We live at a time when the foundations of belief and faith are shaken; when attachment to a materialistic way of life is almost universally prized and pursued; and when the anthems of compassion, care, and love are silenced by cries of self-interest, self-protection, and fear and hatred of 'others'. It is increasingly evident to those who are not seduced by the prevailing materialistic way of life, that materialism, like a cancerous malady, will eventually destroy the very civilization it has labored to create. Equally ominous is the rise of religious fundamentalism and militarism that has...