A recent study highlights the significant role of forgiveness in individual well-being, revealing that a positive relationship with the Bible is the strongest predictor of human flourishing among younger Americans. The American Bible Society unveiled the third installment of its *State of the Bible USA 2024 Report* on Thursday, examining human flourishing levels across the American population
John Farquhar Plake, Chief Innovation Officer and Editor-in-Chief of the report, commented on the findings, particularly regarding Generation Z (ages 18-27). “For the past two years, we’ve reported concerning trends about this generation, who are less connected to the church and scripture than older groups, leading to increased stress and diminished hope,” he noted.
Plake emphasized the mental health benefits for young adults who engage with the Bible, stating that they score higher on the Human Flourishing Index than their peers. “This suggests that regular interaction with God in Scripture may counter some of the unique challenges this generation faces,” he added.
The report focuses on the Secure Flourishing Index, which measures life satisfaction in areas such as happiness, mental and physical health, meaning and purpose, character, and social relationships. The study, based on responses from 2,506 U.S. adults collected in January, shows Generation Z has an average score of 6.4, lower than older generations.
Interestingly, "Scripture engaged" Gen Zers score similarly to engaged baby boomers and elders. In contrast, disengaged members of younger generations exhibit lower flourishing levels, with disengaged Gen Z scoring an average of just 6.0.
The study also found a strong correlation between forgiveness and flourishing. Respondents who strongly agreed with the statement, “I am able to sincerely forgive whatever someone else has done to me,” had an average Human Flourishing Index score of 7.6, significantly higher than the 5.4 score of those who strongly disagreed.
As agreement with the forgiveness statement decreased, so did flourishing levels, showcasing the importance of forgiveness in overall well-being.
Further analysis within Generation Z revealed that those who believe the Bible has transformed their lives report significantly higher flourishing scores across various domains. For instance, those who strongly agree that the Bible has had a transformative impact have an average score of 7.5 in social relationships, compared to just 6.2 for those who disagree. The gap was most pronounced in the meaning and purpose domain, with scores of 7.3 versus 5.0, respectively.
Overall, the findings underscore the vital connection between forgiveness, biblical engagement, and human flourishing, particularly for younger generations facing unique challenges in today's world.
