All posts filed under: Studies

It costs more to charge an EV, than fill a gas-powered vehicle in Britain

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People promoting electric vehicles told us that they were cheaper to operate than gas powered vehicles. Well, that green dream may soon be coming to an end. A British study says it is now cheaper to fill up a gas-powered car in England than an electric one as the price of electricity in that country has soared, The Telegraph reports. According to a report by AA, electric vehicles cost more per mile to operate than gas-powered vehicle, a difference of 16.18 pence per mile for an EV compared to 14.45 pence per mile for gas. This is the equivalent of £10 more per fill. And with the British government considering a ban on the sale of petrol vehicles over the next few years, the demand for and cost of electricity will only continue to rise. READ: Nolte: Brits Pay More to Charge Electric Car than to Gas Up AND New peak rates mean charging electric cars more expensive than petrol Toppling windmills On a related note, the unreliability and ultimately the cost of green energy …

US Energy Department report highlights huge cost of ending Keystone pipeline

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One of the first things that President Joe Biden did when he took office in 2021 was to cancel the Keystone XL pipeline. According to a report by the US government’s Energy Department, that decision came at a great economic cost, Breitbart reports. The report entitled, Keystone XL Extension Permit Revocation: Energy Costs and Job Impacts, was released in December 2021. It stated that the decision cost between 16,149 to 59,468 jobs in the short term. The Keystone pipeline was expected to ship 830,000 barrels of Canadian crude oil to the US, and create 42,000 long-term jobs amounting to $2 billion in total wages. This was all squashed when President Biden recklessly revoked the permits of the project that was already halfway done, resulting in the stakeholders terminating the project. READ: Quietly Released Energy Dept. Report Admits Mistake in Canceling Keystone XL Pipeline, Shows Economic Benefits

19 health benefits associated with vitamin D

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In a recent article on Study Finds, Matt Higgins analyzed several studies that showed the benefits of getting the proper amount of vitamin D, through either being outside or regularly taking supplements. Higgins pointed to 19 health benefits, which included these five. The studies revealed that vitamin D may help: For the full list READ: Soak Up The Sun! 19 Awesome Health Benefits From Vitamin D, According To Studies

Increased interest in spirituality brings opportunity and danger, surveys find

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According to a survey conducted by Barna, there is a potential for a great spiritual awakening among Americans, as they appear to be more open to spiritual things since the pandemic. The survey found that 74% of Americans stated that they were interested in ‘growing spiritually’ and 44% added that they are more open to God than they were before the COVID pandemic, Christian Headlines reports. The survey also found that 77% believed there was a ‘higher power’ or God and only 9% did not believe this. Barna CEO David Kinnaman said that while attendance at churches has declined since the pandemic, the survey revealed this growing interest in spiritual things provided a “tremendous opportunity for faith leaders.” “Across every generation, in fact, we see an unprecedented desire to grow spiritually, a belief in a spiritual/supernatural dimension and a belief in God or a higher power” Kinnaman added. He noted that this interest is even showing up among teens where 76% said that “Jesus speaks to me in a way that is relevant to my …

Do you spend time alone with God?

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A recent survey conducted by Lifeway Research found that 65% of people who attend protestant churches have a daily devotional or time alone with God, with 21% saying they do it more than once a day, the Christian Post reports. Of the remaining 35%: The survey conducted in the last half of September 2022, pre-determined that those surveyed attended a protestant church at least once a month. The survey also found that when it came to devotionals 48% of women said they did it daily compared to 38% of men. These times included reading from the Bible or devotional and prayer. The importance of spending time alone with God It is interesting that Jesus emphasized the importance of being alone with God: “When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen.” (Matthew 6:6a) He was comparing this to the Pharisees who liked to make a public display of their fasting and prayers (Matthew 6:16-18). But it can be difficult with our hectic schedules and myriad of …

While secular universities and colleges report declines, enrollment increases at Christian schools

