The aliens should just go ahead and open their own church now:

People Said to Believe in Aliens and Ghosts More Than God

By Robert Roy Britt

More people believe in aliens and ghosts than in God, a new survey finds, according to a British newspaper.

The survey, however, was done by a marketing firm in conjunction with the release of an X-Files DVD, and details of how the poll was conducted were not reported in the Daily Mail. Survey questions, depending on how they are written, can greatly skew results, along with how subjects are sampled.

That said, the poll of 3,000 people found that 58 percent believe in the supernatural, including paranormal encounters, while 54 percent believe God exists. Women were more likely than men to believe in the supernatural and were also more likely to visit a medium.

Indeed, humans are prone to believing in things they can neither see nor find logical evidence for.

A survey of U.S. college students done in 2006 found 23 percent of freshmen had a general belief in paranormal concepts — from astrology to communicating with the dead. Interestingly, the number jumped to 31 percent among seniors and 34 percent among graduate students.

Researchers who have compared various human belief systems say our tendency to believe is deeply rooted…[the rest]

Meredith May, Chronicle Staff Writer

(SF Gate)

When it comes to giving away money, Bill Somerville doesn’t mess around.

Quite possibly the Bay Area’s fastest philanthropist, Somerville gives away $5 million a year to fight poverty, granting each proposal he likes within 48 hours.

He calls it “paperless giving,” and he’s made it the hallmark of his Philanthropic Ventures Foundation in Oakland, as well as his mantra for transforming the way money flows in America from the rich to the poor. Charities typically must submit multi-page grant proposals and wait months, even years, for grants. With Somerville’s foundation, it’s just a talk, a handshake and a whole lot of trust.

Critics say the approach doesn’t work for large-scale, international poverty work. But Somerville is convinced he’s found a better path to giving.

“I’m trying to push the envelope of philanthropy – most foundations are paralyzed in bureaucracies of their own making,” he said recently, over a meal of meat loaf, curry pilaf and steamed vegetables at the St. Anthony of Padua soup kitchen in Menlo Park.

“I find good people and fund them,” he said, using a favorite Somerville-ism from his grab bag of catch-phrases… [the rest]

Nepal ‘Buddha Boy’ returns to jungle

Nepal’s Buddhist Council do not believe that Ram Bahadur Bomjam is the reincarnation of Buddha

KATHMANDU (AFP) — A young man believed by followers to be a reincarnation of Buddha has returned to Nepal’s jungles to meditate alone, police said Saturday, as scholars cast doubt on his supporters’ claims.

Known as the “Buddha Boy,” Ram Bahadur Bomjam, 18, became famous in 2005 after supporters said he could meditate motionless for months without water, food or sleep.

“Bomjam went back into the jungle late Friday and all the devotees have left,” police officer Gobinda Kushwaha told AFP from Neejgad, a town in Bara District, 60 kilometres (37.5 miles) south of Kathmandu.

The “Buddha Boy” reappeared earlier this month after supporters said in March 2007 that he was going to meditate for three years in an underground bunker, although he was spotted on two occasions.

For the last 10 days, he has been blessing thousands of devotees who came daily to the site in dense jungle close to Neejgad…[the rest]