People in the UK are less likely to believe in God than the people of almost any other country in the world, a new study suggests.

Belief in God among UK adults has declined by more than one quarter since the 1980s, it finds, but belief in life after death — and belief in hell — has remained almost unchanged in those four decades.

The research was conducted by the Policy Institute at King’s College, London, as part of its World Values Survey: an international programme exploring social, political, economic, religious, and cultural values and attitudes in 90 countries.

In the UK, a random probability sample of 3056 adults was analysed from March to September 2020, of whom 1645 were from England, 523 from Scotland, 437 from Wales, and 446 from Northern Ireland. This data was measured against 24 other countries and compared with results from 1981.

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People in the UK are less likely to believe in God than the people of almost any other country in the world, a new study suggests. https://t.co/IROBmTOJwg

— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) May 19, 2023

GASTON COUNTY, N.C. — Nothing remains of the hilltop home that once stood at the end of this gravel road in western North Carolina. The house burned to the ground months ago.

Children’s bikes and firewood piles litter the yards of a half-dozen ranch homes down the hill that are next in line to be erased from the landscape. The company that will soon own them plans to have these homes torched, too. It is only interested in what lies beneath.

A hint of that prize sits a few steps into the forest, where craggy outcrops stand in the shade of tall loblolly pines. Look closely and you’ll see the rocks are marked with sparkling pinstripes of pale green.

Those pinstripes are evidence of lithium, a lightweight element used to power electric vehicle batteries. And that green is gold to Piedmont Lithium, the company planning to tunnel 500 feet into the earth here to mine the lucrative mineral.

Lithium is expected to fuel America’s transition away from gasoline-burning automobiles. In the process, that harvest could generate $3.9 billion for this rural community in five years, according to Piedmont, which penned an agreement with EV giant Tesla in January.

Along a certain stretch — where North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia meet — lithium is quickly becoming king: It pushes up through the ground, oozes through recyclers’ shredding machines and will soon travel through the backwoods on aging rail lines. New mines — as many as three separate operations by 2030 — are only part of the story. Welcome to the Lithium Belt.

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Lithium is driving today’s clean energy transition just as fossil fuels drove the industrial revolution. But what is the trade off to the environment in the Southeast?
Fascinating read from @ClareFieseler on a journey across the Lithium Belt. https://t.co/b6OKcqPB9j

— Glenn Smith (@glennsmith5) May 21, 2023

As a high-profile evangelical preacher, Keller also became a best-selling author. His many publications range from a series of books on apologetics – via several titles on Christian spirituality, communication, and ministry in a secular culture – to a comprehensive handbook on urban missions. Several of Keller’s books were included in the New York Times bestseller lists, including The Reason for God, The Prodigal God, and Prayer. His qualities as a preacher are naturally reflected in his writing. Here, he was able to develop even more fully his gift of communicating key insights from a variety of sources in an accessible and independent way.

Tim Keller became a dynamic entrepreneur with several strategic initiatives. Together with prominent theologians John Piper and Don Carson, he established The Gospel Coalition resource network for Reformed churches and leaders. With his home church in New York as a platform, the Redeemer City to City network was established with a missional focus on major cities around the world. Through this global network, hundreds of churches have been planted. Among many other initiatives, the New York congregation’s diaconal arm (Hope for New York) and its Centre for Faith & Work should be mentioned.

With Keller’s passing, the global church has lost one of the most high-profile evangelical communicators in our time. H

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'2 find something beautiful is different. It is marked by "utter gratuity." It is deeply satisfying immediately, in itself, not for anything it does for us'-I bet U could do a whole bk of Tim Keller short theological dictums somewhat akin to the bk of Proverbs #thankyoutimkeller pic.twitter.com/bz3rtHjy38

— Kendall Harmon (@KendallHarmon6) May 21, 2023

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said that the government could become unable to pay bills on time by June 1. In that case, the Treasury Department could halt payments, such as to federal employees or veterans.

In a worst-case scenario, a failure to pay holders of U.S. government debt, a linchpin of the global financial system, could trigger severe recession and send stock prices plummeting and borrowing costs soaring.

Many economists don’t expect a default for the first time in U.S. history. But they outline three potential ways the standoff could affect the economy and financial system, ranging from not great to extremely scary.

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U.S. lawmakers might have just days to act before the standoff over the debt ceiling reverberates through the economy https://t.co/JM1UfZ7HfW

— Real Time Economics (@WSJecon) May 22, 2023

Most Merciful God, who didst vouchsafe to bless thy servant Helena with such grace and devotion to thee that she didst venerate the very footsteps of our Savior; Grant unto us the same grace that, aided by her prayers and example, we too may evermore behold thy glory in the cross of thy Son. Through the same Jesus Christ our Lord; who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Today the Episcopal Church commemorates Helena of Constantinople, Protector of the Holy Places, 330

Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine I, did much to promote Christianity, visiting the Holy Land, founding churches on sacred sites & allegedly rediscovering the True Cross pic.twitter.com/vkbIwdoP19

— The Anglican Church in St Petersburg (@anglicanspb) May 22, 2023

O God, whose blessed Son, our great High Priest, has entered once for all into the holy place, and ever liveth to intercede on our behalf: Grant that we, sanctified by the offering of his body, may draw near with full assurance of faith by the way which he has dedicated for us, and evermore serve thee, the living God; through the same thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee, O Father, and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end.

Another shot from this morning’s peaceful dog walk and taken just before the sun appeared over the horizon. If only every day in #Redmarshall could start like this ⁦@StormHour⁩ ⁦@ThePhotoHour⁩ #goldenhour pic.twitter.com/CuUqKEjuzW

— Ian Gee (@IanGee19) May 22, 2023

Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, with instruction about ablutions, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And this we will do if God permits. For it is impossible to restore again to repentance those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they then commit apostasy, since they crucify the Son of God on their own account and hold him up to contempt. For land which has drunk the rain that often falls upon it, and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed; its end is to be burned.

Though we speak thus, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things that belong to salvation. For God is not so unjust as to overlook your work and the love which you showed for his sake in serving the saints, as you still do. And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness in realizing the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

–Hebrews 6:1-12

Tracks In The Barley. 18°C. Cow Parsley in abundance. pic.twitter.com/RTnbuFVphk

— Yorkshire Wolds Weather (@WeatherWolds) May 22, 2023