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While universities and colleges across America as reporting declines in attendance, the same can’t be said for Christian schools of higher education, the Daily Caller reports. The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center reports that since 2020, the number of students attending universities and colleges across the US has declined 4.2%. While it is easy to blame COVID for the decreased enrollment, there was also a 1.1% decline in the fall of 2022, when the pandemic was largely over. Meanwhile, over the same period of time, many Christian colleges and universities were reporting increases: So while it is easy to blame COVID for the reduced enrollment in secular schools, if it was solely to blame, then the Christian schools should have seen declines as well, but they didn’t. This tells us that other issues are also contributing to the declining attendance in secular schools. READ: While Students Flee Public Universities, Christian Schools Are Only Getting Bigger AND Liberty Sets Student Enrollment Record in 2021 AND ORU Announces 13th Consecutive Year of Enrollment Growth

Major empathy study concludes women are different from men

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A major international study involving 300,000 participants has concluded that there are differences between men and women, the Christian Post reports. The study first reported in Fortune concluded that despite differences in ethnicity, nationality, language and age, women were on average more empathetic than men. “Our results provide some of the first evidence that the well-known phenomenon — that females are on average more empathic than males — is present in a wide range of countries across the globe” said David Greenberg, the study’s lead author from Israel’s IBar-Ilan University. “It’s only by using very large data sets that we can say this with confidence,” Greenberg added. The study further concluded that the difference is due in part to genetic variations between men and women: “On average, more men than women have a Type S brain type and more women than men have a Type E brain type. It is suggested that these brain types are caused by genetic and prenatal hormonal levels (2,3), as well as by environmental factors.” Coming to such conclusions in …

We can’t find aliens, because they all killed themselves off, study suggests

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Maybe it is a sign of desperation. But researchers have come up with a new theory on why we have been unable to find any signs of alien life in our vast universe, it is because these great advanced alien civilizations have killed themselves off. “Why aren’t they sending telescope satellites through our part of space?” Caroline Delbert writes in her article for Popular Mechanics. “And how can it be that out of all the planets and systems we’ve peeked into so far, we’ve seen nothing? She then cites a study by three researchers from Caltech and a high school student who concluded that we aren’t finding aliens, because these ancient civilizations have wiped themselves out. “They could even be extinct,” Delbert explains. “In fact, the research includes parameters for extinction and the idea of “self annihilation,” a probability that could be extraordinarily high.” When you remove God from the equation for the development of life on earth, and believe it happened through natural evolution, you have to conclude that it could easily happen anywhere. …

Majority of Americans believe that Christians should not be forced to compromise their faith

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According to a recent survey conducted by Summit Ministries/McLaughlin and Associates, a significant majority of Americans do not believe that Christians should have to compromise their faith in the face of woke, left-wing ideology, Breitbart reports. This included being forced to compromise their values in the areas of traditional marriage, trans issues and critical race theory. The survey conducted between Dec 9 and 14, found that 68% of Americans do not believe that Christians should be forced to compromise in these areas. But this poll also revealed that a significant percentage, 32%, believe that Christians should. However, when politics were factored in the results took an interesting turn. The more left-wing an individual was the less likely they were to believe that American Christians should have the freedom of religion. The survey found that while 78% of Republicans believe that Christians should have this freedom, only 41% percent of Democrats felt the same way. In fact, the same percentage of Democrats, 41%, believed that Christians should be forced to compromise their faith. Among independents, a …

Attacks on American churches on the rise, report finds

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A report just released by the Family Research Council (FRC) states that there were 420 attacks on 397 churches in 45 US states between January 2018 and September 2022, the Daily Signal reports. The report added that attacks on churches are also on the rise, stating that the number of attacks on churches in the first nine months of 2022 more than doubled the number for all of 2018. Churches of nearly every type were targeted, including evangelical, Pentecostal and Roman Catholic. According to the 84-page report, the attacks involved such things as bomb threats, arson, gun violence and even Molotov cocktails. There were also several acts of vandalism that ranged from spreading feces on a statue of the Virgin Mary to spray-painting obscenities and satanic symbols on churches to setting a nativity scene on fire. The report found that the two major contributing factors behind many attacks stemmed from the overturning of Roe v Wade by the Supreme Court and the Black Lives Matter protests following the death of George Floyd in May 2020. …

