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                <title><![CDATA[Half of younger churchgoers say culture change makes some biblical truths 'obsolete']]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/half-of-younger-churchgoers-say-culture-change-makes-some-biblical-truths-obsolete</link>
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                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[The Christian Post]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[bible, Gospel of John, John]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ (Photo: Unsplash/Tim Wildsmith) ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Mon, 28 Sep 2026 10:35:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Protestant churchgoers in the United States appear increasingly willing to reject some biblical truths, with young adult attendees under 30 most likely to say some of those truths are becoming "obsolete," according to a recent survey from Lifeway Research.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Protestant churchgoers in the United States appear increasingly willing to reject some biblical truths, with young adult attendees under 30 most likely to say some of those truths are becoming "obsolete," according to a recent survey from Lifeway Research.
In its report, published Tuesday, Lifeway highlighted the survey of 1,200 U.S. Protestants who attend church at least once a month, conducted Sept. 2 to 7, 2025, with a sampling error of plus or minus 3.2 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.
Researchers compared the 2025 results with a survey of 1,002 U.S. Protestant churchgoers that used the same methodology conducted Sept. 20 to 27, 2019.
More than a quarter of respondents (28%) agreed with the statement "that as culture changes, some biblical truths become obsolete," up from 24% in 2019. 
About a third of churchgoers (34%) said they "accept some truths from the Bible, but othersdo not fit what they believe," up from 30% in 2019. 
The younger a churchgoer was, the more likely he or she was to agree that culture change makes some truths in the Bible “obsolete.” Among respondents ages 18 to 29, 54% agreed with the statement, compared with 40% of those ages 30 to 49, 19% of those ages 50 to 64 and 13% of those 65 and older.
Younger adult churchgoers were the most likely to agree that the truth of God’s Word can mean different things to different people (87%) and some biblical truths don’t fit what they believe (56%). 
“The concepts in any other book will show signs of age requiring new editions,” Lifeway Research Executive Director Scott McConnell said in the report.
“But the Source of the Bible is not Someone whose truths change. James refers to Him as ‘the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows,’ (James 1:17, CSB). The thought of unchanging truth is an unprecedented concept even for many churchgoers today.”
Overall, 56% of Protestant churchgoers find it challenging to make sense of the Bible when they read it on their own, a figure that hasn't changed much from the 57% who said the same in 2019. 
At the same time, 91% agreed that "they can read a passage of the Bible and usually understand how it is relevant to them," matching the 90% figure recorded in 2019. 
Last November, Barna Group and Gloo released data from their “State of the Church” initiative showing that while Bible reading among U.S. adults had reached its highest level in 15 years, fewer Americans believe the Bible is 100% accurate. Thirty-six percent of Americans believe the Bible is 100% accurate, down from 43% in 2000.
“It’s very encouraging to see more people, especially young adults, turning to the Bible,” Brad Hill, chief partner success officer at Gloo, said in a statement at the time.
“But this rise in interest also challenges church leaders to go deeper, turning curiosity and engagement into opportunities to help people live what they read. In an age when AI tools are providing answers to life’s big questions, it’s imperative that churches cultivate deep and durable Bible engagement habits.”
Originally published by The Christian Post.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Global study finds a third of young people have an AI companion as close friendships narrow]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/global-study-finds-a-third-of-young-people-have-an-ai-companion</link>
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                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[A young woman using a smartphone. AI. technology. Mobile phone.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ iStock/pocketlight ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ A global study released Sept. 10, 2026, by the Christian youth ministry Young Life found that 35% of adolescents and young adults surveyed across 11 countries report having an artificial intelligence companion, and that 60% of those users say they are more comfortable confiding in it than in some friends or family members. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2026 12:26:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[More than a third of adolescents and young adults surveyed across 11 countries say they have an artificial intelligence companion, and most of that group say they find it easier to confide in the software than in some of their friends or relatives, according to research released Thursday by Young Life.]]></description>
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More than a third of adolescents and young adults surveyed across 11 countries say they have an artificial intelligence companion, and most of that group say they find it easier to confide in the software than in some of their friends or relatives, according to research released Thursday (Sept. 10) by Young Life.
