Here's what's happening on the church and culture front today...
Baptist World Alliance (BWA) General Secretary Elijah Brown and European Baptist Federation (EBF) General Secretary Alan Donaldson were each presented with national honours in recognition of the Baptist community’s vital role in providing humanitarian aid and spiritual care to millions affected by the war. (Baptists Together)
Around the world, many people who do not identify with any religion nevertheless hold a variety of spiritual and religious beliefs, including the belief that there is life after death, according to a Pew Research Center study of religiously unaffiliated adults in 22 countries. (Evans, Lesage & Corichi, Pew Research)
The growth of K-pop is all the more extraordinary when you consider the continued struggles facing the Western music industry. With demand for physical media declining – vinyl sales fell 33 per cent in the US last year – the industry’s only sure-fire way to make money is to charge ever-more scandalous ticket prices. (Power, The Telegraph)
Such heavy use exposes teens to a cascade of risks, with mental health impacts topping the list. A 2025 longitudinal study… found that increased social media use among preteens predicted rising depressive symptoms. Other research ties heavy use to increased anxiety, low self-esteem, self-harm behaviors, disordered eating and even suicidality. (Austin, USA Today)
Baptist World Alliance (BWA) General Secretary Elijah Brown and European Baptist Federation (EBF) General Secretary Alan Donaldson were each presented with national honours in recognition of the Baptist community’s vital role in providing humanitarian aid and spiritual care to millions affected by the war. (Baptists Together)
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Around the world, many people who do not identify with any religion nevertheless hold a variety of spiritual and religious beliefs, including the belief that there is life after death, according to a Pew Research Center study of religiously unaffiliated adults in 22 countries. (Evans, Lesage & Corichi, Pew Research)
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The growth of K-pop is all the more extraordinary when you consider the continued struggles facing the Western music industry. With demand for physical media declining – vinyl sales fell 33 per cent in the US last year – the industry’s only sure-fire way to make money is to charge ever-more scandalous ticket prices. (Power, The Telegraph)
Read more>>
Such heavy use exposes teens to a cascade of risks, with mental health impacts topping the list. A 2025 longitudinal study… found that increased social media use among preteens predicted rising depressive symptoms. Other research ties heavy use to increased anxiety, low self-esteem, self-harm behaviors, disordered eating and even suicidality. (Austin, USA Today)
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Churchgoers between the ages of 18 and 28 attend church more frequently than their older siblings, parents, or grandparents. A new study, part of the State of the Church research initiative from Barna Group and Gloo, found a post-pandemic surge among Gen Z churchgoers over the age of 18. (Silliman, Christianity Today)
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Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping were captured privately talking about living to at least 150 years old on the sidelines of China's massive Victory Day parade in Beijing. According to audio picked up on CCTV, the two were overheard musing about the possibility of immortality through organ transplants and advanced medical procedures. (Giordano et al., Politico)
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The operator of Pornhub will pay a $5 million fine to settle charges that it failed to stop child sexual abuse videos from being published on its websites, the Federal Trade Commission and the state of Utah announced Wednesday. (Dou, The Washington Post)
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“The Testament of Ann Lee,” an experimental, colonial-set musical about the rise of the Shaker movement from the team behind “The Brutalist,” is the Venice movie nobody can agree on — but that’s not stopping it from garnering Oscar buzz for Seyfried. (Yuan, The Washington Post)
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The “Let Them” theory, such as it is, is simple: Release what you can’t control — namely, the opinions, emotions and reactions of others — and reclaim your time and energy. (Nguyen, The Washington Post)
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In my two decades writing criticism, I’ve rarely run across something that refuses to let me see it just one way, but one such resistor is “The Wizard of Oz” at Sphere in Las Vegas. (Wilkinson, The New York Times)
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Once among the world’s fastest-growing religions, Mormonism is facing a 21st-century reckoning, driven by social-media influencers—and the church is racing to counter them. (Wells, The Wall Street Journal)
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Young adults are prioritizing economic security over marriage and having children, according to a recent report from the Census Bureau. These shifting priorities reflect the burden of rising living costs such as housing, food and travel. (Chernikoff & Borresen, USA Today )
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Hinton is among a growing number of prominent tech figures who speak of AI using language once reserved for the divine. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has referred to his company’s technology as a “magic intelligence in the sky,” while Peter Thiel, the co-founder of PayPal and Palantir, has even argued that AI could help bring about the Antichrist. (Fauria, AP News)
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Kids still like to go to the movies, according to a high-profile new research report. But the franchises they care about are not the traditional Hollywood popcorn fare. Seven of the top 10 entertainment franchises that the youngest generation of moviegoers cares about are video game properties, according to a recent study by National Research Group (NRG). (Lee, Los Angeles Times)
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It's not merely a retelling of “The Chosen, but it's the random things that kids at that time would've gone through… [with a] whimsical tone. It will explore their lives… and their questions about what it means to have faith, and who Jesus was and what impact his teachings have on their lives in a way that is done from a kid’s perspective.” (Jensen, USA Today)
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Some of the biggest porn sites that disregarded the “scan your face” rule entirely have been rewarded with a flood of traffic, a Washington Post analysis found. Some have doubled or even tripled their audiences in August compared with the same time last year. (Harwell, The Washington Post)
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As if the slaughter of children amid screams and shattered stained glass wasn’t cause enough for grief, American opinion makers were convulsed once again this week in a debate over the role of prayer in the wake of a mass shooting, this time at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis. (Smith & Stanley, AP News)
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They lost months of schooling to the Covid lockdowns, have been exposed to an explosion in online pornography and have had more screen time and access to social media than ever before. Now the most comprehensive poll of British 16 and 17-year-olds reveals the widespread repercussions for their development, education and social lives. (Wheeler, The Times)
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Since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, public security funding for congregations and religious schools has climbed into the billions of dollars. While much of it has been secured by religious minorities, the deadly shooting this week at a Minneapolis parish could be a moment of change for Catholics, the country’s largest faith group. (Boorstein, The Washington Post)
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In Texas, every public and charter school student will be without their phones during the school day this fall. Brigette Whaley, an associate professor of education at West Texas A&M University, expects to see "a more equitable environment" in classrooms with higher student engagement. (Carrillo, NPR)
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