HL Mencken defined Puritanism as “the obsessive fear that someone, somewhere, might be happy.” However, judging by the mental and emotional state of the children of secularism, it is not Christianity – Puritan or otherwise – that is making people unhappy.
Never before have so few Americans identified as Christian and attended church, but many are quick to attribute the decline of joy to Christianity and its moral demands. After all, it is said, Christians are spoilsport, biblical morality deprives people of freedom and expression, and much of the Church’s teaching is harmful, even abusive.
In contrast, secularism, with its so-called sexual “liberation,” is sold with the promise of allowing people to be free and happy. Secular thinkers are committed to bringing progress and flourishing to humanity. The 20th century, however, proved that these thinkers could not deliver the goods. Their promises of civilizational progress, at least, had failed. In response, postmodern thinkers like Foucault and Derrida heralded the death of the utopian dreams of secularism, but offered hope that sexual liberation would, at least, make people happy. If we are to believe the first decades of the 21st century, these promises were also hollow.
Last year, a Gallup poll found that only 41% of Generation Z feel fulfilled, compared to 60% of Millennials of the same age. Additionally, Gen Zers are “much less likely to rate their mental health as ‘excellent'” than previous generations. Their struggle is not only, or even primarily, about circumstances like the economy. Rather, it is a deep emotional, psychological and spiritual breakdown.
A spokesperson for the Centers for Disease Control cited in The New York Times Last year admitted that “young people tell us they are in crisis”. Girls are particularly affected. “Nearly three in five teenage girls felt persistent sadness in 2021…and one in three girls seriously considered attempting suicide. More recent surveys show little sign of improvement post-pandemic.
On top of that, or perhaps because of it, Generation Z has become “the most undatable generation of all time,” according to a journalist at Desert News describing Today’s young adults are terrified of commitment and serious relationships. In short, Gen Z is unhappy, sick, and chronically alone, not to mention social contagions like gender confusion. who swept their ranks.
So, what would become of all the promised happiness if only society were freed from religion and morality? Ex-evangelical deconstruction stories aside, our culture has not been guided by Christian values for many years. Millennials were arguably the first generation to grow up in a truly post-Christian America, but Generation Z, of which only 36% say they are Christians, are undoubtedly the children of secularism. And secularism has not treated them well.
Of course, besides religious belief or lack thereof, there are other factors that affect well-being. The rise of smartphones and social media has contributed to the erosion of happiness and mental health over the past decade. However, it should be noted that these are carriers of some of the most destructive ideas of secularism: hyper-individualism, gender identity, pornography-inspired body image issues and sexual dysfunction, just to name a few.
It is also true that Generation Z has more members raised in single-parent households than any generation in American history. This has, according to Mary Eberstadt’s 2019 book, Primal Screams: How the Sexual Revolution Created Identity Politics, caused terrible devastation. In fact, secular authors like Christine Emba in her book, Rethinking sex and Louise Perry in The arguments against the sexual revolution also argue that the secular reduction of sexual ethics to consent and the rejection of religious notions about family and the sanctity of our bodies have left millions of broken adults behind.
In short, a generation that grew up under the promises of freedom and happiness of secularism has come of age and its descendants are far from free or happy. We cannot blame religion for this mess. Despite what critics claim, the days when Christianity and the Church were the dominant players in cultural life are generations gone. To use the pop psychology vocabulary that young people love so much today, Generation Z has been traumatized by secularism.
Atheist historian Tom Holland has challenged the narrative that Christianity was the historical enemy of human rights, equality, science and democracy. As he argues in his book, Domination, Christianity gave birth to these ideas. Perhaps we need a new Tom Holland to argue that Christianity, far from the “nagging suspicion” that someone can be happy, was the only thing that preserved the institutions and practices that enable a prosperous population. And perhaps a generation victimized by the bad ideas that have eclipsed the faith will return to the faith and deconstruct its secularism instead.
This Breakpoint was co-written by Shane Morris. If you are a fan of Breakpointleave a review on your favorite podcast app. For more resources for living like a Christian in this cultural moment, visit breakpoint.org.
