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The Return to Religion is a Turn to Jesus – Even Among Its Skeptics
Most of us can’t remember a time when belief in God was growing. For the last half-century, there has been a steady erosion of faith as secularism took root and grew in the soil of rebellion and doubt.
But today, interest in religion is growing. And it’s growing fastest among Gen Z.
Citing findings from the National Opinion Research Center, Christian Paz from Vox reports that the rise of the nones has stagnated, primarily due to the undeniable fact that Gen Z is “rediscovering faith.” There is no one explanation for this trend, but it’s clear that “members of this generation who feel isolated or lost might be finding community and friendship in organized religion.”
A new Barna study agrees with these findings. Its research shows that belief in Jesus is on the rise, fueled by younger adults. According to Barna’s latest data, two-thirds of all U.S. adults say “they have made a personal commitment to Jesus that is still important in their life today,” marking a 12-point increase since 2021, a clear indication of “meaningful spiritual renewal in the United States.”
Two significant indicators show how this trend is playing out in the lives of these younger adults, and both are at the heart of exactly how people are seeking answers in religion in general, and Christianity in particular.
The first is an increase in Bible reading. “For the first time since 2021, we’re seeing an increase in both Bible use and scripture engagement, particularly among younger adults and in men,” says John Plake, the Chief Innovation Officer for American Bible Society. “People are curious about the Bible and Jesus.”
As you might expect, this curiosity in Bible reading is leading to a tangible trend: Bible sales. According to data collected by BookScan, sales of Bibles rose 22 percent last year, a startling statistic considering that most other categories of book sales were flat. And just who is driving this dramatic increase in Bible sales and reading? You guessed it — Gen Z.
The other indicator isn’t as measurable as Bible sales, but it is perhaps even more dramatic. Younger adults are looking for meaning and hope in something that transcends their everyday lives, something Lauren Jackson calls “spiritual longing.” And just where do people go when confronted with this longing? Jackson says it this way: “I want a god.”
This desire for a god follows decades of loneliness, anxiety and growing dissatisfaction amid rising secularization. The rise of the “nones” — those who claim to have no religious affiliation — has made headlines for a long time now, while those who found meaning in religion shrank in numbers and influence.
At least it seemed that way, as belief in God was overshadowed by the so-called “New Atheists,” epitomized by Richard Dawkins in his 2008 book, The God Delusion.
“America’s secularization,” writes Lauren Jackson in a New York Times op-ed piece, “was an immense social transformation.” By 2021, nearly a third of Americans identified as “nones.”
But this shift didn’t lead to more satisfying lives. Quite the opposite. Research shows that those who are less religious “rank lower on key metrics of well-being” than those who have some kind of belief. “They feel less connected to others, less spiritually at peace and they experience less awe and gratitude regularly,” writes Jackson.
Especially among Gen Z — those born between 1997 and 2012 — the rates of loneliness and anxiety have skyrocketed.
As Jonathan Haidt concludes in The Anxious Generation, social media bears much of the blame for this “epidemic of mental Illness.” Although Haidt is a self-described atheist, he uses spiritual terms to describe both the impact of and the solution for this destructive trend.
“The phone-based life produces spiritual degradation,” he writes, “not just in adolescents, but in all of us.” And what does he suggest anxious and lonely people do to reverse this trend and improve well-being? Engage in “certain spiritual practices.”
And more people are engaging in spiritual practice — and becoming genuinely curious about Jesus. One of the places people are apparently looking to satisfy this longing is the multi-season television series called The Chosen.
In fact, one-third of all people who have viewed at least a portion of an episode are not believers at all. But they are curious about a show that is telling the greatest story about the greatest person in history.
Reports indicate that people who may have left the Christian faith are returning, partly as they’re “reexploring Christianity” through The Chosen. Others are agnostics or even atheists who are seeking answers and appreciate the way the show portrays Jesus.
By portraying Jesus and his chosen followers as real people with human traits we can identify with, The Chosen is introducing the faithful and curious alike to Jesus by simply inviting them into the story of God’s beautiful plan to offer hope to people living in a time when anxiety, loneliness, and despair are everywhere in our world.
And this introduction comes at a critical time: A moment when more and more people desire and seek precisely such an invitation.
“Nobody becomes a Christian because they lose the argument,” John Plake posted on his social media page. “It’s because they’re invited on the journey.”
