Is burnout unavoidable? With workplace stress at an all-time high, it may seem that way. But according Dr. Eddy Brewer, Senior Pastor at Capitol Hill Assembly of God in Oklahoma City, the answer is no! His studies prove it is possible to prevent burnout and cultivate a healthy work-life balance. He shares the “how”—backed by extensive research and ancient wisdom—in this episode of the Know Why Podcast, the first in our series on Thriving at Work.
A Common Problem
New research from Future Forum found in 2023 that over 40 percent of workers (of 10,000 full-time, desk-based employees in six countries) reported being burned out. Those under 30 experienced burnout at even higher rates, and were the most at risk for burning out.
This aligns with Dr. Brewer’s findings. After writing his doctoral dissertation on burnout among clergy, Dr. Brewer discovered that “the majority of burnout among ministers happens within the first five years, and the majority of that happens within the first three years.”
It’s your responsibility to give attention to your spiritual condition.”
Dr. Eddy Brewer, Capitol hill Assembly of God
In short, work-place stress is hitting young adults hard. Dr. Brewer found other information in his research that may surprise listeners. Those most likely to experience burnout are unmarried singles. Among married people, those without children are more likely to experience burnout than parents. In general, women experience more burnout than men.
Think you might be experiencing symptoms of burnout? It’s typically marked by three signs, Dr. Brewer explained: emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and a lack of personal accomplishment.
Several factors can lead to burnout, Dr. Brewer said, including “unrealistic expectations” both of your job and your own performance. Lacking identity outside of work is also a big factor. “Try to separate your identity from your work,” he said. “Get your identity from who God made you to be, not just your career.”
Preventative Measures
How can you avoid burnout? Dr. Brewer suggests five steps:
Take care of your spiritual health.
Be thankful.
Rest.
Get a hobby.
Maintain meaningful and healthy relationships.
He also recommends reading the biblical book of Psalms, even if you’re not a frequent reader of Scripture. Many of the Psalms were written by David, a figure in the Bible who experienced burnout and frequent stress. The range of emotions expressed in the Psalms will resonate with anyone experiencing burnout. David wasn’t the only biblical figure to experience burnout. On the podcast, Dr. Brewer shares stories of others in the Bible who are burned out and learn to cope through things like delegation of leadership, naps, food, and more.
More Resources
Dr. Eddy Brewer has offered to email his dissertation on burnout to anyone who requests a copy. Readers will find a detailed list of resources on the topic in the dissertation. To request a copy, email [email protected].
Can racial justice and pro-life activism go hand-in-hand? In this episode of the Know Why Podcast, the latest installment of our Know About Pro-Lifers Series, Cherilyn Holloway says they not only can, but should. Founder and president of Pro-Black Pro-Life, Cherilyn challenges listeners to think and step outside the box in order to understand the systemic factors driving African American women to abortion. She offers practical advice for pro-life activists and a hopeful call for people from all backgrounds to work together to build a better future.
The Numbers
Even though African Americans only make up around 12 percent of the American population, they make up about 40 percent of abortions in this nation.
“We are essentially aborting our future.”
Cherilyn Holloway, Pro-Black Pro-Life
“We are essentially aborting our future,” Cherilyn told Know Why.
The fact that African American women are overrepresented in abortion statistics is well-known, but the why behind that fact is often overlooked.
That’s part of what led Cherilyn to start Pro-Black Pro-Life. She said she didn’t fit neatly into boxes people assumed she would be in. For instance, participating in pro-life activism didn’t make her a Trump-supporter. But in pro-life circles, she found her concerns about racial justice misunderstood or ignored.
“I realized that my community immediately categorized ‘pro-life’ to mean ‘anti-Black,” Cherilyn said, “because people who were pro-life typically advocated and voted for policies that were against their best interest.”
“I need people to know that I’m pro-Black and pro-life,” she added. “One does not mean you’re not the other.”
The Drivers
So what is driving Black women to abortion? Cherilyn mentioned several “systemic” problems, the largest, she believes, being economic imbalance.
“Seventy percent of women who are Black single moms who find themselves in a position to choose abortion make $35,000 or less,” she said. “Single moms who are African American who make $40,000 or more are 70 percent more likely to actually have their child. So we’re talking about a $5,000 difference a year.”
