We've Got Issues by Phillip C. McGraw

Author:Phillip C. McGraw
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Threshold Editions
Published: 2024-02-27T00:00:00+00:00

This is not to say that we don’t believe in God, or the Almighty, or some higher power—most of us still do.

But we’re leaving behind organized religion—which I’m defining as a structured system of faith or worship, especially one followed by a large number of people—in shocking numbers. In 1988, 17 percent of Americans said they never attended religious services. By 2021, that number had almost doubled—to 31 percent.

At this point, you might be wondering if I’ve started wearing vestments and calling myself “Reverend Phil” instead of “Dr. Phil.” Nope, I’m not here to proselytize (although maybe I’m being a little preachy), but as I suggest in the title, I am fighting for the collective soul of our country. When I say collective soul, I mean our character, free will, reason, feeling, consciousness, perception, thinking, and our memory of what this country has been and how we got to be that shining city on a hill. In an earlier chapter, I talk about the collective personality in the example of a jury, and the collective personality of the community, the state, and our nation. At the core is our collective soul. When we allow revisionist historians to overwrite that which has been imprinted on the soul of our country, everything starts to unravel. We can’t just forget who we are. In simpler terms, we have to “dance with who brung us.” So, I’m here on a different calling, which is to inspire you to stand strong for our soul and sanity—what this country has been and part of what you have been, as well as what it can be, so that we do not let it slip away. This is as much a spiritual battle as it is any other kind.

According to a Frontiers in Psychology study, spirituality is directly associated with psychological well-being.3 Adults who attended religious services at least monthly as adolescents were more likely to be happy as adults.4 And actively religious adults smoke and drink less—and even though they don’t necessarily exercise more—they live longer and cope with stress better.5

We are in a mental health crisis in this country right now, and one of the solutions is staring us in the face!

One of the things I’ve noticed, and maybe you have too, is that very few people attend church alone. It has a way of bringing together families and communities. It creates an opportunity to come together in a shared moment of reverence, a social interaction, which science tells us strengthens social bonds. In a divided society, a communal worshiping experience helps create unity and social cohesion.6 This has major implications, because the absence of social cohesion is one of the key preconditions for conflict and violence.

The fundamental values underpinning the major religions also teach people how to be good members of society. The Ten Commandments may be the most widely known set of rules for moral behavior in existence.7 Also known as the Decalogue, these ten rules form the foundation of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.

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