IN NEW SURVEY, AMERICANS TALK ABOUT FAITH JOURNEYS

"BACKING UP [THEIR] REPUTATION as a highly religious people, half of all American adults said that their life has been 'greatly transformed' by their religious faith. This is one of the results from a new survey by The Barna Group based on a nationwide telephone survey among a representative sample of more than 2,000 adults.

"Overall, 51 percent of the survey respondents said they have been greatly transformed by their faith, about one-fourth (28 percent) said their faith has been helpful but has not produced significant transformation, and nearly one out of five (17 percent) claimed their faith has not made much of a difference in their life....

"There were significant correlations between claiming to have experienced faith-driven transformation and engagement in various faith-oriented behaviors. For instance, people who read the Bible regularly were more than twice as likely as those who do not to have undergone faith-based transformation, and the same pattern was true among those who attend a church regularly compared to those who do not....

"'The faith journey of Americans is also clearly influenced by their age,' Barna continued. 'While we cannot tell if the distinction in people's journey is due to life stage or to cultural shifts over time, it is obvious that people under 25 are substantially less likely to have undergone serious change as a result of time spent reading the Bible. With America already struggling from serious Biblical illiteracy, the noticeable absence of the Bible in the lives of our youngest adults is likely to generate dramatic consequences in the decades to come.'...

"Barna also noted the interaction among different resources in a person's spiritual journey. 'In many cases, the transformational moment was the result of a confluence of several inputs—the encouragement of a friend, a personal commitment to spiritual growth, a church-related event or teaching, and something gleaned from religious media,' according to the California-based researcher. 'Spiritual development is a process. Those who are on the journey absorb a variety of insights until something occurs to blend them in a unique way that creates a transcendent moment.'"

"Half of Americans Say Faith Has 'Greatly Transformed' Their Life"
The Barna Group, Ltd. June 6, 2006

TAKING A SPIRITUAL APPROACH TO SUICIDE PREVENTION

"AUSTRALIAN HEALTH PROFESSIONALS are turning to spirituality with the failure of current approaches to cut the youth suicide rate. Melbourne-based David Tacey ... says that, while that's surprising, it's a lack of meaning or a lack of spirituality that can contribute to a sense of life not worthy to be lived.

"'This provokes the urge to self-destruction. It's very interesting that in areas of desperation, spirituality often emerges as almost the only ray of hope.'

"Tacey, who has addressed conferences on suicide prevention, believes that the secular world is 'running on empty' and represses spiritual impulses which, for young people, can provide the language they need to express their hopes and dreams. 'Growing up is about identifying and educating our aspirations. Without them life is pretty dull and drab.'

"'My belief is that there is a spiritual dimension in each one of us,' he says. 'I am personally aware of interest in spirituality in dozens of areas of human concern, from healthcare to physical education, architecture to business management. It seems to me that we are in the midst of a spirituality revolution as virtually every traditional discipline struggles to come to terms with postmodern interest in spiritual matters.'"

"Spirituality Potential Key to Suicide Prevention"
Scoop.co.nz. June 4, 2006