“I need people to know that I’m pro-Black and pro-life. One does not mean you’re not the other.”
Cherilyn Holloway, Pro-Black Pro-Life
If pro-lifers want to help lower the abortion rate in the Black community, recognizing and working to close gaps like those is key.
“The only solution to a woman having economic issues when she’s pregnant is not abortion,” Cherilyn added. “Why is that the only choice she gets? It’s not choice.”
Nine Days
Sometimes closing a gap for a woman facing an unplanned pregnancy simply means walking with her through the initial crisis.
“Typically a crisis situation lasts nine days,” Cherilyn said. “And if you can intervene within that nine days with tangible solutions, you can help bring somebody out of that crisis mode and into a more cognitive thinking process.”
“The only solution to a woman having economic issues when she’s pregnant is not abortion. Why is that the only choice she gets? It’s not choice.”
Cherilyn Holloway, Pro-Black Pro-Life
How can you be there for women in you community during their days of crisis? It starts with knowing what resources are available in your community and state, so that you can equip women with what she needs. It’s also important to know your own gifts and find ways to help that are right for you.
Can you give women without transportation a ride to doctor appointments? Make yourself available. Do you like public speaking about pro-life matters or racial justice? Make sure you’re educated about what you want to discuss. Cherilyn recommends reading The New Fight for Life: Roe, Race, and a Pro-Life Commitment to Justice by Benjamin Watson for a “more of a nuanced view of the issue and what to do about it.” Cherilyn wrote the foreword.
Cherilyn left podcast listeners with these words of wisdom:
“I would just like to remind everyone not to put people in boxes, not to immediately put your defenses up. Pro-black does not mean anti-white, pro-life does not mean anti-Black. Understand that there are different organizations and people who are running this race, and even though we’re not in the exact same lane, we have a common goal that we are running to. Be open-minded, be humble, and receive things as they come.”
Monica Snyder from Secular Pro-Life is back! In Part 2 of her conversation with Know Why Podcast, Monica tackles tough questions, including… Do pro-lifers care about bodily autonomy? Do embryos really have heartbeats? Are women being denied life-saving treatment post-Roe?
Scroll to end for links to additional resources and information.
Bodily Autonomy
Supporters of abortion say women should not be forced to support a fetus via pregnancy, and remaining pregnant when one would rather not be may violate bodily rights. Do pro-lifers care about women’s bodily autonomy?
“We’re all humans and we should be trying to create a society where we’re taking care of each other.”
She also noted that most pro-choice people wouldn’t support a mother intentionally starving her child by denying to breastfeed, even though breastfeeding requires a woman to use her body for the sake of another.
The difference is that some pro-choice people may not consider a baby a person with human rights until they’re born. “Bodily rights … only work in the abortion debate if you assume first that the embryo or the fetus is not a person,” Monica said. For the full conversation on personhood, listen to Part 1 of Monica’s interview.
Monica and Liberty also discussed how all humans are dependent on each other at some point in their lives.
“Embryos and fetuses are our offspring,” Monica explained. “They are members of our species. We were them at one point. They will be us eventually, in the sense of life stages. I feel like the abortion debate makes it so ‘us versus them,’ and it’s not accurate.”
Women’s Wellbeing in the Post-Roe World
But pregnancy does take a toll on women’s bodies—even when a pregnancy isn’t considered especially dangerous. It doesn’t do pro-lifers any good to downplay the difficulty of pregnancy, Monica believes. “I think that sometimes our side is too glib about what pregnancy entails, even a healthy pregnancy that’s not dangerous,” she said.
And when a pregnancy is dangerous? This became a major concern of many Americans after Roe v. Wade was overturned at the Supreme Court in 2022. When abortion was outlawed or more severely restricted in several states, news stories told frightening tales of women not receiving care for conditions like ectopic pregnancy or miscarriage. Abortion advocates warned women they could be prosecuted for seeking emergency medical treatment for miscarriages or medical emergencies during pregnancy.
“I think that sometimes our side is too glib about what pregnancy entails.”
Monica Snyder, Secular Pro-Life
Were these stories an accurate depiction of the Post-Roe landscape? In the episode, Monica explains which stories were likely to be untrue based on the laws of the state where they allegedly took place, what many state laws actually say about receiving emergency medical care while pregnant, and in which cases states may need to add more clarity to ensure women do receive the care they need.
