Cosmo adds spirituality to sex and shoes

Reuters ^ | Wed, Apr 07, 2004 | Tom Heneghan

[presidio9]

Is this a sign of the times or what? Cosmopolitan, the glossy bible of sex and shopping for the single girl, has launched a new monthly column on spirituality.

"I've come to the painful realisation that men and shoes are not enough to make me happy," Hannah Borno, the magazine's new Spirituality Editor, wrote in the March edition. "The key to true contentment lies elsewhere."

God and guidance would hardly seem to suit the "Cosmo girl." Media have mocked the magazine for asking what happens now after years of breathless stories about dressing sexy, finding men and having multiple orgasms.

Borno, 32, says reader feedback has convinced Cosmo that many young women long for something more than the materialist life.

"Lots of women say 'I have a great job, I have a great relationship, so why am I unhappy?'," she told Reuters.

"We have been covering everything else. We already cover the mind and the body but we needed the spirit as well."

Nina Ahmad, acting editor of the British Cosmopolitan, said the magazine had a million readers in Britain and did not want them to "feel alone on their spiritual journey."

"We want women to be the best they can, in every respect of their lives," she said.

CUTTING OUT THE MIDDLEMAN

In the United States, where the higher profile of religion means Cosmopolitan's main American edition has not copied the British example, the editor of a leading website on faith and spirituality was not surprised by Borno's new job.

"There is clearly a huge number of people who are either disassociated with or disgusted with organised religion but are seeking spirituality by other means," said Steven Waldman, editor-in-chief of Beliefnet in New York.

"They are cutting out the middleman," he said. "It's in the nature of modern society that people are spiritual free agents now."

"Institutions are no longer imposing a message on the faithful," wrote Frederic Lenoir, a French sociologist of religion. "Individuals are freely taking what suits them from various traditions," he added, referring to what is sometimes derided as supermarket spirituality.

Borno bore that out in her first spirituality section, advising readers to tap their dreams to hear their inner voice and use ancient Chinese meditation tricks to think clearly.

"An amazing 44 percent of you think either you or someone you know is psychic," she told her readers.

"More than 50 percent of you believe in the accuracy of tarot cards and palmistry and 38 percent of you believe in mind-reading."

NOWHERE NEAR A CHURCH

As in many other European countries, this new search for spirituality has nothing to do with established religions, which these days attract only a small fraction of the population.

"We're looking at spirituality rather than organised religion, because that's where there seems to be a demand from our readers," Borno explained.

"They want something a bit more alternative."

Borno has no religious training herself and does not pretend to be an expert on dispensing theological advice.

"First and foremost, I'm a journalist," she explained, adding that she would consult experts to explain complex topics in what she called "Cosmo-friendly language."

"There is so much on offer out there and I will try to sift through the whole lot and extract the stories we think are interesting," she said.

That includes explaining meditation techniques, reviewing books or asking if traditions such as Kabbalah, an esoteric Jewish mysticism embraced by stars like Madonna (news - web sites) and Britney Spears, would help readers lead happier lives.

"Cosmo is all about presenting readers with practical options and tricks and techniques they can use," Borno said. "We don't want too much mystical baggage."

The trend towards "supermarket spirituality" has unnerved some traditional churches.

The Vatican (news - web sites) issued a long study last year arguing that the spread of "New Age" spirituality was an alarm bell for the Roman Catholic Church.

"The success of New Age offers the Church a challenge," it said. "People feel the Christian religion no longer offers them -- or perhaps never gave them -- something they really need."

CELEBRITIES DRIVE TRENDS

With people taking an increasingly individualistic approach to faith, Beliefnet's Waldman saw celebrities driving some of the latest spiritual trends.

"They see that Madonna goes for Kabbalah, so they check it out," he said. "They see the Dalai Lama has a new book on how to ease stress, so they try it."

The biggest spiritual leader in the United States, he said, was not any of the well-known preachers but television talk show host Oprah Winfrey. Her popular website has its own "Spirit and Self" section.

[Semper Paratus]

"The success of New Age offers the Church a challenge,"

Yeah but what kind of personal challenge is "If it feels good do it"?