Most Americans aren’t ‘buying’ the climate change fanaticism, poll finds

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A recent survey by the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) has found that people aren’t buying what left-wing politicians and environmental extremists are peddling. The poll conducted by CRC Advisors asked a simple question: How much were Americans willing to pay to fight climate change. In a nutshell, the majority of Americans (57%) are only willing to pay $10 or less a month to fight climate change. In other words, Americans are starting to see through the extremist rhetoric and realize there is another agenda afoot. This quit being about the climate years ago and is now all politics. The Daily Caller provided an overall summary of the findings: Of course, some were willing to pay significant amounts: When you see the photos of those activists gluing themselves to cars and paintings, they all seem to be in their 20s or early 30s. So how much is this age group willing to pay for climate change? READ: Voters draw the line for ‘climate change’ cost at $10! RELATED: New Study: Greenhouse Gases May Not Be Causing …

Outrage over a study suggesting unvaccinated cause more car accidents

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A recent study suggesting that people who are not vaccinated for COVID are causing more car accidents than those who have been vaccinated is sparking outrage around the world, the Daily Mail reports. The Canadian researchers based in Toronto claimed that the unvaccinated are 70% more likely to be in car accidents where at least one person was hospitalized, than those who are vaccinated. They then suggested that the unvaccinated should pay higher car insurance premiums. The study was immediately mocked by those on social media, with some claiming this is not science but rather political science with an agenda, noting that there is a difference between correlation and causation. The following tweet was posted by Dr Vinay Prasad, a hematologist-oncologist and health researcher at the University of California San Francisco, in response to the study. ‘This also repeats the dumb idea that primary care doctors should specialty counsel unvaccinated people about driving,’ Dr. Prasad added. READ: Outrage as woke scientists say Americans unvaccinated against Covid should pay higher car insurance premiums – after study …

Two more Chinese police stations found in Canada: report

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According to Safeguard Defenders, a Spanish-based human rights organization, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has set up two additional police stations in Canada, LifeSite News reports. The report alleges that in addition to the two new Canadian stations, the organization has uncovered another 46 stations around the world. This brings the total number of CCP police stations illegally operating in other countries to 102. In addition to the three stations previously reported in Toronto, Safeguard has allegedly uncovered a police station in Vancouver and another station whose location is still unknown. “Safeguard Defenders said it identified the stations via open-source statements from People’s Republic of China authorities, including the country’s own domestic stations. via open-source statements from People’s Republic of China authorities, including the country’s own domestic stations”, Anthony Murdoch wrote in his article for LifeSite. Safeguard also alleges that the CCP, using threats against families still in China, has sent 230,000 people back to the communist regime through these outpost police stations. The RCMP is currently investigating potentially illegal activities conducted by these police stations …

Study: Vitamin D helps prevent dementia

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I haven’t done a study showing the benefits of vitamin D recently, and this one seemed like an interesting one, as researchers claim that vitamin D may be effective in preventing dementia. The researchers found that people with high levels of vitamin D in their brains were 33% less like to suffer from memory loss. Researchers from the Rush Memory and Ageing Project based in Chicago, Ill, came to this conclusion after examining brain tissue samples of 290 people who were part of a long-term Alzheimer’s study. None of the people who were part of the study when it started in 1997 had any form of memory impairment. They had a cognitive analysis done regularly over the following years and agreed to have their brains preserved after they died. By the time they had passed, 113 had been diagnosed with dementia and 68 others were experiencing what was described as a mild memory loss. Speaking for the research team, Dr Sarah Booth from Rush University stated: ‘We now know that vitamin D is present in …

Nearly 40% of Americans believe the world has entered the end times

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A recent poll by Pew Research reports that 39% of Americans believe that we have now entered the end times, Lifeway Research reports. But the survey also revealed the theological divide in Christianity regarding the last days Pew pointed out that there were essentially two basic views represented in the group who believe we are in the end times. This included 14% who believed that Jesus’ return is imminent, and that the world will worsen until the Lord’s second coming. The remaining 25% are described as all other end times believers. There are basically three views of the end times among Christians, and they all center on the Millennium or the 1,000-year reign of Christ recorded in Revelation 20:2-7, when Christ will rule the earth. During this 1,000-year reign, governments will submit to Christ’s rule. And this combined with Satan being bound will result in an unparalleled time of peace and economic prosperity. At the end of this age, Satan will be released and dealt with once and for all by God and the angels. …