Pro-lifers need to say to pregnant women, “Listen, whatever procedures or medication, or whatever you need to make sure that you are safe, those should be accessible,” Monica told Know Why.
Does an Embryo Have a Heart?
Many pro-life laws were activated by the Dobbs v. Jackson decision that overturned Roe, but other pro-life laws, like “heartbeat bills,” were growing in popularity around the nation even before the Supreme Court’s landmark decision. Heartbeat laws prohibit abortion after a heartbeat is detected via ultrasound. In response to these laws, abortion supporters began claiming that embryos don’t have heartbeats or even hearts yet—something that “astounded” Monica.
“Yes, there is a heart.”
Monica Snyder, Secular Pro-Life
“Yes, there is a heart,” she said, citing scientific information about the embryonic heart and using her biology background to explain its early development. “The heart is one of the first things to develop to get coordinated blood pumping.”
To learn more about the development of the embryonic heart, state laws regarding women’s health post-Roe, or any other topic covered in Know Why’s conversation with Monica Snyder, visit Secular Pro-Life’s website at one of the links below:
Religious. Fundamentalist. Republican. This stereotype is how many people imagine pro-lifers.
Monica Snyder, an atheist and Executive Director of Secular Pro-Life, busts that stereotype in a two-part interview with Know Why Podcast, part of our Know About Pro-Lifers series. In this episode, Monica talks about Secular Pro-Life and uses her background in biology to weigh in on the fascinating discussions surrounding the beginning of human life and personhood. Ready for shattered perceptions and a biology lesson? Start listening, or keep reading!
An Organization for Non-Religious Pro-Lifers…And Everyone Else
Create space for atheists, agnostics, and other secularists interested in anti-abortion work; and
Build interfaith coalitions of people interested in advancing secular arguments.
People of various beliefs work with the organization. “To be blunt, we don’t actually care what your religious beliefs are, or your political views,” Monica told Know Why. “We care, if you want to work with us, to advance arguments against abortion that are accessible to people broadly speaking—so non-sectarian, non-partisan arguments against abortion.”
“To be blunt, we don’t actually care what your religious beliefs are, or your political views.”
Monica Snyder Secular Pro-Life
Secular Pro-Life’s existence is a surprise to many people on both sides of the abortion debate. “One of the biggest stereotypes about pro-lifers is that they’re all religious fundamentalists, and so that’s what pro-choice people are expecting,” she said.
Other pro-lifers are sometimes surprised to find an organization dedicated to opposing abortion that is not faith-based, Monica explained. But she added that many religious pro-lifers have non-religious bases for their pro-life position, so aren’t as surprised to meet secular individuals who oppose abortion as well.
Life’s Beginning…Biologically Speaking
Science is what drew Monica to the pro-life argument. With an educational and professional background studying biology and working in a forensic lab, Monica said she enjoys “the scientific method—trying to come up with a question and test the hypothesis and figure out if it’s true or not.” She continued:
“What that means for the work I do with Secular Pro-Life, is a lot of times I will be looking at different factually verifiable claims having to do with the abortion debate, and trying to figure out what evidence there is or isn’t for them.”
One of the claims often made by pro-lifers is that life begins at conception, or fertilization.
“It is, yes, a biological fact that in terms of us as organisms, our life cycle begins at conception. That’s not a religious belief, that’s just straight biology,” Monica said, emphasizing that it’s important for everyone to understand this (and understand the difference between cells and organisms) before debating about abortion.
“It is, yes, a biological fact that in terms of us as organisms, our life cycle begins at conception. That’s not a religious belief, that’s just straight biology,”
Monica snyder Secular Pro-Life
But she also said the debate between pro-lifers and those who are pro-choice isn’t just about biology. “The philosophy comes in when we ask ourselves, ‘Ok, is that human organism morally valuable? Is that human organism a person? Does that humans organism have rights?”
These questions about whether and when a particular human organism has value and rights—personhood—is where most of the abortion debate rests.
The Making of a Person
“Pro-choice people have a lot of different ideas for when a human becomes a person, but we find that they all involve some major, very scary flaws in the argument,” Monica said.
For instance, many pro-choicers argue that a human organism in the womb isn’t a moral person until they have certain cognitive functions, such as perception of pain. But that logic implies that many people who are already born—whether premature infants in some cases, or people with certain disabilities—don’t qualify for personhood either.
