Frequent churchgoers have had better mental health during pandemic
A new study has found that mental health remained stable for people who attended church frequently this year.
While the mental health impact of the pandemic has been a source of concern for many people, the Gallup Poll found that Americans who went to church frequently were more likely to say their mental health this year was "excellent".
Overall, around a third of Americans (34%) described their mental health as "excellent", down from 43% last year.
It seems to be the trend to ask about mental health as society attempts to remove the stigma of mental illness. And it seems to be trendy to be bi-polar or something else.
The problem is that real mental health issues impact behavior and decision-making. The "I feel down" or "blue" is a difficult thing to nail down. And then there are not really a whole lot of effective treatments available. Psychology, having distanced itself early from any sort of Biblical worldview, offers little help or hope.
""A new study has found that mental health remained stable for people who attended church frequently this year.""
Which church?
Roman Catholic? JW? Mormon? Metropolitan? Anglican? Episcopalian? Quakers? Hussites? Pentacostal? Oneness Pentacostal? Charismatic? Eastern Orthodox? Oriental Orthodox? Non Trinitarian Restorationist? Autocephalous churches? Zion Christian Church? Eternal Sacred Order of Cherubim and Seraphim? Kimbanguist Church? Redeemed Christian Church of God? Church of the Lord (Aladura)?
To be most charitable here, "mental health" may mean something entirely different for Biblically-informed Christians, so there's an Equivocation problem.
And to be less charitable, "are you mentally healthy?," even if having the same meaning for all, is a very subjective question, like asking someone "are you crazy?" Thus, such surveys are worthless, no matter how one looks at them, even if they may have conclusions we may like.
God is not the author of confusion. Planning is critical if one is to accomplish the goals laid out in 1 Timothy 4:13 and other places in Scripture. There needs to be an openess to the leadership of the Holy Spirit and i have seen what was planned thrown out the window so to speak for what actually happened during the service. But as the old saying goes if you aim at nothing you will surely hit it
My mental health during the pandemic has been excellent, and I put it down to the fact that Fellowship has been uninterrupted, zeal and service to God has been unabated, and of course the grace of God is upon me anyway, so that I can cope with most situations.
To those who are unable to have a 'normal' church service, I can recommend joining together with as many fellow believers as you can, and have a 'biblical' church gathering, which is an assembly, at which you can be led by the head of the church, Jesus Christ, without any preplanning.
Shortly, I shall be getting ready to do just that myself, and it causes great joy and peace in my heart and mind.
Dr. Alan Cairns | 4/6/2009
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