Prozac Christians: Has Jesus Been Replaced With a Substitute?

It¹s become common knowledge that the 60 percent divorce rate inside the
church -- a place that upholds the sanctity of marriage -- is higher than in
secular society.
But failed marriages and broken homes are not the only tragedies that
Christians share with the rest of the world. Depression, a recent epidemic
in the church, is spreading throughout the Christian community. During a
recent visit to my hometown in North Carolina, I spent the afternoon with a
friend's mother. We talked about the issues many women face at the large
Southern Baptist church where I grew up. She spoke of the different women
she knows who take anti-depressants.

"I wouldn¹t be surprised to find out that half the women in the church are
on anti-depressants," she said.

I was shocked. She told me story after story about women she knew who have
strong faith and selflessly serve in the congregation but are also
prescribed Prozac and other common depression medication. I realized that I
also knew several women, my friends and my mother¹s friends, who use
anti-depressants.

But for Christians, the issue goes beyond the safety of the medication. The
question that needs to be asked is "why?!" Christians claim the truth from
the hymn "Power in the Blood" and the Apostle John¹s concept of "abundant
life". But why are they caught up in an emotional existence of mere
survival? The church is supposed to be the place to find the answer, the
cure, Jesus. Instead, it has become a social gathering of sedated
spiritualists lining the pews. They dress neatly, implying a sense of
togetherness, and they sing songs that describe surrender to their God that
they didn't naturally wake up experiencing (Jessica Dorian, "The Standard
Report," 2004).

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Sad article, no?

I think a lot of it has to do with the "believe in yourself / trust in yourself" nonsense.  There's nothing biblical about that.  I can do all things through CHRIST who strengthens me, not [insert any other name here] who strengthens me.  We're nothing without Him.  Also, people are too quick to inhale mind altering medication these days.  It should be a last resort... but nowadays, people eat them like candy.

Take those ingredients, mix in two cups of "conforming to the world," and you have yourself a recipe for disaster.  Makes one (1) ruined life.

...a 55-45 Senate...

...several gains in The House...

...no more Tom Daschle...

...the arch-left branch of the democrat party is in shambles...

...and four more years of a Bush presidency...

...I breathe once more.

This country has proven that it will not accept the warped ideology of the Left.  Conservative Christians actually went out and VOTED in this election; voila: the results.  Here's to the Pro-Life, Bible-believing, Israel-loving, anti-UN, fiscal conversatives of America, who are not afraid of appearing partisan (and offending socialist, atheistic western Europe) by doing the RIGHT THING.

Here's to you, and here's to a promising 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008.