“I take great issue with a philosophy that results in not only the dehumanization of embryos and fetuses to justify an abortion, but the dehumanization of groups of people that the person speaking wouldn’t even agree with.”
So when do human organisms gain personhood? Many people of faith, such as Christians, base personhood on the biblical belief that all human beings are created with inherent value, “in the image of God.” But what about for people who aren’t religious?
In Part 2 of this interview, Monica explains her take on more important topics often raised in the abortion debate, including bodily autonomy and more.
What would it take for churches to provide the love, support, and encouragement women need when they’re unexpectedly expecting? Amy Ford, President and Founder of Embrace Grace, has some ideas.
Amy launched Embrace Grace, Inc. in 2008 after experiencing her own unexpected pregnancy. Today Embrace Grace equips churches nationwide to do their part. Lives are being changed and saved as a result.
In this episode of the Know Why Podcast, a continuation of Know Why’s series Know About Pro-Lifers, Amy shares her powerful testimony. She also tells listeners about the ministry that is making churches a place more pregnant women want to run to instead of away from.
“It’s Just What You Did”
Raised in church, Amy became “unexpectedly expecting” at age 19 with her high school sweetheart. When her abortion appointment didn’t go as planned, they decided to get married—but the first pastor they asked refused to marry them.
(Hear the whole story of Amy’s unexpected pregnancy, marriage, and reconciliation with the pastor who refused to marry them on the podcast.)
“There are over 300,000 churches in America. If we all were doing our part, we could make abortion unthinkable.”
Amy Ford, President Embrace Grace, Inc.
Amy’s story wasn’t unique. Many other women have faced similar experiences in church, encountering judgment, shame, and loneliness at a time when they need love and guidance.
As one pastor told Amy, recalling a less-than-gracious response to a congregant’s unplanned pregnancy that he later repented for, “It’s just what you did.”
But is that the Christian way?
Pro-Love
Amy reminds listeners that it’s God’s kindness that leads us to repentance (Romans 2:4). She also references the biblical parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) to illustrate how churches should respond to women with unplanned pregnancies. In the story the father throws a party for his son who returns after running away. That’s how God is, and how the church should be. Instead, we can often be like the other son in the parable, Amy said—envious of the celebration the father throws for his rebellious son.
Amy founded Embrace Grace, Inc. to equip churches to respond to women with unplanned pregnancies the right way—an approach she calls “pro-love.” While being pro-life is a political stance, “Pro-love is where the change happens. That’s the action,” she said.
“You can have your baby and your dreams too.”
Amy Ford, President embrace Grace, Inc.
If more churches were truly pro-love, offering the support and assistance women need when facing an unplanned pregnancy, the felt need for abortion would disappear, Amy argues.
The majority of women who have abortions are doing so because they feel they have no other choice due to finances and other responsibilities, one study found. Churches can alleviate these concerns for women, Amy says. They can offer spiritual, emotional, and practical support for a woman and her family not just during pregnancy—but for life.
Why do women seek abortion? Is abortion truly the best solution to her problems? Is the pro-life movement active in addressing those problems in helpful and empowering ways for women?
Bringing perspective to these difficult yet important questions in this episode of the Know Why Podcast is Chelsey Youman, the Texas State Director and National Legislative Advisor for Human Coalition. Human Coalition uses online marketing strategies to reach women who are considering abortion. When women come in contact with Human Coalition, they’re immediately connected with a licensed nurse who offers support and resources that address the root of the woman’s need.
In her interview with Know Why, Chelsey noted that 76 percent of surveyed women who are seeking an abortion say they would rather parent than if their circumstances were different. “And that’s where our organization began,” Chelsey said of Human Coalition, “helping to fix those circumstances so she could see hope.”
“Does she really want [an abortion], or does she feel like she doesn’t have any other choice?”
Know Why Podcast
While every woman’s set of circumstances is unique, Chelsey said they see some consistent themes among women who reach out to Human Coalition and are considering abortion. Those include the need for emotional support, pressure from others including male partners and even family members, the costs of childcare, and lack of housing.