The RELATE Project 2026, the second wave of a global study by the Christian youth ministry, surveyed 7,105 people ages 13 to 24 online between November 2025 and January 2026 and followed the survey with 22 focus groups involving 97 participants, most of them Young Life volunteers or staff. Young Life said the findings point in two directions at once: the number of close relationships young people report has fallen since 2023 and conversational AI has moved into part of that space, yet the same respondents say they increasingly prefer to meet in person.
Nearly all those surveyed — 89% — said they use AI in some form, most often for practical tasks, the report said. About one in three use it relationally. Within the full sample, 35% said they have an AI companion, a figure the study reported at 45% among 13- to 15-year-olds and 29% among 22- to 24-year-olds. Young men were somewhat more likely than young women to report one, 38% to 32%.
Of those with an AI companion, 60% agreed strongly or somewhat that they are more comfortable with it than with some friends or family members, according to the study. The report also said roughly one in 10 adolescents manage stress by talking with an AI companion.
Spiritual questions put to chatbots
The survey asked for the first time whether young people treat AI as a source of religious guidance. Across the sample, 41% agreed that AI is a reliable source for spiritual questions and 30% disagreed, the report said, with the youngest respondents the most willing to trust it in that area.
Identity questions showed a smaller but notable shift. Asked whom they trust most when working out who they are, two-thirds of respondents named friends or family. Teachers, coaches, pastors and other religious leaders ranked at the bottom of that list. Eight percent named AI.
Young Life cautioned in the report that AI companions are built to supply constant validation, simulated empathy and immediate availability, and that leaning on them in place of people may leave young users without practice in conflict, disappointment, apology and repair. The organization described the technology as functioning for the next generation as a low-risk substitute or supplement for human relationships.
That concern was echoed by young people themselves. In focus groups, older members of Generation Z said they worried about how readily their younger peers accept AI and wished they were more skeptical, according to the report.
"The RELATE Project tells us that while young people are constantly connected online, they are craving authentic, in-person community," said Newt Crenshaw, president and CEO of Young Life, in a statement accompanying the release. He said respondents were looking for "trusted, consistent adults" who would earn and keep their trust and listen.
What counts as listening
One of the study's more pointed findings concerns how young people define good listening. Asked what matters most, 42% chose giving full attention and putting devices away, and 33% chose responding without judgment. Asking follow-up questions came last, cited by 19% — a break from the active-listening model taught to earlier generations, the report said.
Those criteria closely match what chatbots are designed to do: express empathy, keep what is said private and withhold judgment. The report drew the comparison directly.
Fewer people to turn to
The average number of close relationships young people reported fell from 5.3 in 2023 to 4.4 in the latest wave, Young Life said. On average, respondents said they had two people they could talk to about things that really matter.
Four in 10 said they were not fully confident that any adult in their life is genuinely interested in listening to them. Satisfaction with friendships has held steady, with 58% rating their contentment at eight or higher on a 10-point scale, but focus group participants described relationships as central to their lives and, at the same time, unreliable.
Trust is conditional. In every country surveyed, confidentiality ranked as the first priority in building trust, with 73% calling it extremely or very important. Loyalty was the trait most respondents wanted to be known for, chosen by 53%. Focus groups defined both as not repeating someone's story without permission — a definition shaped, participants said, by growing up with parents and peers who post about them without asking.
"This starts with proving we are safe enough to listen — protecting their confidentiality and offering space for them without immediately trying to offer advice or judgment," said Kimberly Nollan, director of research and practice at Young Life.
Preference for face-to-face contact rose over the same period. Sixty-four percent named it as their preferred way to communicate with close friends, up from 54% in 2023. Yet 63% said they find it easier to express themselves online than in person, a pattern the report said was strongest among the youngest respondents.
Stress, sleep and mental health
More than a third of respondents, 35%, said they feel a lot or a great deal of stress regularly. Their most common worries were thinking about the future, cited by 57%, money at 49% and school at 42%. Mental health ranked as the top concern across the full sample and among the top three in nearly every country surveyed.
