Proof That Faith Works
I'm a big fan of Jonathan Haidt.
He's the academic who almost single-handedly convinced most American schools that smartphones in the classroom were bad for learning, bad for development, and - in general - bad for kids.
He has an interesting post this week in his Substack blog that exhibits a clever use of AI: He prompted AI to reflect on how the Devil could stunt adolescent development, if that was the Devil's aim.
One of the "Devil's" strategies was to confuse identity and purpose. Here is the plan, straight from the "imagination" of AI:
"If you blur the sources of meaning—family, community, nation, faith, vocation—young people drift. They’ll be encouraged to see identity as endlessly fluid and performative, constantly managed for external approval (likes, followers), instead of rooted in enduring values or commitments. This makes them malleable, anxious, and dependent on external validation."
Wow. That nails it.
And note that one of those very "sources of meaning" is faith.
Haidt then shares this chart showing how American 12th graders believe "life often feels meaningless" from 1991 to the present.
First, you'll notice that the "Liberal" groups rise higher and faster than the "Conservative" ones. That is, "Liberal" kids, by this measure, are more likely to agree that "life often feels meaningless," especially recently.
But to me the real story is not "Liberal" vs. "Conservative," but "Religion" vs. "No Religion."
Note that whether or not kids consider themselves "Liberal" or "Conservative," those who feel "Religion is Important" are MORE likely to consider life to be full of meaning than those who don't factor faith into their daily worldview.
In other words, faith works.
So whether one is "Liberal" or "Conservative," one is likely to be happier and more fulfilled in the presence of faith and religion than in its absence, based on this survey at least.
It's a message for our times and for all time. Potent today and always. Especially in this season where we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.
Merry Christmas to you all. And to all your families, fans, and listeners.
If these statistics have any ring of truth, then indeed, God has blessed us, everyone.
Mark Ramsey Media does audience research for Christian Media - Perceptual research, digital studies, donor studies, underwriter impact studies, music studies, etc. Learn more here. Call Mark at 858-414-4191 or email markramsey@mac.com.
And if you want a strategy to solicit major donors to pay for your research, look here and download this Listener Impact Study solicitation for donors from WAKW-FM.
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