There are over 2,400 pregnancy resource centers in the nation that are dedicated to helping pregnant women in need. Human Coalition connects women with local pregnancy centers. It also offers a Continuum of Care program with 7,000 resources available to create an individualized care plan for each woman that will help her gain stability and independence. Several states, including Texas, have also agreed to provide assistance programs for pregnant women and parents after their children’s birth or adoption.
“It is always the right thing to say that innocent human life is worthy of protection.”
Chelsey Youman
These charitable and government resources aren’t often covered in the media, Chelsey said. When asked what pro-lifers could do to better help women, she responded that the church could be more involved in helping pregnant women and offering support to post-abortive women.
If you want to learn more about Human Coalition, the resources available to pregnant women, and the resources available to parents through Human Coalition’s Continuum of Care, click on the links below.
The Pregnancy Network — If you are pregnant or parenting a child age 3 and under, find out if you are eligible for assistance with childcare costs, food assistance, healthcare, housing, and more.
Today’s generations aren’t oblivious to the problems of the past. In recent years, young people in America have participated in important cultural conversations about our nation’s history and how we look at it. Part of that has included questioning whether certain historical figures or other aspects of our history are worth studying, remembering, or honoring.
On this episode of the Know Why Podcast, Richard Lim offers helpful perspective about human nature and the study of history. Richard is the host of “This American President,” a history podcast that delves into the lives and legacies of the men who have occupied the White House.
“The human condition is such that we should understand that everyone is problematic to an extent.”
Richard Lim, Host This American President
Richard told Know Why Podcast that in his study of history, he’s found no perfect people. “The more you study a person, the more you realize how human they are,” he said.
But that doesn’t mean we can’t learn from those figures or acknowledge their accomplishments. But how should we balance the ugly sides of a person’s life with what they accomplished? Does one outweigh the other? “I think you have to study the core of an idea,” Richard told Know Why. He continued:
“Say the American Revolution. The core of the idea was the idea that all men are created equal. It was the first time any group of people had ever said that. Now again, they weren’t perfect. They were dealing with problems of the old world that were very difficult to deal with, like slavery. But was the cause good? Absolutely. It was a great cause. It was the best cause you could have had at that time.”
“If we’re looking for the perfect cause, the perfect movement, and we aren’t going to study anything short of that, you’ve got nothing to study.”
Richard Lim, Host This American President
While ideas and historical figures can be celebrated for the positive things they’ve contributed to the world, people can go too far by glorifying eras or movements from the past that were wrong.
It’s a mistake to avoid studying history, even when certain figures are problematic. Studying problematic people, ideas, and movements can help us avoid making similar mistakes today.
Ben Bennett is the Director of the Resolution Movement, a speaker, and the co-author of Free to Thrive: How Your Hurt, Struggles, and Deepest Longings Can Lead to a Fulfilling Life. In this episode of the Know Why Podcast, Ben talks with Liberty about his personal journey from struggling to thriving—and how both brain science and biblical truth offered breakthroughs.
Millennials and Gen Z: Hurting Like Never Before
In 2019, 70% of teens said anxiety and depression are major problems amongst their peers according to Pew Research Center.
In the last five years, some research has shown that young adults are 63 times more lonely than those over 75 years old.
Only 4% of Gen Z hold to a biblical worldview, and is historically the least religious generation in American history.
Suicide is a leading leading cause of death among young people.
Ben also noted that few pastors report feeling very well equipped to help people with their mental and emotional struggles. As someone raised in the Christian church, Ben felt this personally. As he began dealing with multiple mental health issues and addictions, he felt alone and thought he would struggle forever.
“I had this cocktail of compulsions trying to survive, trying to deal with life.”
Ben Bennett Resolution Movement
“I had this cocktail of compulsions trying to survive, trying to deal with life,” Ben told Know Why Podcast. “I was trying everything I was hearing from Christians at the time but it just didn’t seem to work.”
Neuroplasticity: Renewing Your Mind
What Ben details in his book Free to Thrive with co-author Josh McDowell is that often, addictions, “unwanted behaviors,” and mental health struggles are humans’ attempted solutions to fill unmet longings. Everyone has ingrained longings such as acceptance. Not getting those longings fulfilled can trigger unwanted responses.
But those responses can be overcome by creating new pathways in your brain.
“Brain scans show that through repeated thoughts and actions, changes happen in the brain. The things you used to struggle with you no longer struggle with. New pathways are grown and developed.”
