Today I woke up thinking about the markers of progress in a society. Are we growing in alertness and eagerness to learn from study and experience? Are we becoming more trustworthy and reliable?  Are we exhibiting increasing self-control - respect for one another? Are we becoming more fairminded? Below are some statistics that I discovered:

 Pornography and Unbridled Sex

• Every second - 28,258 internet users are viewing pornography.
• Every 39 minutes: a new pornographic video is being created in the United States
• The United States has one of the highest sex-offense rates in the world.

 Child Abuse

• 1 in 5 children are solicited sexually while on the internet.
• Nearly 70% of all reported sexual assaults occur to children ages 17 and under.
• An estimated 39 million survivors of childhood sexual abuse exist in America today.

 Illiteracy

• Functional illiteracy - incompetence in such basic functions as reading, writing, and mathematics-plagues 24 million Americans. Approximately thirteen percent of American seventeen-year-olds are illiterate; the estimate for minority youth is an astonishing forty percent. Every year, at least a million of these functional illiterates graduate from America’s high schools, the proud owners of meaningless diplomas.

 Obesity

•  There are 58 million overweight in the United States; 40 million obese; 3 million morbidly obese
• Eight out of 10 people over 25 are overweight
• There has been a 76% increase in Type II diabetes in adults 30-40 yrs old since 1990

While these statistics may seem to be totally unrelated, they reflect a growing lack of respect for the human body and mind. This in turn reflects an unprecedented spiritual stagnation brought about by the indifference to God as a Universal Parent, ignorance of the soul as an evolving entity, and unawareness of the indwelling presence of the Spirit of God in the human mind; we are surrounded by spiritual confusion.  According to Durant Drake, in Problems of Conduct, “What stands in the way is partly our apathy and indifference, partly our incontinent appetites, partly the unwholesome and deadening social influences in which we find ourselves enmeshed.”

As a youngster, I heard that the body is a temple of God. But those words never meant much to me. How could God be inside of me? I took care of my body because I knew it was good for me. However, when I grasped the significance of the Indwelling Spirit and acquired a fuller understanding of God (shared in greater detail in my book Heaven Is Not the Last Stop), there emerged a new and deeper appreciation for the magnificence of our Universal Parent and a heightened sense of humility as I realized that my body housed the spirit of God that guides me. I felt a new urgency in the duty to treat my body with respect and to extend that respect to others. The maxim, “The human body is a temple of divinity” took on new meaning.

 A true recognition of the divinity within is best reflected in our efforts to develop a well-balanced, God-knowing personality. Desecration of the body - disrespect - shows a low appreciation and shallow understanding of the complex relationships between the soul, spirit, and personality and the incredible opportunity humans have to become spirit beings.  Such conscious and meaningful realizations bring a benevolent attitude upgrade in the way we view ourselves and others. We access higher insight into the sacred duty to respect each other and keep our physical bodies and minds healthy. Vibrant health contributes to the intrinsic value of life and allows us to appreciate the beauty around us and taste the joys of life, which in turn expands the arena of our life experience.

 Knowing the reality of the Indwelling Spirit invigorates our relationships and motivates us to be of greater service by engaging the enthusiastic pursuit of worthy goals. It serves us to remember that health, sanity, and happiness are integrations of truth, beauty, and goodness as they are blended in human experience.

 There are many physical and environmental factors that influence our state of balance, including diet, activities, lifestyle, emotions, stress, attitude, age, pollution, and even weather. It is our responsibility to understand how these factors affect us and to develop a plan that contributes to the maintenance of a temple fit for the indwelling God-presence. Some steps that can be taken in this regard include:

•  Maintain a healthy attitude toward food.
• Be cognizant of the proper combination of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates.
• Favor organic foods.
• Sustain a healthy weight.
• Be cognizant of the nutritional requirements that may help you fight illness and disease.
• Maintain a sensible exercise plan.
• Occasionally detoxify the body to revitalize the tissues and organs.
• Stop smoking and curb alcohol consumption.
• Avoid recreational drugs.
• Maintain an effective dental hygiene protocol.
• Develop a healthy and respectful sense of humor and a positive attitude.

 Our commitment to excellence is reflected by an increased mastery of the art of living. Vitality of body, mind, and spirit support this quest, and rest on a foundation of personal health that radiates out to home and workplace, building a balance of wholesomeness, sanity, and happiness.