Kerby Anderson
Ira Stoll begins his commentary by mentioning that Jonathan Haidt’s new book, The Anxious Generation, is currently the #1 New York Times bestseller. But he then adds that there may be “another, non-technology possible contributor to the mental health crisis that’s getting less attention but may be just as significant.”
That factor is church attendance. It appears that as church attendance goes down, mental health issues go up. A study in Harvard Public Health estimated “about 40 percent of the increasing suicide rate in the United States from 1999 to 2014 might be attributed to declines in attendance at religious services during this period.” Another study estimated that declining church attendance from 1991 to 2019 accounted for 28 percent of the increase in depression among teenagers.
A major review of 215 studies reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that “weekly religious service attendance is longitudinally associated with lower mortality risk, lower depression, less suicide, better cardiovascular disease survival, better health behaviors, and greater marital stability, happiness, and purpose in life.”
Ira Stoll observes that “plenty of mental-health clinicians I know see in religious-service attendance some of the habits and attitudes that can help to combat depression and anxiety. There’s the supportive community, the face-to-face interaction, the getting out of bed and out of the house, the sense of purpose and meaning, the expressions of gratitude and humility.”
And these are just the social benefits of church attendance. There are also spiritual benefits that come from committing your life to Jesus Christ, spending time in Bible study and prayer. That’s why going to church is so important.

Kerby Anderson
The fertility rate in this country hit a record-low last year. The total fertility rate dropped to 1.62 births per woman (we need 2.1 for replacement). But the US decline in fertility is not unique. Nearly every country in the developed world and most countries in the developing world face long-term population decline.
Columnist Don Feder was on my radio program recently to predict that a demographic winter is coming. He talked about countries in Asia that used to be known for their high birthrates. Japan’s economy is slipping into recession, due in part to lower domestic demand because of a falling population. China is set to lose 60 percent of its population by the end of the century.
South Korea has the world’s lowest fertility rate. Almost a quarter of the workforce is 70 and older. There are more Koreans in their 70s than in their 20s.
At the 2023 Natal Conference, Kevin Dolan warned that if birth rates continue to plummet, civilization will end. He predicts we “will pass through a bottleneck tighter than the Black Death.” As a millennial he laments that only 60 percent of his peers will marry and have children. The percentage will likely be even lower for Gen Z.
The one exception to this decline is religious people. Although he is Jewish, he acknowledged that Catholics and Evangelicals do have more children. To that list he also added Orthodox Jews and Mormons. Religious people have children because procreation is an act of faith. I quoted Psalm 127 that reminds us that “children are a heritage from the Lord,” and we can be blessed if we have a quiver full of them.
We are headed for a demographic winter unless we return to a biblical view of procreation and family.

Kerby Anderson
This election year is certain the bring some significant surprises, and one of those is the possibility of a presidential tie. Dr. Merrill Matthews was on my radio program recently to talk about his article in The Hill.
A presidential candidate needs 270 electoral votes to win. Most people believe that much of the electoral map is already determined. That means that President Joe Biden can be expected to win 226 electoral votes, while former president Donald Trump can be expected to win 219.  The remaining 93 electoral votes come from the seven “swing states.”
If Biden won North Carolina, Georgia and Arizona and Trump won Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Nevada, both would have 269 electoral votes. Another scenario is if Biden won Wisconsin, Nevada, Georgia and Arizona and Trump won Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Michigan, there would be a 269-vote tie. In either case, the House would determine who serves as president, and the Senate would determine who serves as vice-president.
This outcome is less likely because of the very real possibility of “faithless electors.” Most states require their electors to vote for the state’s winner (though there are two states, which can split their vote). Some states (including some swing states) do not have a law prohibiting faithless electors. In that case, one or two electors could decide who would be the next president.
One final point: a third-party candidate could change some of this calculation as well. Independent Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and prospective Green Party candidate Jill Stein will likely affect the vote, especially in some of these “swing states.”
Perhaps you can now see why I say that we may be in for some significant surprises in the election year.