Ben Bennett Resolution Movement
“I just saw anxiety in my life go down by about 90 percent,” Ben said, “And what I realized was happening was, I was being transformed by the renewing of my mind (Romans 12:2), and neuroplasticity—brain scans show that through repeated thoughts and actions, changes happen in the brain. The things you used to struggle with you no longer struggle with. New pathways are grown and developed.”
Listen to the full episode to hear Ben explain neuroplasticity more and how it helped him overcome food addiction, pornography addiction, and anxiety when the well-meaning advice of others couldn’t. Ben also challenges listeners to think differently about Christianity, even if they have experienced legitimate hurts from Christians.
“It’s not that the bad’s not bad,” he told Know Why Podcast. “It’s that the good is too good to walk away from.”
So it’s not surprising that young adults are basing more and more of their life decisions on climate change — including whether or not to have kids.
Many young adults are worried that having children will overburden a planet that’s already overpopulated and further damage the environment.
They’re also worried about what kind of environment their kids will be born into.
Is this a valid concern — and if not, why not?
What We’ve Been Told
For most of our lives as millennials and members of Gen Z, we’ve been told our every action will affect climate change. As we’ve gotten older, we’ve been told by some that having kids is one of the worst things we can do for the environment.
“Before I got pregnant, I worried feverishly about the strain on the earth’s resources that another Western child would add. … But I also worried about the sort of world that I would bring my child into… Could I really have a baby, knowing that by the time he was my father’s age, he may be living on a dry and barren earth?”
Impending Doom? Not Exactly
These fears about having children and contributing to climate change are based on the worst-case scenarios. And in the media, the most alarming information often gets the most attention. People are drawn to bad news, so that’s what goes viral.
But a key characteristic of millennials and Gen Z is that we’re skeptical. So let’s engage some healthy skepticism and consider whether the climate change alarmists may not have a monopoly on the facts.
“Twelve years isn’t a deadline, and climate change isn’t a cliff we fall off — it’s a slope we slide down… even under a business-as-usual scenario, the world isn’t going to end in exactly twelve years.”
Kate Marvel, Climate Scientist Axios
A 2019 report from Axios quotes several scientists who agree that climate change is a problem that needs to be addressed, but disagree that the 12-year-doom deadline is an accurate way to frame the issue.
For instance, Kate Marvel, a climate scientist at NASA, told Axios, “12 years isn’t a deadline, and climate change isn’t a cliff we fall off — it’s a slope we slide down… even under a business-as-usual scenario, the world isn’t going to end in exactly twelve years.”
Here’s another quote in the Axios report, from Andrea Dutton, a paleoclimate researcher at the University of Florida:
“For some reason the media latched onto the 12 years (2030), presumably because they thought that it helped to get across the message of how quickly we are approaching this and hence how urgently we need action. Unfortunately, this has led to a complete mischaracterization of what the report said.”
Gavin Schmidt, who also works for NASA, said, “The thing to push back against is the implicit framing that there is some magic global mean temperature or total emissions that separate ‘fine’ from ‘catastrophic’. There just isn’t.”
These are scientists who believe climate change is a severe problem that needs to be addressed. But they reject the idea that we’re going to enter the apocalypse if we don’t reach a certain global temperature by 2030.
Mother Earth: Overcrowded or Plenty of Space?
Even if environmental doom isn’t coming in 12 years, are we going to run out of room and resources to take care of more humans if people keep having kids? In short, no. Let’s examine why.
Overpopulation fears are not new. Today’s overpopulation fears can be traced to Thomas Robert Malthus, an English scholar from the 19th Century.
Malthus believed the human population would grow at a faster rate than food production. This would lead to mass starvation, among other problems. He argued that the only solution was to curb population growth. Overtime, this resulted in cruel population control tactics.
Time proved Malthus wrong. The next century brought important industrial inventions. As a result, food production significantly increased. Sometimes it even outpaced population growth.
Even so, fears about overpopulation reemerged.
In the late 1960s, Paul Ehrlich published The Population Bomb. Echoing Malthus, Ehrlich predicted that the world was on the brink of running out of food and other resources. Since then, overpopulation fears have persisted.
