(SRN NEWS)-( ) The country’s leading psychological organizations say that religion can play an important role in enhancing personal well-being and lowering the risk of mental health problems. The National Alliance on Mental Illness says that “Religion gives people something to believe in, provides a sense of structure and typically offers a group of people to connect […]
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(SRN NEWS)-( ) The country’s leading psychological organizations say that religion can play an important role in enhancing personal well-being and lowering the risk of mental health problems. The National Alliance on Mental Illness says that “Religion gives people something to believe in, provides a sense of structure and typically offers a group of people to connect with. It also reduces suicide rates, alcoholism and drug use.” The American Psychological Association and Mental Health America also endorse religious practice. A new study from the Wheatley Institute finds that religious belief and practice are overwhelmingly associated with better mental health.
( ) Faith leaders in Southern California are assuming new roles in their communities after last year’s devastating wildfires. Sixteen months after the tragedy, faith leaders are still helping community members pick up the pieces. They are learning about insurance and land use regulations while raising funds for essentials and to rebuild their houses of worship that were also gutted. Interfaith partnerships have strengthened after the fires out of necessity as faith leaders seek out mutual support. And congregations, which have been meeting in different venues to stay together, are now slowly making their way back home.
( ) A new study from the Hartford Institute of Religion Research shows that the median-sized congregation in the U.S. grew from 60 people to 70 people in 2025 — the first growth in average house of worship attendance in years. Institute spokesman Alison Norton says “The headline finding is cautious optimism,” adding that the data tells a story of resilience and recalibration. While the attendance growth is not enough to reverse years of decline just yet, it has been a long time since there has been any uptick at all. The median evangelical Protestant congregation reports 75 worshippers on average, while the median Mainline church reports 50.
( ) A historian is trying to answer the question of whether or not America was founded as a Christian nation, even as the country celebrates its 250th birthday. Mark David Hall argues that Christianity did strongly impact the founding. While some of the Founding Fathers did not hold traditional Christian beliefs, the rest of them did and that shaped their thinking about how to form the new republic. Hall says the founders’ attention to human dignity harmonizes with the Bible’s teaching of humanity created in God’s image. The system of checks and balances — to prevent the concentration of power — reflects teachings about human sin.