them turned up in the courtyard of First Alliance Church to pray and comfort one another. 'I believe that God is at work, even in Charley,' he said.

"Churches in the battered communities of Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda made do [on the Sunday following the storm] amid the wreckage that Charley left behind. Services were held wherever possible—in a parking lot, a courtyard, a community hall. Some people who sought a break from the chaos arrived in their Sunday best. Others came in sweat-stained and mudddied shirts and jeans. All sought to have their spirits lifted, if only momentarily, through prayer. With no air conditioning and only warm drinking water to offer, the congregation lifted its voice in song—some with tears in their eyes....

"'I guess at a time like this, you realize the significance of spiritual values when everything else is blown away,' [The Rev. Lee Roy Martin of Christ the King Lutheran Church said]."

Vickie Chachere
"Prayers help lift spirits of victims.
Lack of power, damage don't stop Sunday services"
Reprinted with permission of The Associated Press
August 16, 2004

MINISTERS IN CALIFORNIA CITY JOIN FORCES TO END GANG VIOLENCE

"The Rev. William Tyler of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church [in Pomona, California] never expected he'd move back to Pomona nine years ago to minister, but he says God had other plans for him. Church leader Randy Ponce, from the Southern California Dream Center Church, believes there is no time like the present to make change in a community where gang violence seems to be on the rise. And so did the 40-plus other ministers, politicians, and community activists who gathered at the California Dream Center, which hosted the forum on [August 13, 2004] ....

"'We have to lay aside our egos,' Tyler said, referring to the differences ministers from different denominations may have. 'If we don't find a way to get together, then how do we expect the people of our community to get together? The people are crying out to us.'

"Ministers ... are on a mission to combat recent escalations in gang violence and racial tensions between blacks and Latinos. They will begin by hosting two major rallies in [Pomona]; one Sept. 4 at Ted Greene Park and the second Sept. 11 at Martin Luther King Park. And the ministers plan on walking through neighborhoods and getting to know residents the night before the rallies."

Sara A. Carter
"Clergy unite against violence; Politicians, ministers gather"
The San Bernardino Sun
August 14, 2004