Despite polling heralded as revealing a “quiet revival”, the Church of England is — by almost every measure and in almost every diocese — smaller than it was in 2018, this year’s Statistics for Mission show. (Davies, Church Times)
Read MoreMany U.S. homes may decorate with ghosts and witches for Halloween, but most U.S. adults are doubtful they actually exist. Surveys from Gallup and Pew find broad skepticism for psychics, ghosts, astrology and witches. (Earls, Baptist Press)
Read MoreWorldwide, the number of children born to the average family has dropped by more than half since the 1970s, according to the latest United Nations data. Economists say having fewer children is the norm for many families, especially in relatively prosperous countries like the U.S. (Mann & McCammon, NPR)
Read MoreIn his memoir, Surprised by Joy, Lewis’s description of his childhood suggests the empty room in which the wardrobe stands, and links it also to his reading. (Jones, The Times)
Read MoreThe Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU), which in the US represents 150 largely evangelical institutions, signed on to a statement from the American Council on Education that said the compact was “government control of a university’s basic and necessary freedoms.” (Belz, Christiianity Today)
Read MoreQuincy Mayor Thomas Koch commissioned statues of St. Michael and St. Florian, the patron saints of police and firefighters, to adorn its new police headquarters. But more than a dozen residents are suing Koch, alleging that the city is violating religious neutrality as outlined in the state constitution. (Frank & Blandino, USA Today)
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