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Exclusive: Former archbishop of Canterbury says Britain is no longer a nation of believers, as Telegraph poll reveals Christians are reluctant to express their faith Britain is now a “post-Christian” country, the former archbishop of Canterbury has declared, as research suggests that the majority of Anglicans and Roman Catholics now feel afraid to express their beliefs. In an interview with The Telegraph, Lord Williams of Oystermouth says Britain is no longer “a nation of believers” and that a further decline in the sway of the Church is likely in the years ahead. While the country is not populated exclusively by...

WASHINGTON (RNS) More than two years after first making his request, Army Maj. Ray Bradley can now be known as exactly what he is: a humanist in the U.S. military.Ray Bradley listens during a planning meeting for the Central North Carolina Atheists and Humanists. Photo by John Nichols, courtesy of U.S. Army This image is available for Web and print publication. For questions, contact Sally Morrow. “I’m able to self-identity the belief system that governs my life, and I’ve never been able to do that before,” said Bradley, who is stationed at Fort Bragg in North Carolina and works on...

The number of Christians in Communist China is growing so steadily that it by 2030 it could have more churchgoers than America It is said to be China's biggest church and on Easter Sunday thousands of worshippers will flock to this Asian mega-temple to pledge their allegiance – not to the Communist Party, but to the Cross. The 5,000-capacity Liushi church, which boasts more than twice as many seats as Westminster Abbey and a 206ft crucifix that can be seen for miles around, opened last year with one theologian declaring it a "miracle that such a small town was able...

Cuba has now made Good Friday an official national holiday after restoring that Catholic feast as an "exceptional" measure when Pope Benedict XVI visited the island in 2012. The new Labor Code, passed by the National Assembly in December, established Good Friday as a holiday "every year," Communist Party daily Granma said Tuesday.

An atheist group is combatting a Christian Easter display at Wisconsin's Capitol building in Madison by setting up a sign that reads "Nobody died for our 'sins,' Jesus Christ is a myth." The Freedom From Religion Foundation says it rushed to get a permit for their display after seeing that the Concerned Women for America group was able to set up their own display at Wisconsin's Capitol building. The CWA group's display reportedly included a Christian cross and pro-life literature. The conservative women's group says on its website that it's dedicated to bringing "biblical principles into all levels of public...

Now that he's out of office, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is stepping up his efforts to battle the National Rifle Association and expand gun control laws. Bloomberg detailed his plans in an interview with the New York Times published Monday — in which he predicted his crusades against guns, smoking, and obesity would serve him well in the afterlife. "I am telling you if there is a God, when I get to heaven I’m not stopping to be interviewed. I am heading straight in. I have earned my place in heaven. It’s not even close," Bloomberg said....

Look out unbelief—atheism is on a roll, or so proclaims American Atheists, whose annual convention kicks off Thursday in Salt Lake City. "This has been an excellent year for atheism," says Dave Muscato, public-relations director for the deity-dissing group. "Between 2005 and 2012 there was a fivefold increase in the number of people who use the word atheist when asked to identify their religion." That's still not a lot. While 20% of Americans profess no particular religious faith, according to the Pew Research Center, only 6% identify themselves as atheist or agnostic. Still, one hates to toss cold water on...

This is amazing news. According to internet activity it would seem that Christianity is a lot more popular than Communism in China right now. There is something beautiful going on in one of the most oppressive countries on the globe. That's the odd thing about Christianity -the more you try to stamp it out the more desirous it becomes. I seem to remember the apostles weren't treated very well in their travels. But they did pretty well. World Mag: Foreign Policy released a fascinating infographic today, based on a compilation of information from Weibo, China’s huge social media platform that...

In yet another confirmation of the Bible’s accuracy, scientists have now confirmed what Scripture refers to as “the fountains of the deep.” In the days of Noah and the Ark, these large pools of water beneath the Earth’s crust burst forth onto the surface providing the massive amounts of water needed for the global flood judgment. What has once been a source of skepticism and mockery for those who doubt the Bible, has now been confirmed by secular scientists, again showing that although written over 3,000 years ago, the Bible’s description of the Earth and its natural properties are...

Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice have announced that they are preparing to launch a new tour of hit show "Jesus Christ, Superstar." The musical started on Broadway in 1971 and is now being re-launched with an all-star cast featuring JC Chasez, Michelle Williams, and Brandon Boyd. The new production stars Brandon Boyd as "Judas Iscariot," JC Chasez as "Pontius Pilate" and Michelle Williams as "Mary Magdalene." Ben Forster, a relative newcomer to the U.S., takes on the daunting role of "Jesus Christ." The musical offers a unique interpretation of the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, with Judas Iscariot,...