Both Malthus and Ehrlich got something wrong. They underestimated our ability as humans to adapt to growth. Thanks to human ingenuity, we aren’t limited to the earth’s natural resources. And we don’t have to fear running out.
“The conditions that sustain humanity are not natural and never have been. Since prehistory, human populations have used technologies and engineered ecosystems to sustain populations well beyond the capabilities of unaltered “natural” ecosystems.”
In response to that British Vogue mentioned above, Peter Jacobsen, Assistant Professor of Economics at Ottawa University, made some interesting counterpoints.
For instance, he points to research that shows access to food and resources increased as population rose.
He also takes issue with one of the points Nell Frizzle makes in her British Vogue column, that air pollution now kills more people than tobacco, AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis. But the truth is that air pollution deaths are actually decreasing, but deaths from all those other causes are also falling, just at a faster rate.
“We found that humanity is experiencing what we term Superabundance – a condition where abundance is increasing at a faster rate than the population is growing. Data suggests that additional human beings tend to benefit, rather than impoverish, the rest of humanity.”
Human Progress
And this is where Jacobsen makes another really key point—a lot of times, air pollution rises as a nation develops out of poverty, but then often decreases.
As countries develop they tend to pollute more to get out of poverty, but as they grow rich they are able to afford to have even cleaner air than they did before development. … In fact, the above data shows there is less air pollution in London today than in 1700.
He also points to HumanProgress, an organization that publishes data from scholars, academic institutions, and global organizations on the state of humanity worldwide. Here’s what they found when studying the relationship between the world’s population and the world’s resources:
“We found that humanity is experiencing what we term Superabundance – a condition where abundance is increasing at a faster rate than the population is growing. Data suggests that additional human beings tend to benefit, rather than impoverish, the rest of humanity.”
They quote the late economist Julian Simon, who argued:
“Adding more people will cause [short‐run] problems, but at the same time there will be more people to solve these problems and leave us with the bonus of lower costs and less scarcity in the long run.… The ultimate resource is people—skilled, spirited, and hopeful people who will exert their wills and imaginations for their own benefit, and so, inevitably, for the benefit of us all.”
From Overpopulation Fears to Human Rights Abuses
Throughout history, overpopulation fears have led to atrocities.
Shortly after The Population Bomb was published, the U.S. helped found the United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA). The UNFPA now posits itself as an agency for reproductive heath. Historically, however, it has participated in morally repugnant population control tactics.
For example, the UNFPA had a hand in China’s infamous one-child policy that only ended in 2015. For decades it caused major human rights abuses, from sex-selective abortions to forced sterilizations. As a result, China now suffers from a dramatic gender imbalance a rapidly aging society.
When we are creators and stewards, we become aware of the infinite series of threads connecting us to the world around us — aware of the fragility and beauty of life, the preciousness of it. That is not an instinct, in my mind, which makes us less likely to fight climate change — but rather, more eager to seek to regenerate and heal our planet, and more likely to teach our children to do the same.
Elizabeth Bruenig is an award-winning journalist who made Forbes’ 30 under 30 list in 2019 and was a Pulitzer Prize finalist the same year. She wrote for The Washington Post in in 2019:
“Every child is born to risk…it’s impossible to be sure of anything except that life is not permanent and is prone to radical, sudden revolutions.”
In short, if you’re looking for a time to have kids when they are guaranteed not to have dramatic problems to face at some point in their future, you’ll never find that time.
Bruenig also makes another interesting point about respect for life and respect for the planet, and how they’re actually connected:
“It also appears to me that a certain disrespect for human life is how we arrived in the climactic fix we’re in now. … the culprits of climate change are not pro- but anti-humanity, and that it’s their ethos which inclines to nihilism, despair and death. Children are a clear statement of hope, a demand that we claim accountability for the future. They are a rejection of cavalier disregard for the planet we share.”
Olmstead and Bruenig are not dismissing the need to be environmentally conscientious. They simply argue that bringing human life into the world can be part of the solution.
If you’re looking for a time to have kids when they are guaranteed not to have dramatic problems to face at some point in their future, you’ll never find that time.