That’s what this “return to Jesus” is all about. People are curious, people are watching, and people are joining the journey Jesus invites us to take.
Sources:CBN News
വാഷിങ്ടൺ: പ്രമുഖ സുവിശേഷകൻ ഫ്രാങ്ക്ലിൻ ഗ്രഹാമിന്റെ മകളും അന്തരിച്ച സുവിശേഷകൻ ബില്ലി ഗ്രഹാമിന്റെ കൊച്ചുമകളുമായ സിസ്സി ഗ്രഹാം ലിഞ്ചിനെ യുഎസ് അംബാസഡർ അറ്റ് ലാർജ് ഫോർ ഇന്റർനാഷണൽ റിലീജിയസ് ഫ്രീഡം സ്ഥാനത്തേക്ക് പ്രസിഡന്റ് ഡൊണാൾഡ് ട്രംപ് നാമനിർദേശം ചെയ്തു.
സെനറ്റിന്റെ അംഗീകാരം ലഭിച്ചാൽ ലോകമെമ്പാടുമുള്ള മതസ്വാതന്ത്ര്യ സംരക്ഷണവുമായി ബന്ധപ്പെട്ട യുഎസ് വിദേശനയ പ്രവർത്തനങ്ങളിൽ ലിഞ്ച് പ്രധാന ചുമതല വഹിക്കും. നാമനിർദേശം വലിയ ബഹുമതിയായി കാണുന്നതായും മതസ്വാതന്ത്ര്യം സംരക്ഷിക്കുന്നതിനായി മികച്ച രീതിയിൽ സേവിക്കാൻ പ്രാർത്ഥിക്കണമെന്നും ലിഞ്ച് അഭ്യർഥിച്ചു.
2010 മുതൽ Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Samaritan’s Purse എന്നിവയുമായി പ്രവർത്തിക്കുന്ന ലിഞ്ച് നിലവിൽ സീനിയർ അഡ്വൈസറും മിനിസ്ട്രി വക്താവുമാണ്. മകളുടെ നാമനിർദേശത്തെ സ്വാഗതം ചെയ്ത ഫ്രാങ്ക്ലിൻ ഗ്രഹാം, പുതിയ ഉത്തരവാദിത്വത്തിനായി അവൾക്ക് ജ്ഞാനവും ശക്തിയും ലഭിക്കാൻ പ്രാർത്ഥിക്കണമെന്നും അഭ്യർഥിച്ചു.
Sources:globalindiannews
Cissie Graham Lynch, the granddaughter of famed late Southern Baptist evangelist Billy Graham, said this week that President Donald Trump asked her to take up a key religious freedom position in his administration.
Lynch, whose father, Franklin Graham, leads the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, revealed the news on X on Sept. 15, saying Trump had asked her to serve as U.S. ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom.
The role helps lead the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. Lynch on X said it would be “a great honor and privilege” to serve in the role.
“If confirmed by the Senate, please pray that I would serve with excellence and make the most of every opportunity to protect our most precious and fundamental right—and one that far too many people around the world still live without—freedom of religion,” she wrote.
Lynch has remained active in the religious advocacy and aid networks started by her grandfather and continue to be run by her family.
She has served as an adviser to the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and at Samaritan’s Purse, an international Christian aid organization also led by Franklin Graham.
On Sept. 15 Franklin Graham said his daughter is “uniquely” qualified for the role, the duties of which include promoting religious freedom abroad and advising the U.S. government when that right is violated internationally.
The government says the religious freedom ambassador serves as “a principal adviser to the president and the principal adviser to the secretary of state regarding matters affecting religious freedom abroad.” The ambassador‑at‑large also has served as a nonvoting member of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, which has three vacancies yet to be appointed by the president.
Franklin Graham said his daughter has “traveled the world and been a student of this issue for many years” and has “a broad worldview and knowledge of the issues facing religious freedom today.”
“I couldn’t be more proud of her, and I ask you to pray that God would give her wisdom and strength,” Graham wrote.
http://theendtimeradio.com
മെസ്ക്വിറ്റ്: ഷാരോണ് ഫെലോഷിപ്പ് ചര്ച്ചിന്റെ ആഭിമുഖ്യത്തില് സെപ്റ്റംബര് 19, 20 തീയതികളില് പ്രത്യേക യോഗം നടത്തപ്പെടുന്നു. പാസ്റ്റര് അനീഷ് ഏലപ്പാറ ദൈവവചന ശുശ്രൂഷ നിര്വഹിക്കും.സെപ്റ്റംബര് 19 ശനിയാഴ്ച വൈകിട്ട് 7 മണിക്കും, സെപ്റ്റംബര് 20 ഞായറാഴ്ച രാവിലെ 9:30-നും യോഗങ്ങള് നടക്കും.
