Nearly one year ago, the most prestigious group in medical research warned that COVID shutdowns and isolation would cause suicide rates to soar. The warning went unheeded and the suicide death toll is rising. But their studies also show one segment of people whose mental health did not decline. Read on to learn their “secret.” -Mat

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The highly respected Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published an article entitled, “Suicide Mortality and Coronavirus Disease 2019—A Perfect Storm.”

The respected journal stated that if the lockdowns continued and churches remained closed, mental health would decline and suicide would skyrocket.

The JAMA study specifically noted the role of churches in facilitating stable mental health, saying, “Weekly attendance at religious services has been associated with a 5-fold lower suicide rate compared with those who do not attend. The effects of closing churches and community centers may further contribute to social isolation and hence suicide.”

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But lawless governors, intent on seizing control, ignored the warnings. Society was summarily shut down, including schools and churches.

Nine months after publication, JAMA’s warning has come true. Our society – and especially our children – are suffering.

By September, the COVID lockdowns had produced a staggering number of deaths – not from the Chinese virus, but from suicide. And nowhere was that tragic consequence more visible than among our youth.

As early as May, suicide hotlines were overwhelmed. Some, like the Maryland hotline, had more than 800% increases in calls compared to the previous year.

A CDC Survey conducted in late June supplied the evidence that substantiates the JAMA article. Forced into isolation, Americans – especially America’s youth – are killing themselves at an alarming rate.

A staggering 40.9% of adults surveyed report having at least one adverse mental health condition, ranging from anxiety to depression. And 11% of adults over 25 contemplated suicide. Among young adults 18-24 years old, 25.5% had contemplated suicide.

And now the media is reporting stories of children – as young as elementary age – who are ending their lives. Isolated and lonely, deprived of the contact of their peers and church support systems, these children are choosing to end their lives.

Spencer Smith, a 16-year-old sophomore in Brunswick, ME, felt increasingly isolated as a result of distance learning, said his parents. Depression set in, followed by despair. Before his parents could see the danger, Spencer killed himself. In statements to the press, his mother blamed the shutdowns.

18-year-old Dylan Buckner was a senior and star quarterback at Glenbrook North High School, according to NBC Chicago. But handsome looks and athletic talent weren't enough to withstand the isolation and growing depression. Dylan ended his young life on January 9.

15-year-old Jo’Vianni “Jo” Smith was a softball star and well-rounded California kid by all accounts. Yet, she hanged herself amid the state’s stay-at-home orders, a local news station reported.

Sadly, there are scores of such stories illustrating the real human cost of lockdowns.

BUT THERE IS HOPE!

The same studies mentioned above also provide an answer. The JAMA article cited that regular church attendees are five times LESS likely to contemplate or commit suicide than their non-churchgoing peers.

A survey conducted by Gallup and substantiated by years of correlating evidence shows one group whose mental health did not decline in 2020 – and is actually 2% better than 2019. That group is regular church attenders.

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Church is not just a building, and it certainly is not just a simple speech that can be digitized and viewed online. No, church is the assembly of God’s people, meeting together for worship, for prayer and for healing.

That brings me to a personal story of a young man in his teens. On his way to end his life, he stepped inside a church.

Once inside, a perfect stranger, with no words exchanged, gave the broken young man a hug. That hug changed this young man’s life. Had the church been closed, as too many are these days, this young man would now be dead.

Thank God for open churches!

You see, a church is more than a sermon that can be digitized and posted to the internet (where Big Tech censors, sadly, can delete it at will). Church is more than a building and four walls, or even a steeple.

No, a church is the GATHERING of God’s people. And we KNOW what powerful things our Lord manifests when we gather in His name!

We are leading the legal fight for pastors and churches. Last night, we filed a major brief at the Court of Appeals in one of our church cases. The ongoing fight to keep churches open is a matter of life and death.

That’s why I am so thankful that a Challenge Grant has been established which will DOUBLE THE IMPACT of all donations made today. With five federal court cases defending churches against the radical governors of California, Maine, Illinois, Kentucky and Virginia, every resource will be needed. Please, make your best possible gift today.

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Finally, I encourage you to continue praying 2 Chronicles 7:14, and remember – keep your eyes on God, not the storm!

Mat Staver
Founder & Chairman

P.S. Don't forget about the EXTENDED Challenge Grant which will DOUBLE THE IMPACT of every donation given today.