Why all this unhappiness….especially among our young. The teen years can be miserable. Faces with acne, the handsome boy who won’t ask me out for a date; the girls’ whisper behind my back; I didn’t make the football team!! Basic teen miseries have always been with us. However, unhappiness now manifests itself in the most horrible ways, i.e., the rates of suicide (see here), self-injury, depression, mass shootings, and loneliness are higher than ever recorded.It seems that American kids may have been happier, and certainly less lonely, during the Great Depression and WWII than today, even with today’s unprecedentedly high levels of health, longevity, education and material well-being. There is of course, no single explanation. I’m sure that each of you reading this blog will come to your own conclusions but let me add my own: increased use of illicit drugs; less human interaction; the use of cell phones and internet for social contacts; lack of a strong family environment; access to porn sites and too much TV viewing; no religion or faith in the home; single family homes or absent fathers. The list is rather endless.
In 1831 a Frenchman named Alexis de Tocqueville wrote an observation about his visit to America. He said Americans’ unique strength derived largely from their participation in professional, social, civil, political, artistic, philanthropic and of course religious causes. These have all dwindled as government has become ever larger and taken over the role of these individual and private enterprises. Whereas young adults got together and formed bonds of friendship through nongovernmental associations, churches and community activities….through what organization will they form friendships today?
So perhaps the angst of our youth is not capitalism, not inequality, not sexism, racism, homophobia, or xenophobia, but rather having no religion, no community, no country to believe in and ultimately no meaning in life. These might help explain much of the unprecedented unhappiness today. Only a return to the traditional values of the past: love of country, the sanctity of human life; a return to Biblical principles; love of God….can bring the deep down happiness that will restore the human heart and bring real happiness into one’s life.....“Only the fool has said in his heart….there is no God” (Psalm 14:1 - see article). ---Barbara Hyland, Abidelines
---Mike Riley, Gospel Snippets
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