Sleep was short almost everywhere. Only 40% of 13- to 15-year-olds reported eight hours or more, falling to 25% among those ages 22 to 24. Music was the most common way respondents said they relieve stress, chosen by 57%, ahead of time with friends, exercise and time outdoors.
Faith described as lived rather than inherited
Across all countries, 71% said they follow their family's religious affiliation. More than four in 10 expressed a commitment to faith and a desire to grow in it, the most frequent response in every country surveyed, regardless of religious background.
Among respondents who identified as Christians, 71% said they believe they are important to God and the same share said their faith is important in their life. Fewer reported having a relationship with God, at 55%, or having made a commitment to follow Jesus Christ, at 57%. Only 26% felt strongly that their beliefs help them understand the world and how to live in it.
The report found a link between feeling important to God and believing oneself worthy of being loved. Sixty-two percent of respondents rated their worthiness of being loved at eight or higher; among those with no religious affiliation, the figure was about half. Religious adolescents also reported a greater sense of being able to make a difference in others' lives than those who identified as atheist, agnostic or unaffiliated, 42% to 45% against 28%.
Focus group participants described faith less as a fixed system of belief than as something practical and tested, and said Generation Z has little appetite for a faith that is inherited or taught in the abstract. They judge the credibility of Christianity, according to the report, by whether adult leaders live out what they preach.
On forgiveness, 36% said they almost always forgive someone who makes a mistake and 39% said they often do. Some focus group participants questioned those numbers, suggesting their peers may prefer to think of themselves as forgiving while avoiding the work of repair. The report connected that pattern to the premium placed on staying calm and avoiding conflict.
The survey covered the United States, with 1,672 respondents, the United Kingdom, 880; India, 822; Mexico, 804; Hong Kong, 706; Ethiopia, 426; Nigeria, 400; Kenya, 356; Argentina, 353; Liberia, 345; and Zimbabwe, 341.
Young Life, founded 85 years ago, works through volunteers who build friendships with adolescents and introduce them to Christianity. The ministry said the RELATE findings are already shaping how it trains leaders and equips parents. The full report and regional breakdowns are available at relate.younglife.org.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Afghanistan is the only country that bars girls past sixth grade. New research shows they are still learning.]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/afghanistan-bars-girls-past-sixth-grade-new-research-shows-how-they-keep-learning</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/afghanistan-bars-girls-past-sixth-grade-new-research-shows-how-they-keep-learning</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[A student thumbs through a notebook during class at a secret school on August 14, 2022 in Kabul, Afghanistan.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Nava Jamshidi/Getty Images ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ KABUL, AFGHANISTAN - AUGUST 14: A student thumbs through a notebook during class at a secret school on August 14, 2022 in Kabul, Afghanistan. Secondary education for girls has been banned since shortly after the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan, spurring the creation of secret, unofficial schools for older girls. Four years on, some girls and women are accessing learning online, though patchy internet access limits how far it reaches. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Tue, 08 Sep 2026 13:58:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Afghanistan remains the only country in the world where girls are shut out of school beyond the sixth grade, and where women are barred from university. Five years into that ban, new research suggests the classroom doors closed but the learning did not stop.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Afghanistan remains the only country in the world where girls are shut out of school beyond the sixth grade, and where women are barred from university. Five years into that ban, new research suggests the classroom doors closed but the learning did not stop.
Findings from 2,612 Afghan respondents, released Tuesday (Sept. 8) on International Literacy Day, describe girls and young women studying through private courses, online lessons, borrowed phones and small study circles organized among friends. The research was presented by Benazir Poya, head of Anar Academy, at a global virtual event hosted by the International Society for Human Rights (ISHR) and moderated by its secretary general, Dr. Matthias Boehning.
Poya was careful to say the alternatives are not a substitute. Informal learning "can preserve hope," she said, but it cannot restore the right to an education.
The event, "Denied the Right to Learn: Educational Continuity, Human Rights and Human Security in Afghanistan," also drew speakers from Human Rights Watch and UNICEF, along with Afghan students who joined from inside the country on weak connections.
Rapid decline following Taliban take-over
The Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021 as United States forces completed their withdrawal. Within weeks, girls were barred from returning to secondary school. In December 2022, universities were closed to women as well.