Nearly 90% of Americans believe in some form of New Age belief, survey finds

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According to a poll conducted by YouGov most Americans hold at least one ‘new-age’ belief, that is contrary to Biblical doctrine, Christian Post reports. In the poll conducted in August 2022, YouGov provided a list of 20 New Age beliefs and asked Americans to select the ones they believed in, if any. The poll found that 87% of Americans believed in at least one new age belief and that 45% believed in at least five of them. As part of the survey, the people were asked how important religion was to them and 38% responded that it was very important with 22% stating it wasn’t important at all. The following is a list of some of the more popular new-age beliefs and the percentage of Americans who held them: Karma (55% of Americans believe in this) According to Buddhist/Hindu tradition, karma is a force generated by a person’s actions and results in negative or positive consequences. A modern American reinterpretation of this is ‘what goes around, comes around’. Hypnosis (41% believe this) Hypnosis is defined …

Child usage of Marijuana up 250% in 20 years, study reveals

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A recent study by researchers from Oregon Health and Science University has found that Marijuana usage has jumped 250% among those between the ages of six to 18 over the past 20 years, the Daily Mail Reports. The researchers came to the conclusion after studying reports of 338,000 cases of drug poisoning over the past two decades reported to poison centers by medical staff or the public. Based on these statistics, the researchers noted that not only was Marijuana the fastest-growing drug of choice by this age group, by 2014 it had superseded alcohol usage among teens. In the first year studied by the researchers, 2000, there were 510 reported Marijuana incidents for that age group. This had increased to 1,761 by the last year of their study, 2020. The most rapid increase (40%) took place between 2017 and 2020 when Marijuana was being spun as a safe drug by activists and politicians pushing for its legalization. READ: Smoke and minors: Child marijuana use has soared 250% in last 20 years — replacing alcohol as …

Lockdowns resulted in premature aging of teenage brains, study reports

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According to a study conducted by researchers from Stanford University, the COVID lockdowns prematurely aged teenage brains. The researchers stated that a teenager’s brain structure changes as they age and go through puberty. This includes both a thinning of the outer cortex, which helps with problem-solving and learning and the growth of the hippocampus and the amygdala which are responsible for memories and emotions. “We already know from global research that the pandemic has adversely affected mental health in youth, but we didn’t know what, if anything, it was doing physically to their brains,”, said the study’s lead author, Ian GotlibIn, in a news release announcing the findings. Prior to the pandemic, the researchers had scanned the brains of over 150 children as part of their research on teenage depression. However, the advent of the pandemic quickly changed the study’s parameters allowing them to examine the impact the COVID lockdowns had on the brain structure of teens. In its news release, Stanford University reported: “By comparing MRI scans from a cohort of 163 children taken …

Regular Bible readers in America gave $145 billion in 2021

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According to a report by the American Bible Society, people who regularly read their Bible, gave more on average than those of other subgroups, Christian Post reports. According to its annual State of the Bible report, in 2021, people who are scripturally engaged were responsible for 44% of charitable giving in America, amounting to donations of $145 billion. With an average giving of $2,941 in 2021, regular Bible readers also out gave other groups such as the ‘non-scripture engaged who averaged $924 that same year, and the ‘movable middle’ who contributed $649. The scripture engaged were also more willing to give with 80% of this group making contributions in 2021, compared to 68% of the moveable middle and 53% of those considered to be non-scripture engaged. READ: Scripture engaged Americans gave more than $100B to charity in 2021: report

Christianized versus truly Christian

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The U.K.’s Office for National Statistics recently released data from its 2021 census that revealed for the first time since this information was first compiled in 1801, Christianity is now in the minority in Britain and Wales, the Christian Post reports. The UK has a population of 67 million and according to its most recent census only 27.5 million or just over 46% identify as Christian. This is down from 33.3 million (59.3%) who declared themselves as Christians in 2011. While the number of people checking off Christianity has declined, the number of people who checked off ‘no religion’ has risen. In 2011, 14.1 million people (25%) said they had ‘no religion,’ and by 2021, this had climbed to 22.2 million (37%). At the same time, the number of people claiming to be Muslims and Hindus has increased since 2011. Just over 3.9 million claimed to be Muslim in 2022, up from 2.7 million in 2011 and the number of people claiming to be Hindus is now sitting at 1 million up nearly 200,000 from …

