Spirituality Boom

After reading “Spirituality Is One for the Books” (Sept. 4), I had to recheck my world history book. Yes, I had remembered it correctly: It said that the Middle Ages ended 500 years ago. The mounting interest in New Age nonsense would seem to contradict that statement. My history book describes how the irrational faith of the Dark Ages and the Middle Ages was overcome by the discoveries of Galileo, Kepler, Newton, Darwin, Einstein and others.

In the 20th century we have vastly expanded our knowledge of the real world through new discoveries in relativity, quantum mechanics, DNA, plate tectonics, cosmology, the microchip, virology and many other fields. It is frightening to read that so many people have chosen to follow the likes of Shirley MacLaine, James van Praagh and Deepak Chopra back into ignorance and superstition. It is as if we are moving into a new dark age. Last time it took humanity 1,000 years to recover.

ARTHUR BENVENISTE

Venice