വേദി: Sharon Fellowship Church, 940 Barnes Bridge Rd, Mesquite, Texas.
കൂടുതല് വിവരങ്ങള്ക്ക് പാസ്റ്റര് സാബു സാമുവല് – 201-960-0427, ബ്രദര് റോയ് എബ്രഹാം – 214-738-3976 എന്നീ നമ്പറുകളില് ബന്ധപ്പെടാം.
സംഘാടകര് ഏവരെയും ഈ പ്രത്യേക ആത്മീയ യോഗങ്ങളിലേക്ക് സ്നേഹപൂര്വ്വം സ്വാഗതം ചെയ്യുന്നു.
Sources:nerkazhcha
വത്തിക്കാൻ സിറ്റി: 21-ാം നൂറ്റാണ്ടിൽ ലാറ്റിൻ അമേരിക്കയിൽ മാത്രം ക്രൈസ്തവ വിശ്വാസത്തിനും സാമൂഹിക നീതിക്കും വേണ്ടി ജീവൻ ബലി കഴിച്ചത് 304 ക്രൈസ്തവരെന്ന് ഔദ്യോഗിക കണക്ക്. വത്തിക്കാൻ സമാഹരിച്ചുകൊണ്ടിരിക്കുന്ന പുതിയ നൂറ്റാണ്ടിലെ രക്തസാക്ഷികളുടെ ആഗോള പട്ടികയിലാണ് കണക്കുകളുള്ളത്. വിശ്വാസം ഏറ്റുപറഞ്ഞതിന്റെ പേരിലും പാവപ്പെട്ടവർക്കായി നിലകൊണ്ടതിനും, സംഘടിത കുറ്റകൃത്യങ്ങൾക്കെതിരെ ശബ്ദമുയർത്തിയതിനും, പ്രകൃതി ചൂഷണങ്ങൾക്കെതിരെ പോരാടിയതിനുമാണ് ഇവര് കൊല്ലപ്പെട്ടതെന്ന് റിപ്പോർട്ട് ചൂണ്ടിക്കാട്ടുന്നു.
മിഷ്ണറിമാർക്ക് പുറമെ സാധാരണക്കാരായ അല്മായരും ജീവൻ വെടിഞ്ഞവരുടെ പട്ടികയിലുണ്ട്. വിശുദ്ധരുടെ നാമകരണത്തിനായുള്ള വത്തിക്കാൻ ഡിക്കാസ്റ്ററിയുടെ പ്രീഫെക്റ്റ് കർദിനാൾ മാർസെല്ലോ സെമെരാരോയാണ് ഇതുസംബന്ധിച്ച വിശദാംശങ്ങൾ വ്യക്തമാക്കിയത്. ക്രിസ്തു വിശ്വാസം ഏറ്റുപറഞ്ഞതിന് പുറമെ, മയക്കുമരുന്ന് മാഫിയകൾ, വനനശീകരണം, പ്രകൃതിവിഭവങ്ങളുടെ നിയമവിരുദ്ധമായ ചൂഷണം എന്നിവയ്ക്കെതിരെ ശബ്ദമുയര്ത്തിയതിനും അനേകര് കൊല്ലപ്പെട്ടു.
ഗോത്രവർഗ്ഗ മേഖലകളിലെ വനനശീകരണത്തിനെതിരെയും അനധികൃത ഖനനങ്ങൾക്കെതിരെയും സുവിശേഷമൂല്യങ്ങൾ മുറുകെപ്പിടിച്ച് ഇവർ നിലകൊണ്ടപ്പോൾ, അത് ക്രിമിനൽ-സാമ്പത്തിക താല്പര്യങ്ങൾക്ക് തടസ്സമായി മാറുകയായിരിന്നുവെന്നും അങ്ങനെയാണ് നരഹത്യ നടന്നതെന്നും കർദ്ദിനാൾ മാർസെല്ലോ സെമെരാരോ പറഞ്ഞു. ഈ നൂറ്റാണ്ടിൽ ലോകമെമ്പാടുമായി രക്തസാക്ഷിത്വം വരിച്ച 1,700-ലധികം പേരുടെ വിവരങ്ങള് വത്തിക്കാന് ഔദ്യോഗികമായി രേഖപ്പെടുത്തിയിട്ടുണ്ട്.
