Facilitator's Guide - Free Bible Commentary

EVANGELISM INTO THE 21 ST CENTURY – FACILITATORS GUIDErules of Christ, which are the very heartbeatof the Church and its mission.”People whobelieve theBible arederanged —and evendangerous.Charles Colson in the chapter on HealthyBelieving in his book “Dangerous Grace”, statesthat when film director Martin Scorsese updatedthe 1992 thriller CAPE FEAR, he made onesignificant change: “He turned the crazed villaininto a Bible quoting Pentecostal Christian, with across tattooed across his back. In a scene wherehe tries to rape a woman, he shouts: “Are youready to be born again?”The message is clear: People who believe theBible are deranged and even dangerous. Thebelief that religion is harmful to mental health iscommon in secular media and academia today:The idea goes back to Sigmund Freud, whoregarded belief in God as neurosis." peoplewhobelieve inChristianitybut don’tpracticeit, doexperiencegreaterstress"But, in Christianity Today, Christian PsychiatristDavid Larson exposes that assumption as meremyth. When he examined the imperial data,Larson says he found exactly the opposite.Religious people are actually healthier than thegeneral population, both mentally and physically.For example, in a literature review, Larsondiscovered that 19 out of 20 studies showedreligion plays a positive role in preventingalcoholism. 16 out of 17 studies showed a positiverole in reducing suicide. Religious commitmentwas associated with lower rates of mentaldisorder, drug use and pre-marital sex. Peoplewho attended church regularly even show muchlower blood pressure levels.PAGE 8 OF 9