A Focus Group on Spirituality: What Does the Majority Think?

Recently I was asked to attend a focus group in the Chicago area. In case you don't know what a focus group is, it's a group of people that are paid to gather together by a market research company and give their time and share an opinion on a certain topic. It's easy money and you can get involved by simply adding your name on a list of marketing firms that gather data through focus groups. You can only participate twice a year for each marketing firm, but if you are eager to make some money on the side, you can do some research and sign up at several different companies in your area.

The focus group I was called to be a part of was on spirituality. The criteria you had to meet to be a part of the group was 1) you had to be between 35 and 55 years of age 2) you had to belong to a church or synagogue and be an active member 3) you agreed that learning about other religions was important to your own spirituality. I met all the criteria and so I arrived at the appointed time and settled in for a 2 hour discussion with other people of different religions and backgrounds. What I was about to learn was, shockingly, how very much I was in the minority.