കടപ്പാട് :പ്രവാചക ശബ്ദം
The Catholic Church has documented 304 martyrs in Latin America so far this century. These are men and women killed not only for professing their faith but also for defending the poor, confronting organized crime, and protecting creation.
Their stories are part of a global catalog of martyrs promoted by the Vatican that already exceeds 1,700 documented cases.
“Many were murdered for reasons related to drug trafficking, deforestation, or for opposing the exploitation of natural resources,” explained Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints.
The cardinal noted that while many were missionaries, the group also included lay faithful who gave their lives defending the Gospel and denouncing drug traffickers, protecting Indigenous territories from deforestation, or fighting the illegal exploitation of natural resources.
As he explained, the common thread in these cases is that these individuals became “inconvenient” to those controlling illicit activities. Their Gospel witness clashed directly with economic interests and criminal structures.
A conference to reflect on the new martyrs
Semeraro offered these reflections while presenting the international conference “The 21st Century: A New Era of Martyrs?” at the Vatican, a day of study and reflection dedicated to exploring the witness of Christians who have lost their lives for the sake of the Gospel in various parts of the world.
The gathering, organized by the Commission for New Martyrs — Witnesses to the Faith, was scheduled to take place Sept. 15 at the Pontifical Augustinianum Institute in Rome.
The international congress will bring together some of the most prominent voices from the Church, academia, and journalism in Rome to reflect on Christian witness in the contemporary world.
Participants include Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo, archbishop of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo; Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin patriarch of Jerusalem; and Andrea Riccardi, founder of the Community of Sant’Egidio. Experts will also speak, such as Archbishop Fabio Fabene, president of the Commission for New Martyrs; journalist Lucia Capuzzi; historian Father Roberto Regoli; and South Sudanese religious sister Alice Jurugo Drajea, who will share about Christian life amid the war ravaging her country.
The initiative comes a year after the commemoration of the martyrs and witnesses of the faith of the 21st century, presided over on Sept. 14, 2025, by Pope Leo XIV together with representatives of other Christian churches and communities at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls.
Pope Leo XIV celebrate Mass for the commemoration of the martyrs and witnesses of the faith of the 21st century on Sept. 14, 2025, at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome. The commemoration was an ecumenical event that also brought together representatives from Eastern Orthodox churches, Oriental Orthodox churches, various Christian communities as well as ecumenical institutions and officials from Vatican dicasteries.
The commission continues to gather testimonies and information regarding Christians killed for their faith, aiming to preserve their memory and document the various forms of persecution and Christian witness in contemporary times.
According to data released by the organization last year, 1,624 martyrs worldwide had been documented between 2000 and 2025. Of these, 304 were from the Americas, a figure that reflects the specific nature of martyrdom in this region today.
The commission also noted that the record now exceeds 1,700 documented cases and that between 100 and 150 new testimonies were added in the last year alone, confirming that the phenomenon remains very much ongoing.
Holiness goes beyond canonization
In his remarks, Semeraro emphasized that holiness in the Church is not limited to those officially canonized.
“The grace of holiness in the Church is represented by canonization, but it is not exhausted by them. Obviously, this does not rule out the possibility that, provided the necessary conditions are met, the corresponding processes of beatification and canonization could be initiated for some of those listed in the catalogue,” he noted.
This is the case, for example, of Floribert Bwana Chui, a young Congolese man from the Community of Sant’Egidio who was murdered in 2007 for refusing to accept bribes and who was beatified in 2025.
However, he noted that the primary goal is to highlight the “high standard of ordinary Christian living” spoken of by St. John Paul II in Novo Millennio Ineunte, which Pope Francis later referred to as that of “the saints next door.”
The anthropological value of holiness
The cardinal also highlighted the deeply human dimension of Christian holiness.
“We need witnesses, martyrs, who have given themselves completely to demonstrate this to us day after day. We need them so that, even in the small choices of daily life, we may choose the good over comfort, knowing that this is precisely how we truly live life,” he explained, citing Pope Benedict XVI’s encyclical Spe Salvi.
Semeraro also highlighted the ecumenical value of this project, a characteristic that he noted St. John Paul II had sought to instill in the commission from its very inception.