The Taliban's then education minister, Nida Mohammad Nadim, defended that decision at the time, saying women had failed to observe strict dress requirements and that certain fields of study did not fit Afghan tradition. "Girls should learn, but not in areas that go against Islam and Afghan honor," he told an Afghan broadcaster, according to reporting by The Associated Press. He said universities would reopen for women once the concerns were addressed. They have not.
Further restrictions followed: on employment, on travel without a male relative, on public parks, gyms and bathhouses.
Improvised education
Anar Academy, based in Germany, gathered its responses in the second half of March 2026 from 30 provinces, with most respondents inside Afghanistan and a smaller group who had left. Poya said the picture that emerged was not one of empty days but of improvised ones.
Girls have turned to language classes, tailoring and skills courses, and above all to whatever can be delivered over a phone, she said. Some reported no learning at all.
Nearly all respondents said they had a phone or laptop. Far fewer said their connection was dependable. Online study keeps a rhythm going, Poya said — contact with a teacher, subjects to work through, other students to talk to — but it produces no diploma, no route into a university, and no guarantee of a quiet or private place to sit and work at home.
She pointed to consequences that reach well past the syllabus. Learners described stalled futures, shrinking social contact and steady psychological strain. The effects touch household income, health and dignity, she said, not only schooling.
Poya asked that the persistence documented in the survey not be misread as a sign that the situation is tolerable. Resilience, she said, "is not evidence of adequacy. It's evidence of agency."
Anar Academy's recommendations begin with the unconditional reopening of secondary schools and universities to girls and women. Beyond that, Poya called for safeguards protecting online learners' privacy and safety; recognition by universities abroad of accredited online study, including transcripts and admission pathways; and funding committed over several years rather than in short grants. She noted that respondents were reached through the internet, so the survey speaks for connected learners rather than for the country as a whole.
The briefing paper is the first of a planned series. Anar Academy and ISHR intend to track the same questions over time.
'It will not stay in Afghanistan'
Fereshta Abbasi, a researcher in the Asia Division at Human Rights Watch, addressed the event by pre-recorded video.
Afghanistan has signed both the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the convention on discrimination against women, Abbasi said, and the Taliban as de facto authorities are bound by those commitments. She described the education ban as one part of a wider pattern that Human Rights Watch identified in a September 2023 report as the crime against humanity of gender persecution. The organization called on the International Criminal Court to investigate; the court issued arrest warrants for Taliban leaders on gender persecution charges last year.
Abbasi warned against treating the situation as ordinary. "What is happening in Afghanistan will not stay in Afghanistan," she said, arguing that the rollback of women's rights in one country weakens them everywhere.
The women affected are not an abstraction, she said. Some were months from finishing school in August 2021; others were already teaching or earning. Many now live with depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress.
Abbasi set out a series of steps for governments and United Nations bodies, from humanitarian funding to accountability mechanisms. But her closing appeal was aimed at what individuals can do: Talk about Afghan women and girls, she said, and do not let the rest of the world forget them.
Education among wider decline in human rights
The restrictions on education sit within a broader legal shift. Christian Daily International reported in February, republishing coverage from The Christian Post, that the Taliban's supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, had signed a new criminal procedure code that divides Afghan society into ranked categories and prescribes different punishments for the same offence depending on a person's status.
Legal analysts and rights groups quoted in that reporting said the code's language distinguishing free persons from slaves amounts to treating slavery as a lawful category, and that it strips out basic protections such as access to a lawyer.
United Nations officials described the code as part of a system of gender apartheid.
A rights crisis and a learning crisis
Tomoko Shibuya, senior adviser for education at UNICEF, joined from Nairobi and set the survey findings against national figures. UNICEF estimates that 3.8 million girls aged 7 to 18 were out of school in 2024, including more than 2.6 million adolescents, she said.
She added a second problem that receives less attention. A 2025 assessment found that 93% of Afghan children, boys as well as girls, cannot read and understand a simple age-appropriate sentence by the end of primary school. Afghanistan, in Shibuya's words, is dealing with a rights crisis and a learning crisis at the same time.
