Religion Today Summaries - January 10, 2012

Compiled & Edited by Crosswalk Editorial Staff | Crosswalk.com | Published: Jan 09, 2012

Religion Today Summaries - January 10, 2012

Daily briefs of the top news stories impacting Christians around the world.

In today's edition:

  • Fewer Children Being Born in the U.S., Under-18 Population Declines
  • Christian Editor Receives Death Threats From Pakistani Muslims
  • Republican Candidates Discuss Attacks on Religious Rights
  • Facebook Makes Millennials More Likely to Vote

 

Fewer Children Being Born in the U.S., Under-18 Population Declines

The U.S. under-18 population fell between 2010 and 2011, for the first time in at least two decades, the Wall Street Journal reports. In July 2011, the under-18 population was 73,934,272, down 247,000 or 0.3 percent from July 2010. According to an analysis of Census data by demographer William H. Frey of The Brookings Institution, fewer children are being born and "it doesn't look like a youth boom will reverberate any time soon." States with the biggest drop in children tended to be concentrated in the Rust Belt and New England; every New England state's under-18 population fell at least 1 percent from April 2010 to July 11.

Christian Editor Receives Death Threats From Pakistani Muslims

A Pakistani Christian says he receives daily hate mail and death threats for reporting on the persecution of Christians in Pakistan, Examiner.com reports. Dr. Nazir S. Bhatti, editor of the Pakistan Christian Post and founder of the Pakistan Christian Congress, received one such email last week that said: "Pakistan is an Islamic nation. It is a nation for Muslims, by Muslims, of Muslims. ... Now you people [Christians] are not Muslims, and you are not Pakistanis, but you are only guests who happen to live in Pakistan. Truth be told, we do not like you people, and would rather you leave our beautiful country. ... We will make life for you in Pakistan a living hell, I swear to God so don't forget it." Pakistan's Christians face continuous persecution, including killings and imprisonment, but the culprits are never brought to justice.

Republican Candidates Discuss Attacks on Religious Rights

During Saturday night's Republican presidential debate, candidates spoke out about the Obama administration's hostility toward religious freedoms, according to CBN News. Texas Gov. Rick Perry said the administration's policies signified a "war on religion," citing the decision to withhold funding from a Catholic charity for victims of sex trafficking because of the organization's stance on abortion. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich mentioned discrimination against agencies that opposed gay marriage. "There's a lot more anti-Christian bigotry today than there is concerning the other side," Gingrich said. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney agreed, saying, "As you can tell, the people in this room feel that Speaker Gingrich is absolutely right and I do too."

Facebook Makes Millennials More Likely to Vote

A new survey shows that Facebook messages may be the most effective way to get young people to vote, WORLD News Service reports. According to the survey by nonprofit group Generation Opportunity, 66 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds said they would be most likely to vote when reminded through Facebook messages. Fifty-eight percent said text messages would be the best way to reach them, followed by 38 percent who preferred email messages, 28 percent who preferred public service announcements and 13 percent who preferred phone calls. "Our data underscores the ongoing power of social media and text messaging among [this] generation," said Generation Opportunity president Paul T. Conway. Another part of the same survey showed that 69 percent of respondents believe the current leaders in federal government fail to represent their interests.

Publication date: January 10, 2012

Religion Today Summaries - January 10, 2012