Martyrdom continues to grow in the 21st century
During the presentation of the conference, historian Riccardi, vice chair of the commission, maintained that the Church is truly experiencing a “new era of martyrdom.”
He recalled that St. John Paul II promoted the gathering of testimonies from 20th-century martyrs for the jubilee of the year 2000, an initiative deeply shaped by his personal experience under the Nazi and communist regimes. In Riccardi’s view, that insight has proven even more relevant today.
For this reason, he explained, Pope Francis decided to reactivate and consolidate the Commission for New Martyrs, convinced that “the time of martyrdom continues.”
The Churchʼs response has been extensive. Dioceses, religious congregations, lay movements, episcopal conferences, and apostolic nunciatures have sent hundreds of testimonies to the Vatican.
http://theendtimeradio.com
‘Natural Realm Responded’: Filmmakers Detail Spiritual Manifestation on Set of New Movie
In Romans, the Apostle Paul wrote about the earth pointing to God’s “eternal power and divine nature.” The Koomans, two...
മറ്റുള്ളവർ ടാഗ് ചെയ്ത പോസ്റ്റുകൾ ഇനി സ്വന്തം പ്രൊഫൈൽ ഗ്രിഡിൽ; ഇൻസ്റ്റഗ്രാമിന്റെ പുതിയ ഫീച്ചർ എത്തി
ഇൻസ്റ്റഗ്രാമിൽ മറ്റുള്ളവർ പങ്കുവെച്ച് നമ്മളെ ടാഗ് ചെയ്ത പോസ്റ്റുകൾ സ്വന്തം പ്രൊഫൈലിൽ കൂടുതൽ പ്രാധാന്യത്തോടെ പ്രദർശിപ്പിക്കാനുള്ള അവസരം ഇനി ഉപയോക്താക്കൾക്ക്. ടാഗ് ചെയ്ത പോസ്റ്റുകൾ നേരിട്ട് പ്രൊഫൈൽ...
മതസ്വാതന്ത്ര്യ അംബാസഡറായി സിസ്സി ഗ്രഹാം ലിഞ്ചിനെ ട്രംപ് നാമനിർദേശം ചെയ്തു
വാഷിങ്ടൺ: പ്രമുഖ സുവിശേഷകൻ ഫ്രാങ്ക്ലിൻ ഗ്രഹാമിന്റെ മകളും അന്തരിച്ച സുവിശേഷകൻ ബില്ലി ഗ്രഹാമിന്റെ കൊച്ചുമകളുമായ സിസ്സി ഗ്രഹാം ലിഞ്ചിനെ യുഎസ് അംബാസഡർ അറ്റ് ലാർജ് ഫോർ ഇന്റർനാഷണൽ...
മെസ്ക്വിറ്റ് ഷാരോണ് ഫെലോഷിപ്പ് ചര്ച്ചില് സെപ്റ്റംബര് 19, 20 തീയതികളില് പ്രത്യേക യോഗം
മെസ്ക്വിറ്റ്: ഷാരോണ് ഫെലോഷിപ്പ് ചര്ച്ചിന്റെ ആഭിമുഖ്യത്തില് സെപ്റ്റംബര് 19, 20 തീയതികളില് പ്രത്യേക യോഗം നടത്തപ്പെടുന്നു. പാസ്റ്റര് അനീഷ് ഏലപ്പാറ ദൈവവചന ശുശ്രൂഷ നിര്വഹിക്കും.സെപ്റ്റംബര് 19 ശനിയാഴ്ച...
ഈ നൂറ്റാണ്ടിൽ ലാറ്റിൻ അമേരിക്കയിൽ രക്തസാക്ഷിത്വം വരിച്ചത് 304 ക്രൈസ്തവര്
വത്തിക്കാൻ സിറ്റി: 21-ാം നൂറ്റാണ്ടിൽ ലാറ്റിൻ അമേരിക്കയിൽ മാത്രം ക്രൈസ്തവ വിശ്വാസത്തിനും സാമൂഹിക നീതിക്കും വേണ്ടി ജീവൻ ബലി കഴിച്ചത് 304 ക്രൈസ്തവരെന്ന് ഔദ്യോഗിക കണക്ക്. വത്തിക്കാൻ...
MTV Star Leaves Gay Lifestyle After Encounter With Jesus
Davis Mallory was once an MTV star who lived an openly gay lifestyle while simultaneously adhering to what he called...
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