That combination matters for what comes next, she said. Girls pushed into informal study have often had only a few years of foundational schooling to build on, which limits how far self-directed learning can carry them.
Shibuya cautioned against admiring the resilience without acting on it. "Girls should not have to shoulder the risk and responsibility of their education," she said.
Only the de facto authorities can lift the ban, she said. In the meantime, she set out three priorities: Afghan-led community learning spaces that include psychosocial support and practical skills; investment in early and primary education so children gain at least seven years of solid schooling; and digital learning designed for low bandwidth and offline use, so that poor connectivity does not exclude girls a second time.
Marco Mantovanelli of the Global Partnership for Education addressed the financing side, noting that education has historically received only a small share of humanitarian funding worldwide — roughly 2% to 4% — and that continuity cannot be sustained on short grants. His organization works through partner agencies on the ground rather than through the Taliban administration, he said, directing funds to community-based and remedial classes.
Boehning closed by asking Poya what keeps her from concluding that Afghanistan's girls are a lost generation. Poya, who completed a master's degree before the restrictions and now lives in Germany with two young children, said she treats the education she received as an obligation to those denied it. Her students, she said, should not be left with the impression that no one is on their side.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Majority of pastors worried about AI misinterpreting Scripture: Barna]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/majority-of-pastors-worried-about-ai-misinterpreting-scripture-barna</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/majority-of-pastors-worried-about-ai-misinterpreting-scripture-barna</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[The Christian Post]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Majority of pastors worried about AI misinterpreting Scripture: Barna]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Unsplash/Solen Feyissa ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Mon, 07 Sep 2026 20:15:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Nearly all pastors, along with a majority of practicing Christians and U.S. adults in general, say they are concerned about artificial intelligence misinterpreting Scripture, but they are divided on the best response to the problem, according to new research from Barna.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Nearly all pastors, along with a majority of practicing Christians and U.S. adults in general, say they are concerned about artificial intelligence misinterpreting Scripture, but they are divided on the best response to the problem, according to new research from Barna.
The research, conducted in partnership with Gloo for the State of the Church initiative, was based on data from two separate surveys. One survey of 1,514 U.S. adults was conducted online in November 2025. The second survey of 442 U.S. Protestant pastors was conducted online in December 2025.
Researchers found that more than nine in 10 pastors (94%) are concerned about AI misinterpreting Scripture, compared with 83% of practicing Christians and 74% of U.S. adults overall.
When asked what AI should do when interpretations of Scripture genuinely differ, 60% of pastors said all major interpretations should be presented, along with an explanation of how they differ, without indicating which one is correct. Only 26% of practicing Christians favor that approach. Another 26% of practicing Christians believes AI should indicate which interpretation is the “right” one, but only about one in 10 pastors agree.
Practicing Christians were also found to be four times as likely as pastors to want AI to settle scriptural disagreements by presenting only the most widely agreed-upon interpretation. Nearly 20% of practicing Christians — and about twice as many pastors — believe contested Scripture shouldn’t be interpreted at all.
Daniel Copeland, Barna’s vice president of research, said the approach of pastors to scriptural interpretation reflects their role in inspiring critical thinking.
“Their approach points to using AI as a tool to aid their learning, not to tell them what to think,” Copeland said. “Pastors seem to want people to use the tool but let it expand their understanding and push them to think for themselves.”
Previous findings from the research show that practicing Christians use AI in both their work and personal lives more than most Americans, and nearly half of them say they would trust the technology with their spiritual growth.
Research produced by Barna earlier this year suggests that about a third of practicing American Christians say the spiritual advice they get from artificial intelligence is just as good as that from a pastor, with practicing Christians more likely to agree with this notion than non-practicing Christians and non-Christians.
Most Christians currently use AI for learning, advice or improving their writing much more than for interpreting Scripture or spiritual guidance, the research shows.
“Ask people yes-or-no whether they use AI, and the average pastor and the average American look about the same,” Copeland said. “It’s frequency of use where the difference actually shows up.”
