Good day and welcome to the Daily Article Podcast for Tuesday, August 8th, 2023.

I'm Chris Elkins, narrating today's article written by Denison Forum co-founder and CEO, Dr. Jim Denison.

Nearly 70% of Americans believe in the existence of angels, according to a recent Associated Press

National Opinion Research Center survey. The same percentage believe in heaven, though even more,

72% believe in the power of prayer. I wonder if there's no heaven, why pray to the God who

lives there? However, only 58% believe in hell, and even fewer, 56% believe in the existence of the devil.

I can understand why we would favor this cafeteria-style religion.

Most of us want to think our prayers are heard, angels exist to help us, and heaven is our future.

Fewer want to worry about the alternatives.

But ignoring reality makes it no less real. According to Axios, existential threats to humanity are soaring.

The article cites climate change, artificial intelligence, and Russian and Chinese nuclear arsenals.

Health experts are warning of another quote-unquote

triple-demic of COVID, flu, and RSV this fall. The Surgeon General has identified an

epidemic of loneliness and isolation in our society. We can tell ourselves that the Russian and

Chinese are our friends, that AI and climate change pose no threats,

and that viruses and loneliness are problems for other people.

But those who downplay geopolitical enemies often make them worse,

as British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's appeasement of Adolf Hitler tragically demonstrated.

Ignoring technological,

climate, and physical and mental health dangers only makes them more dangerous. As C.S. Lewis noted in the screw tape letters, Satan wants us to discount his existence so he can act in a world that is

ignorant of his devilish schemes. He especially wants us to reject the existence of

hell so he can convince us that we have no need to be saved from it. How can Christ followers

...