Tamara McLean writes "YOUNG people who embrace trendy, self-focused spiritualism are more anxious and depressed than those who believe in God or reject religion altogether, a survey shows."
Faith can be a natural extension of one's life, or it can be an ordeal. The idea of having to jump through hoops, to prove ones self again and again while life passes one by seems uninspiring to me. Yet many young churches with spiritualistic themes get a large number of young people, so that established churches tend to promote the same kind of insanity for their flocks.
The Anglican and Uniting Churches, in Australia, have done much harm in supporting new age fads, like social liberalism. Compare and contrast Rudd with the former Prime Minister, John Howard.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Trendy Spiritualism Promotes Unhappiness
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Trendy spiritualism breeds unhappiness
By Tamara McLean
YOUNG people who embrace trendy, self-focused spiritualism are more anxious and depressed than those who believe in God or reject religion altogether, a survey shows.
A major Queensland study of 21-year olds suggests that the shift away from traditional religious beliefs to new-age religions is not making young adults happier.
The survey quizzed 3705 people on their beliefs in God, higher powers other than God, as well as their church-going habits and other behaviours.
Young adults with a belief in a spiritual or higher power other than God were at more risk of poorer mental health and deviant social behaviour than those who rejected these beliefs, said study author Dr Rosemary Aird, a population health researcher at the University of Queensland.
Young men who held non-traditional religious views were at twice the risk of being more anxious and depressed than those with traditional beliefs.
"This study suggests that new forms of religiosity demand further research attention to understand the extent that religious change is linked to population mental health and social behaviour among younger generations," Dr Aird said.
The research is believed to be the first in Australia to examine young adults' religious and spiritual thoughts, behaviour and feelings.
Dr Aird found only 8 per cent of young adults attended church once a week, a trend linked to lower rates of antisocial behaviour among young men but not women.
She said individualism was the common thread in the shift away from traditional religious thoughts to non-religious spirituality.
"This focus on self fulfillment and improvement over others' wellbeing could undermine a person's mental health with many people feeling more isolated, less healthy and having poorer relationships," Dr Aird said.
She said so-called new spirituality promoted the idea that self-transformation would lead to a positive and constructive change in self and society.
"But there is a contradiction," Dr Aird said.
"How can one change society if one is focused on oneself?"
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