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Newsweek
5 hours ago
- Newsweek
Map Shows Countries Where Christians No Longer in Majority
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. New data from Pew Research Center shows a decline in the number of countries where Christians are in a majority between 2010 and 2020. While most countries still have Christian majorities—with more than half the people in those countries identifying as Christians—there has been a decline in the last decade—with the U.K., France, Uruguay and Australia no longer falling into this category. Having previously had Christian majorities in 2010, the proportion of Christians in each country was 49 percent, 46 percent, 44 percent and 47 percent respectively in 2020, with no religious group holding a majority. Uruguay was the only country in the Americas that didn't have a Christian majority in 2020, although French Guiana is an overseas department of France on the northeast coast of South America, and as such part of a country without a Christian majority. Why It Matters Millions of Christians across the globe have been leaving the religion in recent years, resulting in the number of Christians in many countries dropping in the last decade, Pew Research Center reported. The center said that "religious switching" could be the main reason behind this, which refers to a person leaving one religion to join another, or abandoning religion entirely. The center's findings show an increase in the number of countries with religiously unaffiliated majorities—with 10 countries in that category in 2020, three more than in 2010. What To Know Overall, the data showed that 120 out of the 201 countries and territories studied had Christian majorities in 2020, which was four fewer than in 2010. It's important to note that other countries may have also lost their Christian majorities prior to 2010, while some may have lost them since 2020. The reason the U.K., France, Uruguay and Australia no longer have Christian majorities, is because of the "continuation of a long, gradual process of religious disaffiliation that's been going on for many decades," David Voas, a professor of social science at University College London, told Newsweek. He said that the "drift away from religion is largely generational." "When older, more religious people die, they are replaced in the population by younger, less religious people," he added. Voas said that there is also "some switching out of religion in adulthood," but that typically the largest shifts occur "between rather than within generations." More broadly, lots of Christian-majority countries have seen "a decline in the proportion of their populations declaring themselves Christian," Paul Seabright, a professor of economics at Université Toulouse Capitole, France, told Newsweek. This is down to many factors, including that more people, especially younger people, "are 'mixing-and-matching' their spirituality," he said. "Many still believe in God but don't declare themselves members of a particular church or even a particular religion, and those who don't really believe in God are more comfortable saying so openly than their parents used to be," Seabright added. Another contributor is the increase in childlessness, Seabright said, which has two effects—firstly, fewer children born of Christian parents, and secondly, childless couples and younger single people are less likely to belong to Christian churches than couples with children. There may be variations from this trend, he added, as "some young people who are currently childless, especially Generation Z, are likely to become more religious when they eventually have children." He said that technology could also be having an impact, as those who were teens when the iPhone launched in 2007, will be just entering their 30s now, and "are only just starting to grapple with the challenges of having a family." "This should bring more of them out of their online bubbles into real-world communities," he said. Another factor, according to Seabright, is that "in many countries the Christian churches were associated with the conservative establishment, which gradually eroded their legitimacy, especially in countries where the Church supported very conservative or authoritarian regimes. Examples include Spain and Chile, but also in Ireland, the U.K. and Germany." Additionally, "the scandals of sexual, physical and financial abuse have led to significant numbers of people leaving the churches, for example in France, Ireland, the U.S." What People Are Saying Paul Seabright, a professor of economics at Université Toulouse Capitole, France, told Newsweek: "There are offsetting trends, such as urbanization which is leading to an increase in Christians belonging to evangelical and Pentecostal churches, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, for example, Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Zimbabwe, and some Asian countries, like The Philippines, and also to a Muslim revival in places like Indonesia, Nigeria, Tanzania." He added: "Immigration from non-Christian countries explains part of the decline but only a small part. Immigration from other Christian countries often increases a country's Christian proportion, for example from the West Indies and Africa into the U.K." Lois Lee, a senior lecturer in secular studies at the University of Kent, told Newsweek: "What we're seeing in historically Christian countries is a long-term cultural shift that involves the transformation of Christian traditions into new meaning systems. Humanism and alternative spirituality are significant examples, but there are others too. Like any cultural transformation, the causes are complex, multifactorial—in the same way there's no short answer to the question, why did the Reformation happen?" She said: "We tend to focus on the decline of Christianity but the Reformation analogy is a reminder that cultural