Orthodox Jews walking down a street in Old Jerusalem. Photo: Rico Grimm/Flickr/Creative Commons 21millimeters.ricogrimm.de

One million born-again Jews worldwide, study reports

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According to an article on by Joel Rosenberg, on All Israel website, it is estimated that there are approximately one million Jews around the world who have become Christians by putting their faith in Christ. This is based on a study by Lifeway, that found there are approximately 871,000 people of Jewish descent in America who believe Jesus is the Jewish Messiah. In addition, a study by Dr. Erez Soref, Israel College of the Bible, estimates there are about 30,000 Messianic Jews living in Israel. This puts the number of Messianic Jews in these two countries at around 900,000. According to World Population Review (WPR), there are approximately 15 million Jews worldwide, though some estimate the number could be over 17 million. The disagreement on the size of the Jewish population stems from how a person defines a Jew, which is traditionally determined by being born to a Jewish mother. In 2022, WPR reports there are 6.8 million Jews living in Israel and 5.7 million living in the US, but WPR notes on its website …

A sense of purpose leads to a longer life, study suggests

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Throughout the Bible, one message is delivered time and again, God has a purpose and plan for each of our lives. From Jeremiah’s prophecy during Judah’s darkest hour while in Babylonian captivity, God still had a plan and a purpose for every person, even though they had been ripped from the promised land: 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV) The Apostle Paul writes that we are all part of the Body of Christ, and each of us are gifted with a unique and necessary role. And Paul adds that those with seemingly lesser roles are often the most important (1 Corinthians 12:21-25). So, it is vital that you find God’s purpose for your life, because according to research by Harvard University’s School of Public Health, those who have a sense of purpose live longer lives, StudyFinds reports. The research team led by Dr. Koichiro Shiba came to this conclusion after …

Pastors believe their parishioners are more loyal to their political parties than their church, study reveals

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Recent research by the Barna Group found that a majority of pastors believe members of their congregation are more loyal to their political parties than their church. Writing for the Christian Post, Ryan Foley provides more details on the study: In September 2022, Barna asked Protestant pastors if they had given “serious consideration to quitting being in full-time ministry within the last year.” Thirty-nine percent answered in the affirmative, a slight decline from the 42% who reported that they were considering leaving full-time ministry in October 2021 and an increase from the 29% who said the same in January 2021. Barna identified “the immense stress of the job” as the leading cause of pastor burnout. Fifty-six percent of pastors who were considering quitting cited stress as a major reason for their discontent. Forty-three percent of pastors thinking of abandoning full-time ministry reported feeling “lonely and isolated” while 38% pointed to “current political divisions” as a factor leading them to consider a career change. Barna asked pastors to elaborate on how “current political divisions” have emerged …

Strong marriages and good friends key to a long, happy life

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In 1938, the Harvard Study of Adult Development started tracking the lives of 268 sophomores to find out what the keys were to a long life. One of the original recruits, John F. Kennedy would go on to become US president. Over the years, the study was expanded to include a few hundred more people. They were expecting to find eating right, exercising and avoiding drugs, smoking, and alcohol would be key factors. But the researchers were surprised to find that strong relationships, marriages and friends, were equally important to good health and long life. Robert Waldinger, a Harvard psychiatry professor and the study’s lead researcher, said: “It wasn’t their cholesterol levels that predicted how they were going to grow old. It was how satisfied they were in their relationships. The people who were the most satisfied in their relationships at age 50 were the healthiest at age 80.” […] “The surprising finding is that our relationships and how happy we are in our relationships has a powerful influence on our health. Taking care of …

