RELIGION HEADLINES SUN 11-30-25

Audio By Carbonatix

(SRN NEWS)  The American Bible Society’s annual report finds that about 41 percent of Americans qualify as “Bible users,” meaning they have read the scriptures at least three times a year outside of church services.  That’s up from 38 percent last year but down from 2021, when half of Americans fit that category.  The ABS report also reveals that a little over a third of Gen Z and Millennials would qualify as Bible users — an increase for Millennials over 2024.  However, only 20 percent of Americans say the Bible plays a major role in their lives.  A Gallup poll also indicates that slightly less than half of Americans say religion is important to them. 

(  )  Slovenians have rejected a referendum that would have allowed people to take their own lives with the help of a doctor.  About 53 percent of voters rejected the proposed bill while 46 percent supported it. The no-votes also represented more than 20 percent of the 1.7 million eligible voters in Slovenia, which is required by election rules.  Opponents included conservative groups, some doctors associations and Christians.  They pointed out that the law, if enacted, would actually be a violation of Slovenia’s constitution.  They urge that the state health care system work to provide better palliative care for the terminally ill. 

(  )  As travel picks up for the holiday season, flyers can find a moment of quiet and relaxation at interfaith chapels in many U.S. airports.  Protestant, Catholic and Jewish faith leaders established chapels at airports in the 1970s and 1980s, offering quiet space for individual prayer rather than organized services.  Tucked behind baggage claims or above food courts, chapels are idiosyncratic, influenced by the local history and demographics, as well as sometimes tensely negotiated arrangements between local faith leaders and municipal and airport authorities.  It’s unclear exactly how many people use the spaces. 

(  )  More than 18 million Bibles have been sold in the U.S. this year as part of a five-year boom in Bible sales, highlighted by an uptick of 2.4 million sold in September alone.  While publishers can track how many copies of the scriptures are sold, they don’t have demographic details of the buyers.  Tim Wildsmith, a former college campus minister turned author, wonders if the tumult of the last five years is playing a role.  Between the pandemic, wars and political battles here in the U.S., he says a lot of people may be looking for something they can rely on.  Among the bestsellers is an economy version of the English Standard Bible.