Give Me That Old Time Religion

Is ‘religion’ good for you? Janet Parshall will share her thoughts on that question in this week’s commentary.

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Episode Transcript

S1 (00:02):
While the world was struggling under the weight of the
Covid epidemic, another equally insidious pandemic was ravaging our country.
The plague of mental illness and members of generation Z
were particularly hard hit.

S2 (00:14):
Here to unpack present day issues from a biblical perspective
is Janet Parshall.

S1 (00:20):
The American Psychological Association reported in 2019 that generation Z
is significantly more likely than other generations, including millennials and
Gen Xers, to report their mental health as fair or poor.
They are also more likely, along with millennials, to report
that they have received treatment or therapy from a mental
health professional, compared to 26% of Gen Xers, 22% of

(00:40):
baby Boomers, and 15% of older adults. Last December, the
US Surgeon General issued an advisory stating that Covid 19
has a devastating impact on youth mental health. Now, a
study done by Springtime Research Institute suggests that spirituality might
be a part of the remedy to this problem. It
appears that having religious and spiritual beliefs, identities, practices, and

(01:02):
communities all correspond with better mental health. The study found
that a majority of all young people and nearly three
quarters of religious young people surveyed agree their religious or
spiritual practices positively impact their mental health. Many participants cite
prayer as playing a role in their spiritual practice. 51%
said they started praying regularly during the pandemic, and 74%

(01:24):
of participants who pray daily say they're flourishing, compared to 57%
who never pray. The research also found that 74% of
young people who identify as very religious, agree or strongly
agree that they are in good physical and emotional condition,
compared to 42% of non-religious young people. 7 in 10
young people connected to a spiritual or religious community report

(01:46):
having discovered a satisfying life purpose, as compared to 55%
of those who used to be connected to such a community, 42%
of those who are connected to a higher power state,
their emotional and mental health is flourishing, compared to 16%
of those who don't feel connected. While the study might
be seen as a good news report, there is a
cautionary aspect to the research. Generation Z appears to be

(02:08):
hungering after a connection with God, but they're not necessarily
turning to the truth found in Scripture. Gen Z appears
to be taking a pick and choose approach to religion. 62%
agreed that there are parts of many religions and spiritualities
that I agree with, and 48% agreed that they fit
in with many different religions and spiritualities. The takeaway from
this study should be this. There's a hole in the

(02:30):
human heart that can only be filled with a personal
relationship with the living God. We know him through His
Word and by knowing him through His son, Jesus. We
don't have to be trendy or relevant or postmodern in
our approach to the gospel. Just preach the truth, the
whole truth, and nothing but the truth. It's good for
your heart and your mind. Those are my thoughts. I'm
Janet Parshall.

S2 (02:50):
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In the market with Janet Parshall.