Self-esteem

The absence of self-esteem weakens the personality and puts the person at greater risk for crime, addictions, and other social maladies. In all religious denominations, psychological weaknesses decrease as religious orthodoxy increases.

Among college students, for instance, the practice of religion was shown in 1969 to have a positive effect on mental health; students involved with campus ministries were much healthier and made much less use of mental health services.

Significantly, self-esteem is linked to a person's image of God. Those with high self-esteem think of God primarily as loving, while those with low self-esteem think of God primarily as punitive. Carl Jung, one of the most influential pioneers of modern psychology and psychotherapy, said: Among all my patients in the second half of my life... there has not been one whose problem in the last resort was not that of finding a religious outlook on life. It is safe to say that every one of them fell ill because he had lost that which the living religions of every age have given their followers and none of them has been really healed who did not regain his religious outlook.

Other evidence exists that people with a religious commitment, whether young or old, who become emotionally or psychologically distressed are much more likely to seek help.

Joy comes from faith in God. Want to be depressed. Reject God.