A couple of weeks ago, I happened to think of the NEA and went to their site. That was where I happened to learn officially what I'd already suspected for awhile, that the most segregated schools in America weren't in the South. This is the NEA headline giving me the official news: "The Most Segregated Schools are in the South, right? Wrong." When I clicked on the link, though, what I received instead of the story was "Page not found," (which still, to this point, anyone can see since all is still the same to this point). The other news...

A character who leaves behind his atheist convictions in the recently released God's Not Dead movie was inspired by the real-life Lasik and cataract surgeon, Tennessee resident Wing Mang. (Photo: "God's Not Dead" website.)Actor Paul Kwo plays a character inspired by Dr. Ming Wang in movie “God’s Not Dead.” 'God's Not Dead' Movie Surprises Again, Exceeding Expectations at Box Office'God's Not Dead' Actor Says His Opinions, Christian Beliefs Have Cost Him Jobs in Hollywood'God's Not Dead' Takes 'Incredible' .5M From Just 780 Screens; Hits No. 5 at US Box Office aside>Wang, a native of China, endured the country's Cultural Revolution in...

The Ten Commandments of The Automakers: 1. Thou shalt not drive thy automobile without having oil in the engine 2. Thou shalt not drive thy automobile without a connected battery of 12 volts D.C. 3. Thou shalt not lock the doors of thy automobile and dispose of all of the keys 4. Thou shalt not cover all of the openings provided through which to view the surroundings 5. Thou shalt not remove all of the wheels on thy automobile’s axles 6. Thou shalt not remove thy steering wheel with which to control the automobile’s direction 7. Thou shalt not forget...

Bill Gates, the richest man in the world, revealed in a recent interview that his family goes to a Catholic church and that religious morality inspires a lot of his charity work. He also shared his personal thoughts on God and the biggest issues facing the world today. "The moral systems of religion, I think, are super important. We've raised our kids in a religious way; they've gone to the Catholic church that Melinda goes to and I participate in. I've been very lucky, and therefore I owe it to try and reduce the inequity in the world. And that's...

Oral arguments in a lawsuit by an atheist organization against the placement of the "World Trade Center cross" at a museum on government property will take place later this week. American Atheists will present their case before the Second Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday, arguing that the WTC cross does not belong in a museum on government leased property. Two days after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, construction workers found a cross beam among the wreckage of the Twin Towers. Measuring 17 feet tall and approximately 4,000 pounds, the piece of debris became known as the World Trade...

A day after Ken Ham, president and CEO of the creationist organization Answer in Genesis announced he would be moving forward with plans to build a life-sized replica of Noah's ark, Bill Nye, his former debate opponent, said he hopes "the Ark Encounter goes out of business." On Thursday, Ham announced in a live web stream from the Kentucky-based Creation Museum that his organization has been able to come up with funding for the project, despite its financial viability being questioned last month. AiG said in a statement that it has raised the first $73 million for its project, which...

An atheist organization has sent a letter of complaint to a city council in Michigan over the local government's usage of prayer at council meetings. The Madison, Wis.-based Freedom From Religion Foundation has threatened legal action against the Saginaw City Council. In a letter sent to Saginaw City Manager Tim Morales, FFRF staff attorney Rebecca S. Markert wrote that Saginaw "should drop these prayers altogether." "Government prayers exclude a significant portion of Americans from the democratic process, are of dubious legality, and are a repudiation of our secular history," wrote Markert. "City Council members are free to pray privately or...

Two researchers at Tel Aviv University (TAU) studied the bones of camels found in an area of ancient copper mines in the Aravah Valley, south of the Dead Sea. Using radiocarbon dating and other techniques, they determined that camels were first used in the mining operations near the end of the 10th century BC. They state that this is the first evidence of domesticated camels in ancient Israel. This would be almost 1,000 years later than the time of the patriarchs, when camels first appear in the Bible. Their study was quickly used to claim that the Bible was written...

In terms of post-mortem sightings, Elvis gets a lot of play and so does the Virgin Mary. The real champ of random latter-day cameos, however, is Jesus Christ. But up until recently, there was no efficient way to keep up with every oil stain, pancake, and gnarled tree hollow the famed redeemer showed up in. Now, it looks like our prayers have been answered. The Jesus Face Database is an interactive website that allows users to pinpoint all the many spots around the world where people of questionable lucidity lay eyes on their lord and savior. It's a zoomable map...

The weekend before last I had a wonderful time meeting up with other SPL members and representing Secular Pro-Life at San Francisco’s various pro-life events. On Saturday afternoon, SPL spoke at the Walk for Life West Coast rally, then gathered together and held our banner high for the entire Walk. On Sunday, pro-life atheist Ellen and I tabled at the first ever west coast Students for Life of America training conference, which lasted all day. Throughout all of these events, I was inspired by the number of religious pro-lifers who so warmly welcomed us. They said our speech was refreshing...