Smoking weed more dangerous than smoking tobacco, study

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Since Marijuana has already been classified as a safe drug by the political and cultural elite, don’t expect it to be treated like cigarettes anytime soon. But a Canadian study conducted by Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa found that smoking Marijuana is more dangerous to a person’s airway health than smoking cigarettes, The GrowthOp reports. The researchers came to this conclusion after studying the chest CT scans of tobacco smokers, Marijuana smokers and non-smokers over 50 years of age for a period of 15-years (2005-2020). Though the test group was small, the study concluded that when comparing the rates of emphysema among the three groups, it found, that 75% of marijuana smokers had emphysema compared to only 67% of tobacco smokers and 5% of non-smokers. In her article for The GrowthOp, Angela Stelmakowich adds: Beyond emphysema, though, “rates of bronchial thickening, bronchiectasis and mucoid impaction were higher among marijuana smokers compared with the other groups,” study authors write. Additionally, gynecomastia was more common in cannabis smokers, noted in 38 per cent of the …

Americans will have a 1 in 179 chance of being killed if the current murder rate trend continues, study reports

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A recent study conducted by Just Facts reports that if the current murder rate continues that Americans will have a one in 179 chance of being murdered. Breitbart provides more details on the study: The organization explained in a study published on November 4: Based on a misunderstanding of new FBI data, NewsNation is reporting that 14,677 murders occurred in the U.S. during 2021, a supposedly large decline from 2020. In reality, that figure is far from complete, and comprehensive records from death certificates show that about 24,493 people were murdered in 2021. … Murders have become so common over the past two years that if the murder rate remains at the 2021 level, one out of every 179 people in the U.S. will eventually be murdered. Yet, certain politicians and media outlets are downplaying this bloodshed, while others are blaming it on Covid—a claim at odds with the facts. Just Facts argues that the FBI and legacy media are trying to downplay the murder epidemic by citing incomplete data. They are using a system …

Youth hospital visits for suicidal thoughts increased 59% since 2016

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According to a study published in Pediatrics journal, the number of youth (those aged 5 to 19) who have gone to the hospital because of suicidal thoughts increased 59% between 2016 and 2021, the Daily Wire reports. The study came to this conclusion after studying the hospital ER records for two Illinois hospitals, Northwestern University and Chicago’s Lurie Children’s Hospital. The study found that children as young as five were talking about suicide. The study also noted that children were struggling with other mental health issues including anxiety, depression, and substance abuse. Though the study was limited to Illinois, the chief operating officer at Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego, California, Dr. Nicholas Holmes, said that they have noticed similar increases. Nine years ago, they had between one and two children coming to the hospital on a daily basis because of behavioral problems. Today, they are averaging over 20. READ: Study: Youth Hospital Visits For Suicidal Thoughts Rose 59% Since 2016

42% of Gen Z have been diagnosed with a mental health issue

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According to a survey conducted by Harmony Health, nearly 70% of Gen Z stated that their mental health was negatively impacted by COVID pandemic and lockdown. As well, 42% said they have been diagnosed with a mental health issue, the Christian Post reported. Gen Z is made up of those between the ages of 18 and 24 (born between 1997 and 2012). The survey also found that 57% of those diagnosed with mental health issues are spending on average $44 a month for medication, for such issues as depression, anxiety, ADHD, eating disorders, insomnia, and PTSD. In addition, the survey reported: READ: 42% of Gen Z have diagnosed mental health condition, majority worried about future: study

Addressing Self-Delusion

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By Dr James Emery White

Money blogger Carl Richards of the New York Times used to think that helping someone get very clear on their current financial reality was the easy part of financial planning. Once reality was framed, the hard part started: like determining where you want to be in 20 years, and then guessing at such things as the rate of return you will earn and inflation.

Why forgiveness is like an onion

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According to a recent survey conducted by the American Bible Society, Americans who regularly read their Bible are more able to forgive others than those who don’t. In its survey, ABS asked people to respond to this statement: “I am able to sincerely forgive whatever someone else has done to me, regardless of whether they ever ask for forgiveness or not.” The survey found that 94% of those who considered themselves to be scripturally engaged agreed with that statement, compared to only 6% who did not. Scripturally engaged people were defined as those who believe the Bible impacts their daily lives and relationship with God and others. In comparison, only 59% of the people who were not scripturally engaged agreed with that statement. As believers, we understand that we must forgive those who hurt us. This was one of Christ’s major messages, we have to forgive, because we have been forgiven. But I would like to point out one important point about forgiveness. You may need to forgive the same incident more than once. When …