[Voltage]

By spirituality they are probably talking about scented candles.

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[codyjacksmom]

Spirituality is a must. To me, it is a necessity of life. But whoever said shoes can't make a woman happy...hasn't seen my closets. LOL

[scory]

This is precisely the "spirituality" I would expect to be embraced by the Madonna's and Britney's and Cosmo's. Tarot cards and astrology, crystal-gazing and Wiccan ritual. What did the article call it? A "supermarket"?

I expect that as the baby-boom generation comes face-to-face with death in the coming decades that there will be a whole lot of this. Having convinced themselves that fad diets, vitamins, jogging and free health care will somehow deliver immortality and then watching helplessly as their friends and icons start to die off many of these people will be desperately searching for an "answer" that will ease their growing terror. But because so many of them have never bothered to address these matters or were too lazy or indifferent to undertake a real study and practice of actual spirituality they will look for shortcuts and hope for quick fixes. Cosmo and its ilk will be happy to supply these. And they will prosper because the people who finally learn the truth of their situation will no longer be on the scene to complain about the shallow distortions and lies that were peddled to them.

It should be noted however that many of the boomer generation have embraced actual religion and are working to live righteous lives. But they don't write for Cosmo.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Next thing you know, they'll play a "song of inspiration," before the hourly news on NPR.

[weegee]

"There is clearly a huge number of people who are either disassociated with or disgusted with organised religion but are seeking spirituality by other means," said Steven Waldman, editor-in-chief of Beliefnet in New York.

"They are cutting out the middleman," he said. "It's in the nature of modern society that people are spiritual free agents now."

"Institutions are no longer imposing a message on the faithful," wrote Frederic Lenoir, a French sociologist of religion. "Individuals are freely taking what suits them from various traditions," he added, referring to what is sometimes derided as supermarket spirituality.

Churches holding "same sex marriage" commitment ceremonies, letting openly homosexual ministers serve, and supporting abortion could also have a hand in why some people are losing their "faith" in institutionalized religion. The teachings have been hijacked by socialists who's goal is to tear down the institution of formal religion (formal marriage too, but I digress).

This isn't to create a "new, free world", it is to break peoples' will to defend America. What you knew is gone. Socialists and anarchists will admit that they oppose our constitional form of government if you can get them to open up.

[weegee]

"Constitutional"

[TheBigB]

I'll light a candle and wear a bracelet. There, I'm spiritual. </sarcasm>

[weegee]

Kabbalah, astrology, past-life regression, channeling, Scientology, et al...

[IronJack]

"I've come to the painful realisation that men and shoes are not enough to make me happy,"

"The key to true contentment lies elsewhere."

what happens now after years of breathless stories about dressing sexy, finding men and having multiple orgasms.

many young women long for something more than the materialist life.

"Lots of women say 'I have a great job, I have a great relationship, so why am I unhappy?',"

Yet, when conservatives said these same things to these same women 20 years ago, they were mocked as hopelessly out of date.

Just like with children, it's amazing how smart your elders get as you get older ... It's also telling that the entire self-indulgence movement -- of which Cosmo is a flagship journal -- responds to aging the same way children do. The implication is that the movement is childish, led by children, and as vain, dangerous, and irresponsible as any child's movement would be.

[what's up]

Don't forget Gaia...the god Gore loves to worship.

[presidio9]

My initial reaction to this story was "Cosmo adding a section on spirituality is like Kerry lecturing the Republicans on fiscal responsibility."

But that does not really even qualify as a joke.

[presidio9]

[yankeedame]

Cosmo adds spirituality to sex and shoes

(Sorry, it was just too tempting to resist.)

[weegee]

...Albert Gore Junior, the Unabomber, and Ted Turner's Captain Planet.

[kaylar]

"I've come to the painful realisation that men and shoes are not enough to make me happy," Hannah Borno, the magazine's new Spirituality Editor, wrote in the March edition.

SHOES aren't enough-!?!!!?? What's wrong with her!

[TheBigB]

AFAIC, that right there is proof of God's handiwork.

[TheBigB]