Originally published by The Christian Post.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[More than half of young people in Germany favor a social media ban, survey finds]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/more-than-half-of-young-people-in-germany-favor-a-social-media-ban-survey-finds</link>
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                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[A 7-year-old teenage boy and a 11-year-old teenage girl look at their iPad screen with TikTok logo is displayed on December 07, 2025 in Sydney, Australia]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ George Chan/Getty Images ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ More than half of German 12- to 17-year-olds support some form of social media ban for minors, though 80% say the platforms do them good, according to a report published in Berlin by the health insurer Techniker Krankenkasse. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Thu, 03 Sep 2026 07:02:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[More than half of German children and young people aged 12 to 17 support restricting access to social media for minors, even though most of them describe the platforms as good for their own lives, according to a report published Aug. 27 in Berlin by the German health insurer Techniker Krankenkasse.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
More than half of German children and young people aged 12 to 17 support restricting access to social media for minors, even though most of them describe the platforms as good for their own lives, according to a report published Aug. 27 in Berlin by the German health insurer Techniker Krankenkasse.
The report, titled "Jugend zwischen Like und Limit" ("Young People Between Like and Limit"), found that 55% of respondents backed some form of ban. Eight percent supported a general prohibition for children and young people, while 47% favored a ban up to a certain age. Those respondents proposed an average age limit of 14. Thirty-nine percent rejected a ban outright.
The findings arrive as several governments have moved to bar or restrict minors from social media platforms, and as courts and regulators press technology companies over the design of their products. The German statutory health insurer used the release to argue that legal limits alone will not resolve the problem, and that platform operators and educators share responsibility.
Positive views, with reservations
Despite the support for restrictions, 80% of the young people surveyed said social media does them rather good or very good, the insurer reported.
Jens Baas, chairman of the executive board of Techniker Krankenkasse, said young people value the platforms for contact with friends, ideas and access to information. "At the same time, however, they are also aware of the downsides, such as fake news, cyberbullying and other content that is mentally burdensome," he said in the release. He added that society must find lasting solutions to protect the health and well-being of children and young people.
Asked what irritates or stresses them most, 57% of respondents named excessive advertising. The spread of false information followed at 52%, then spending too much time online at 36%, bullying and insults at 35%, and inappropriate images or videos, such as depictions of violence, at 31%.
Heavy use linked to poorer well-being
The report drew a series of comparisons between young people who spend four or more hours a day on social media and those who spend one to two hours. The insurer said no causal relationship can be derived from the survey data, but described the pattern as consistent.
Among heavy users, 49% said they were often or constantly in a bad mood, compared with 20% of light users. Gaps of a similar size appeared for feelings of insecurity and doubt (41% versus 22%), dissatisfaction with oneself (40% versus 22%), irritability or anger (39% versus 14%), inner restlessness (39% versus 17%) and exhaustion (39% versus 22%).
Physical complaints followed the same pattern, according to the report. Sleep problems were reported by 38% of those spending four or more hours a day on the platforms, against 14% of those spending one to two hours. Heavy users also reported more headaches or migraines (37% versus 12%), muscle tension or back pain (30% versus 17%), abdominal pain (28% versus 12%) and irritated eyes (22% versus 8%).
Baas said existing research points in the same direction. He cited depressive moods, anxiety disorders, dissatisfaction with one's own body and sleep problems as effects that have been associated with intensive use.
Insurer argues bans are not enough
Techniker Krankenkasse said a broad prohibition would not adequately address the risks its report identified.
"In our view, a blanket social media ban to protect children and young people from the risks online does not go far enough," Baas said. "We live in a digital world — for children and young people to be able to handle social media in a healthy way over the long term, media literacy is decisive." He said providers must also be held to account and offer versions of their platforms suited to young users, without advertising and without algorithms that encourage compulsive use.
Lilli Berthold, deputy secretary general of the Bundesschüler*innenkonferenz, the national body representing school students, told the insurer that many young people cannot cut back on their own. A ban, she said, should only ever be a last resort, with sustained work on media literacy by parents and schools mattering more.
Asked what would help them use social media safely, 48% of respondents pointed to educational videos about the risks placed on the platforms themselves. Forty-six percent wanted trained contacts at school, such as media scouts, 43% wanted more conversations with their parents and 42% favored workshops or projects. