Free birth is the home birth movement’s extreme edition. Its proponents advocate removing the guardrails of medicine, believing that the medicalization of childbirth results in too many unnecessary interventions. Although no one has exact figures, free births are believed to represent a tiny proportion of home births, a majority of which are planned and attended by midwives. (MacKeen, The New York Times)
Read MoreTexas can require the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public schools, a U.S. appeals court ruled Tuesday in a victory for conservatives who have long sought to incorporate more religion into classrooms. (Stengle, AP News)
Read MoreIn her grief, Christi Angel experienced what so many of us have felt after losing a loved one: She wished she could speak to her friend just one more time. As a Christian, she knew real-life séances were out of the question. But were artificial intelligence–powered imitations? (Hadero, Christianity Today)
Read MoreFive years ago, after deciding that it was “pastorally unsustainable” for the Church to make no formal provision for those in committed same-sex relationships. the Governing Body approved a service of blessing for an experimental five-year period, which is due to come to an end in September this year.(The Church in Wales)
Read MoreExperts say the U.S. addiction crisis is evolving fast, in ways that appear both hopeful and incredibly dangerous. The peril comes from a street drug supply that chemists now describe as a "synthetic soup." (Mann, NPR)
Read MoreThe American Library Association has released its annual list of the most commonly challenged books at libraries across the United States. According to the ALA, the 11 most frequently targeted books include several tied titles. (Tsioulcas, NPR)
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