Essay: The latest US Census figures show the harm done by letting poverty programs expire
DAVID BECKMANN, coordinator of US church and ministry advocacy coalition Circle of Protection, says – in an article first published on Religion News Service – that he success of COVID-era programs followed by an immediate reversal after they ended makes clear that the persistence of poverty is a political choice…
“Why I Left the Church”: Meet the US pastor behind that “quitting the church” essay
A pastor’s last thoughts on leaving the ministry sparked a national conversation about clergy health and the future of the church. BOB SMIETANA, of Religion News Service, reports…
Essay: One year to go – will the Paris 2024 Olympics see a return to normalcy?
Olympic Games scholars ANGELA SCHNEIDER, ALAN C OLDHAM, and RICHARD BAKA, in an article first published on The Conversation, look at what to expect at next year’s Olympic Games…
Essay: People in the UK are volunteering less – it’s not surprising and could get worse
In an article first published on The Conversation, KRIS SOUTHBY, a researcher in health promotion at Leeds Beckett University in the UK, looks at the reasons for the shift…
Forgiving what’s owed: What does the Bible say about the controversial issue of debt relief?
Debt is a Biblical issue, with verses across the Old and New Testaments calling for leniency and forgiveness. Despite this, it remains a thorny issue. JONATHAN FOYE canvases some Christian views on what can be a controversial subject…
Essay: Vaccine hesitancy is one of the greatest threats to global health – and the pandemic has made it worse
In an article first published on The Conversation, SIMON NICHOLAS WILLIAMS, a lecturer in psychology at Swansea University, looks at the growing problem of vaccine hesitancy…
Hong Kong’s international dragon boat races return after four-year hiatus
Hong Kong, ChinaReuters Thousands of paddlers descended on Hong Kong on Saturday to take part in the financial hub’s International Dragon Boat competition, held for the first time in more than 4 years after they were halted due to anti-government protests and COVID-19. The two-day event, organised by Hong Kong’s tourism board and the Hong […]
“Terrible”: UK minister sorry for lockdown-breaking party video
London, UKReuters Senior British minister Michael Gove on Sunday described a video showing a party at the ruling Conservative Party’s headquarters during a lockdown in 2020 as “terrible”, as COVID rule-breaking gatherings continue to hang over the government. The video was published by the Mirror newspaper just days after a parliamentary committee ruled that former […]
COVID aftermath: Orphans face grief and poverty as world moves on
LIN TAYLOR, of Thomson Reuters Foundation, reports that while the global health emergency is over but the crisis has left behind millions of orphaned children, many in urgent need of help…
Open Book: What do you see?
NILS VON KALM says the Gospel account of Jesus’ interaction with a man born blind – often known as “the healing of the man born blind” – is ultimately about how we see Jesus…