change doesn't overturn everything that came before it—it transforms it into something new. In the U.K., for example, humanism seems to be widespread and British humanism is shaped by Christianity in significant ways." She added: "On one level, what is causing the shift is parents no longer finding it important to pass on Christianity as we know it to their children, and a big part of that is that they are passing on alternative meaning systems and values instead." David Coleman, a professor of demography at the University of Oxford in England, told Newsweek: "To me the astonishing thing is that the data shows so many countries that still have Christian majorities. If the report had included the proportion of residents who were religiously active, praying at home, attending church, and use that as the criterion for the number of Christian countries then numbers would be far fewer. Many are happy to accept the cultural label without the religious involvement." He said: "The cumulative effect of generations of education, the weak authority of the church and the huge damage of scandals, and growing material security is making active Christianity a curiosity. Rejection of religion is strong in countries where the (Catholic) church was dominant and authoritarian, in countries like Ireland, Italy, and Latin America. That is not to deny a revival of interest in Christian religion in the young and the strength of various kinds of evangelical Christianity in immigrant minorities, especially from Africa." What Happens Next It is likely that more countries will no longer have Christianity as the majority religion in coming years, experts told Newsweek. "Countries that currently have only small Christian majorities are the most likely to see those figures drop below 50 percent in the decade or so ahead," Voas said. Canada, Estonia, Belgium and Germany may all lose their Christian majorities, he added, while Suriname in South America is "on the borderline but there's no clear movement." Additionally, in Africa, "Benin could lose a Christian majority if the share of Muslims continues to increase," he said. Seabright also said that Chile, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Spain may become "minority Christian countries in the next decade." "In the longer term, this could happen to the U.S., but because of Christianity becoming associated with the political right, not because of immigration," he said. "Lots of countries will continue to see Christian beliefs and identities morphing into new meaning systems since these are long-term cultural shifts," Lee said.
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Yahoo
Eight World War One pillboxes are Grade II listed
A rare semi-circular bunker-like structure is among eight World War One pillboxes in Norfolk that have been granted Grade II listed status. The concrete buildings were built in Norfolk between 1916 and 1918, designed to protect a stretch of English coast from a potential German sea invasion, including the semi-circular one at Bacton Wood. They still have their original steel doors, gun loop shutters and white-painted interiors, according to Historic England. Its East of England regional director Tony Calladine said they were "a reminder of a time when determined communities prepared to defend Britain during the Great War". Listed buildings are buildings of special architectural or historic interest with legal protection. All but one of the newly-listed pillboxes are in the North Walsham area and they are: Two defending the Common Road and Bradfield Beck crossing point at Bradfield Common A rare semi-circular pillbox at Bacton Wood, guarding a canal bridge Two circular pillboxes at White Horse Common at the Edbridge Mill crossing Two either side of Bacton Road, Little London, defending the canal bridge The final pillbox is another circular one at Wayford Bridge, near Stalham. The pillboxes were positioned along the River Ant and the North Walsham & Dilham Canal - waterways that could provided further defence in The Broads. They are all slightly inland and were part of a network of pillboxes which were designed to "provide a barrier to invading enemy troops", said Mr Calladine. Pillboxes were generally camouflaged against the landscape to hide the occupants from enemy view. Most were installed with small holes in the walls called loopholes where weapons could be fired from. The first pillboxes were built by the German army on the Western Front, but as the threat of invasion increased in Britain, they began appearing along the east coast of. "The listing of these pillboxes recognises their historic significance and exceptional durability," Mr Calladine added. Historic England hopes people will add their photographs and drawings of the pillboxes and share their stories to its Missing Pieces Project. Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. More on this story D-Day training pillbox converted into home for bats Former helter-skelter among new listed buildings Storms unearth sand-filled World War Two pillbox World War Two defences emerge from UK beach Related internet links Historic England
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Yahoo
The Sneaky Way Your Freezer Is Ruining Your Drink
