QUOTES FROM THE MEDIA
THEOS REPORT HIGHLIGHTS LINK BETWEEN MARRIAGE AND POVERTY The benefit of marriage and ‘stable household relationships’ is being sidelined in the national debate about economic inequality, according to a new report from Theos. The Christian-based religion and society think tank made the ... observation in Beyond Left and Right: Finding Consensus on Economic Inequality... ‘We noted that the role of marriage and stable household relationships is often ignored in discussions of economic inequality,’ [senior researcher Hannah Rich] said... The report finds that married families are less likely to be in poverty than single parent households. It continues: ‘There is evidence that family structure has an impact on educational outcomes, with some studies suggesting that children in single parent families fare worse in literacy and numeracy tests. ‘There are demonstrable differences in outcomes for children born to single-parent households versus married or cohabiting, even once the associated economic disadvantage is accounted for’… Theos argues that policy initiatives supporting stable households ‘are therefore likely to reduce economic inequality too, albeit indirectly, not least because of the improved health and educational outcomes associated with [relational stability].’ Christian Today
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EDITOR Lieut-Colonel Jonathan Roberts – 020 7367 4901 MANAGING EDITOR Ivan Radford – 020 7367 4891 EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Simon Hope – 020 7367 4892 Melita Day-Lewis – 020 7367 4887 Major Margaret Bovey ART DIRECTOR Hannah Holden – 020 7367 4883 GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Mark Knight – 020 7367 4895 Louise Phillips – 020 7367 4896 PROOFREADER Chris Horne
NORTH IS WHERE THE ACTION IS, WEBINAR HEARS Churches in the north of England point to the future for the Church elsewhere, it was suggested in an online discussion hosted by York St John University... Is God Northern?, hosted by the Centre for Religion in Society, heard from the authors of a new book, Fuzzy Church: Gospel and Culture in the North of England, the Rev Dr Nigel Rooms, a researcher with the Church Mission Society, and Dr Elli Wort, a director of studies at the Church Army. Although in many places in the north the Church was ‘struggling’ and churches were closing, they had discovered that ‘something is happening: people were finding new faith in Christ and becoming Christian’, Dr Rooms said. In this sense, the north was ‘at the forefront… There’s a real sense ... we can learn ... from ... churches that are trying new things.’ Church Times
Salvationist 18 December 2021
After 20 months without pilgrims, Bethlehem can now welcome overseas visitors again this Christmas, as Israel eases its Covid-19 restrictions. As pilgrimages have been cancelled or postponed until next year, however, there is expected to be only a trickle of visitors over the next few months, leaving those dependent on ... the tourism sector facing mounting debts. The director of the charity Friends of the Holy Land, Brendan Metcalfe, said … ‘This is the second Christmas for people in Bethlehem with very little income... It’s been very tough...’ Just over 30,000 tourists entered Israel in the first half of November, compared with 421,000 in November 2019, according to Israel’s Interior Ministry. Church Times
UK RANKED AMONGST TOP FIVE PLACES CHRISTIANS EXPERIENCE INTOLERANCE IN EUROPE The UK has been ranked as one of the top five countries in Europe where Christians experience the most violations to their religious freedom. A preliminary report investigating the human rights of Christians in France, Germany, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom in 2019/2020 has found an increasing level of intolerance towards believers throughout society. Data from the Observatory of Intolerance and Discrimination Against Christians in Europe found this to be prevalent from both a government level – through legislation and political discourse – and through social exclusion and criminal acts against Christians. The study found that most practising Christians in Europe have come across some form of discrimination or intolerance due to their faith, while anti-Christian hate crimes increased by 70 per cent across the five countries between 2019 and 2020… The report also highlights an opposition to traditional and conservative moral views and stigmatisation within the media as contributing factors to secular intolerance and discrimination. Premier
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BETHLEHEM OPEN TO CHRISTMAS VISITORS AGAIN, BUT LOW NUMBERS EXPECTED
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