And interestingly, this is similar to the conclusion that Nell Frizzle reaches in her British Vogue column, despite her dramatic opening about whether having kids is “environmental vandalism.” Nell herself is a mother, and this is what she writes:
I also believe that when it comes to the future health of the planet, the question is not one of whether or not we continue to have babies. People will always have babies. … Instead, it is a question of how we raise those babies…As someone who is attempting to raise a child with an awareness of ecological inequality, who tries to satiate his desires with human interaction rather than material consumption, who helps him appreciate the natural world, I hope that my son might contribute to future humanity, rather than destroy it.
And all of these perspectives from young mothers really align with the arguments of Julian Simon, cited at Human Progress:
.… The ultimate resource is people—skilled, spirited, and hopeful people who will exert their wills and imaginations for their own benefit, and so, inevitably, for the benefit of us all.
Know Why
Millennials and Gen Z care about causes, care about other people, and are willing to shape our lives around our convictions, including taking care of the planet.
But it’s important to truly know why we’re making a change in our lives. If young adults are resisting having kids when we otherwise would just because of environmental concerns, we may not be basing that major life choice on legitimate evidence.
Interview with Jonathan Teague, Sr. Associate Pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church
Gallup reported in 2021 that church membership in the United States dropped below 50 percent. This is new for Americans, who have traditionally reported high rates of church membership and attendance.
Church membership isn’t just dropping because fewer people identify as religious now. Even among people who still identify with a religion, fewer are members of churches, synagogues and mosques.
“Pew researchers concluded that people who regularly participate in religious congregations tend to be happier and more civically engaged than their peers who are infrequent attendees or don’t identify with a religion at all.”
Carol Kuruvilla, Religion Reporter HuffPost
This leads Know Why Podcast to ask the questions, does church attendance matter at all? For those who aren’t religious or church attenders—what’s missing? For those who are religious, why not worship at home?
On this episode, Liberty and Jonathan Teague, Sr. Associate Pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church, share research that highlights several benefits of attending a house of worship. Jonathan also shares more about what a Christian church community should look like according to the Bible.
Happier in Church?
From a research standpoint, there is significant evidence revealing that those who frequent the pews are better off — and not just in the United States:
“But,” Pew found, “the analysis finds comparatively little evidence that religious affiliation, by itself, is associated with a greater likelihood of personal happiness or civic involvement.”
The social aspect of attending religious services likely plays a big part. According to Pew, “those who frequently attend a house of worship may have more people they can rely on for information and help during both good and bad times.” T. M. Luhrmann wrote for The New York Times, “At the evangelical churches I’ve studied as an anthropologist, people really did seem to look out for one another.”
“Although social activity seems to be a key driver of well-being among religiously active people, there is plenty of research to suggest that other factors play a role, too. Some researchers argue that virtues promoted by religion, such as compassion, forgiveness, and helping others, may improve happiness and even physical health if they are practiced by parishioners.”
The New York Times reported recently that with church attendance dropping in America, people are losing community that is important to humans’ health and wellbeing. That community isn’t getting replaced with secular activities, according to sociologists.
When Jonathan asks young adults what they hope to find in a church, here’s what he hears:
“More often than not, what they talk about is … being known, being loved, having a place where they can serve, having a place where they can find not only community, but identity, and finding a place where they have value and they get to participate in increasing value. And the good news is, the Scripture lends itself to all those things.”
“If you’re looking for—ideally—the friendliest, most loving, faithful place, you should find it in a church,” he added, noting that it’s up to Christians and ministers to keep those promises of what church is supposed to be according to Scripture.
And Christians often get it wrong. Jonathan notes that millennials and Gen Z don’t have a problem with the teachings of Jesus as much as they have a problem with Christians’ behavior. That’s why it’s up to Christians and ministers to keep the promises of what Christian community and churches is supposed to be.
“I think the majority of young adults, I think the majority of young millennials, they’re pretty cool with the ideas of Jesus, this whole idea of love and service and sacrifice and helping others and healing others.”
Jonathan Teague, Sr. Associate Pastor Prestonwood Baptist Church
What Does the Bible Say?
Biblical churches should be faithful, built on truth, and have members that actually care for one another, Jonathan told Know Why. And while many people believe in God without attending religious services, the Bible emphasizes church membership as fundamental part of Christian life.
“Every letter in the New Testament assumes Christians are members of local churches. … They teach us how to get along with other members, how to encourage the weak within the church, how to conduct ourselves at church, and what to do with unrepentant sinners in the church. … All these things are impossible if you aren’t a member of a local church.”