Story highlights We all fall somewhere on the sliding scale of belief and unbelief, Deepak Chopra says

Skepticism is a way station on the way to a higher, more fulfilling kind of spirituality, he says

Dr. Deepak Chopra is founder of the Chopra Foundation and author of "The13th Disciple: A Spiritual Adventure​." The opinions expressed in this column belong to him.

(CNN) No doubt faith is in crisis. But this applies, as is painfully shown in the CNN documentary on American atheism that broadcast last week, to the personal agony of families.

Standing back a bit, faith is on a rheostat, not an on-off switch. Putting God into the position of yes/no, belief/unbelief doesn't really reflect the modern state of faith. There are gradations of belief. In fact, 17% of people who identify as atheists still go to church -- they have social and family reasons for their choice rather than religious ones.

We all fall somewhere on the sliding scale of belief and unbelief. Secular society has sharpened our demand for truth. To me, this is a positive development. If belief in God can't stand up to proof, it won't sustain a person through difficult times.

Deepak Chopra

I consider skepticism a way station on the way to a higher, more fulfilling kind of spirituality.

Millions of people have walked away from organized religion to become more spiritual, not less. They call themselves seekers; their disbelief is a starting point for starting their own investigations.

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