Ice absorbs the flavors and smells around it, which might explain the garlic notes in your Old Takeaways Ice is highly porous and absorbs nearby odors, so stash cubes in resealable bags and keep any uncovered or strongly scented foods out of the freezer to prevent off-flavors in cocktails. Replace stored ice every couple of weeks, and wash trays with mild dish soap, water, and a splash of lemon juice — harsh cleaners like bleach or ammonia can linger and make cubes unsafe. Ice trays can make the ice taste stale over time, but can be revitalized by placing the empty trays in the oven at 250–350°F to bake off lingering odors — don't worry, the trays won't melt or menu promised an Old Fashioned variation composed of high-end rye whiskey, a housemade syrup of seasonal berries, fine Italian amaro, and at least three other aromatic and fruity ingredients. It was sure to be a layered explosion of flavors that would dilute slowly over a large, crystal-clear cube in a rocks glass. None of the ingredients listed above was garlic bread. Unfortunately, the drink tasted like it. No, it wasn't prepared with a cool, savory gin or bespoke pizza bitters. The culprit was improperly stored ice. Ice is, after all, frozen water. It's a malleable canvas that can form all sorts of marvelous shapes and elegant, clear cubes. Yet, no matter how artful the display, the porous nature of water means that ice can take on surrounding odors and flavors. How to properly store ice 'Ice readily absorbs smells not only from your freezer, but sometimes from your refrigerator as well,' says drinks historian and ice expert Camper English, author of The Ice Book: Cool Cubes, Clear Spheres, and Other Chill Cocktail Crafts. 'One garlicky Old Fashioned changed how I store ice forever.' He recommends storing ice in resealable plastic bags and refreshing it if it sits for a couple of weeks. However, a layer of plastic is often not enough. Sometimes the call is coming from inside the house. 'I no longer keep food in my fridge that isn't well-sealed, like Chinese take-out boxes and pizza boxes, as I noticed it made my ice funky after a single night,' says English. 'If you want to do an experiment to show how porous ice is, freeze a container of it and then add a drop of food coloring on top. The food coloring seeps down the ice in unexpected zigzag patterns rather than uniformly.'"'Ice readily absorbs smells not only from your freezer, but sometimes from your refrigerator as well.'" Camper EnglishThough it's not practical for most to possess a designated ice freezer, many venues are moving toward using smaller coolers specifically for ice. Geoff Smith, head bartender at Birch Hill Tavern in Glastonbury, Connecticut (a team member playfully refers to him as 'the Ice Jedi of New England'), says that the only food they store with the ice for drinks is bread. They switched to stackables in recent years. 'Every freezer has its own microclimate,' he says. In addition, ice should never be frozen in a tray or other vessel that's been treated with harsh cleaning agents, bleaches, or ammonia. The ice can pick up lingering detergent aromas and be unsafe for consumption. Smith says he uses a mix of mild dishwashing liquid with lemon juice and water, sometimes with a little unflavored vodka added to eliminate any unwanted fragrance. 'Regular maintenance and cleaning of the filters is really important for using freezers,' says Lynnette Marrero, founder of Milly's Neighborhood Bar in Brooklyn, New York. She's the co-author of A Quick Drink: The Speed Rack Guide to Winning Cocktails for Every Mood, written with Speed Rack partner Ivy Mix, who discusses using a 'very inexpensive' ice freezer at her Brooklyn bar, Whoopsie Daisy, to keep cubes fresh. 'At Milly's, we are using a ghost cube system,' says Marrero. 'It is hard because you need air to flow on the top in order to get the proper freeze. However, I do put a light layer of Saran Wrap on top of the system and store it further away from everything else.' Choosing an ice tray and dirty ice hacks English says that while flexible trays are preferable, they can also pick up errant influences from a freezer's environment over time. 'Silicone ice cube trays also absorb odors from the freezer and fridge, so they can be a problem, too,' he says. 'After your ice is frozen in trays, pop it out and store it in a container [such as resealable plastic bags], and store the silicone molds outside of the freezer, where they won't pick up freezer smells.' The trays can still make the ice taste stale over time, but the smells can be baked out of them. Several references recommend placing them in an oven preheated to 250–350°F (120–175°C) for 20 minutes to an hour. Worry not: they don't melt or burn. How ice shape affects the taste The shape of the ice is also influences the overall sipping experience. Larger, slower-melting cubes ensure even dilution for stirred, spirit-forward cocktails, or a refined single spirit like whiskey or tequila. Neutral-tasting, smaller ice should be used for everything else. 'Our Hemingway Daiquiri needs shaved ice to keep it cold and bright,' says Steven Huddleston, bartender at STIR in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where the ice is tailored for every drink by hand. 'By producing crystal-clear blocks in-house and carving each piece to match the drink, we ensure every cocktail is served exactly the way it was intended.' If that sounds too complicated, premium ice suppliers like Twin Lakes Ice Co. in Hudson, New York, offer a solution. Founded by Abby Puca and Sean Meagher, the company caters to the growing demand for pristine, slow-melting cubes that elevate drinks like Old Fashioneds. 'One large cube with absolute clarity and no air bubbles, striations, or impurities, along with less surface area on the ice, will allow that cocktail to mature and gain water content throughout the whole experience,' says Meagher, adding that shaken cocktails deserve the same respect. 'If you shake that cocktail with a single, clear shaking cube, you can achieve a much colder, aerated cocktail than if you were to shake with 10 or so cold draft cubes [as done in many bars and restaurants]. You can shake longer without having to worry about adding too much water content, thus resulting in an overall colder cocktail.' Remember, no matter how perfectly a cube cools a cocktail, or how inviting it looks in the drink, how it was frozen and stored makes all the difference. It may melt away, but it can still remind you of that takeout container that you forgot to toss. Read the original article on Food & Wine Solve the daily Crossword
