Even with the surge in converts — and the massive crowds predicted for the visit of the first U.S.-born pope — the French church is facing an uphill battle. The world’s largest Christian faith collapsed in France in recent decades — with less than half of the country’s 69 million people describing themselves as Catholic, compared with more than 90 percent in 1960s. (Faiola, The Washington Post)
Read MoreA group of Reformed pastors and influencers has wedded old-school segregationist theology with the hypermasculinity of the manosphere and the savvy of the attention economy to preach and sell white supremacy, antisemitism and patriarchy to angry young men. Its audience is small but growing, and their movement has ties to powerful religious and political figures. (Smietana, Religion News Service)
Read MoreAs head of policy for the Evangelical Alliance in the UK, Edmund had spent countless hours in the past two years briefing evangelicals on how to share their concerns with their members of Parliament (MPs) and coordinating campaign efforts with other Christian groups to defeat the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill. (Davies, Christianity Today)
Read MoreForty-three percent of Americans now have a positive view of socialism, marking the first time this figure has exceeded 39% in Gallup’s trend since 2010. Socialism still trails capitalism and free enterprise in public favorability but now ranks ahead of big business. Small business remains the clear leader among the five economic concepts tested, with 95% viewing it positively. (Saad, Gallup)
Read MoreResearchers analyzed data from more than 114,000 U.S. adults from the National Health Interview Survey and found that any alcohol use declined by almost 2 percent, and heavy drinking fell by more than 8 percent from 2022 to 2024. In the same period, Gen Z adults saw the largest decline in any alcohol consumption of around 5 percent, according to the study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Millennials saw a 17 percent drop in heavy drinking. (Wu, The Washington Post)
Read MoreAmerica has been in a steady religious decline, with each generation of adults less faithful than the one before it. Gen Z adults – those aged 18 to 29 – aren’t just embracing religion at higher rates, the survey found, but spiritual practices in general, including meditation, astrology and energy work such as reiki and tai chi. (Ramirez, USA Today)
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