Poll: 37% of small business owners unable to pay October rent

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A popular coffee shop in our area that a friend and I often visited was shut down a few months back. A sign posted on the door by the owner of the building stated that they had not paid their rent. They didn’t survive the pandemic shutdown, and with the recent economic turmoil in the US, they may not be alone. A recent poll conducted by Alignable revealed that 37% of small business owners in the US may be unable to pay their October rent. The Daily Wire provides more details: Small American businesses, crippled by rampant inflation, higher gas prices, soaring supply chain costs, and a concomitant plunge in consumer spending, are growing in their inability to pay their rent, according to a recent survey. Alignable’s October Rent Report shows that in October, 37% of small business owners surveyed stated they were unable to pay their rent. The rate of delinquency was 30% in September. The 7% increase represented the biggest, fastest increase month to month in 2022. A total of 59% of small business owners told …

Poll: American’s fear of crime reaches five-decade high

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According to a recent Gallup Poll, American’s concern about crime has reached a five-decade high, the Daily Mail reports: “Americans’ fears of rising crime levels have hit a five-decade high, with 56 percent now saying there is more crime in their area than a year ago, according to polling released by Gallup on Friday.” “This past year has seen a five-percentage-point increase in the number of adults saying crime was getting worse in their neighborhood — the highest level seen since Gallup started asking that question in 1972. “The survey measures perceptions, rather than overall crime levels, which ticked up during the Covid-19 pandemic and after racial protests over the police killing of George Floyd, but appear to be levelling.“ READ: Americans’ fears of rising crime have hit a FIVE-DECADE high, with 56% decrying an uptick in their own neighborhoods, and growing alarm over muggings, carjackings, home invasions and school attacks, says poll RELATED: Nancy Pelosi’s husband Paul attacked in San Francisco home by intruder shouting ‘where is Nancy?’: source RELATED: San Francisco defunded the …

A smile can lighten up your day

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A cheerful heart is good medicine,    but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. (Proverbs 17:22 NIV) According to a study conducted by researchers at Stanford University simply smiling for a photo or selfie can actually improve your mood. The researchers came to this conclusion after studying 3,878 people from 19 countries. They were broken up into three groups. Half of them looked at images of things like kittens and puppies and the other half looked at blank screens. As they were looking at the images or blank screens, one group was told to put a pen in their mouth to mimic smiling. The second group was told to copy the smile of a photo of smiling actors and the third group was asked to use their hands, to physically pull up the corner of the mouths and cheeks to mimic a smile. The researchers found that those who copied the smile of the actors or pushed the corners of their mouths were significantly happier than those who didn’t. The study entitled, The Many Smiles Collaboration, …

Major review of Australia’s response to COVID concluded lockdowns and school closures were a big mistake

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A major independent review of how different levels of Australian governments responded to the COVID pandemic through lockdowns and the closing of schools and borders has concluded their response was a HUGE MISTAKE and cause unmeasurable damage. The review was led by Peter Shergold, who currently serves as Western Sydney University chancellor, and is well respected by people on all sides of the political spectrum. The review came to this conclusion after consulting over 200 experts from all fields including health and epidemiology, Writing for news.com.au, Joe Hildebrand provides more details: Lockdowns were wrong. School closures were wrong. Border closures were wrong. Poor people were hurt the most. These are the findings of the first and so-far only full inquiry into Australia’s response to Covid, an independent review funded by three major philanthropic organisation and headed by Peter Shergold, previously the most senior public servant in the country and now Western Sydney University chancellor — an eminent and highly qualified mind deeply respected on both sides of politics. […] They were wrong and they caused …

Study: Religion helped young people’s mental health

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Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7 ESV) A study conducted by Springside Research Institute (SRI), based in Winona, MN, has concluded that there is a positive relationship between religion/spirituality and good mental health, the Christian Post reports. The study entitled The State of Religion & Young People 2022: Mental Health–What Faith Leaders Need to Know came to the conclusion after surveying nearly 10,000 people between the ages of 13 and 25, also known as Generation Z. The study which focussed on the pandemic and related lockdowns found that during this period over half (53%) of those surveyed said they struggled with mental health issues during the pandemic years. The survey then questioned the remaining 47% who didn’t have mental health issues to find out why they didn’t struggle. The survey found of those who described themselves as …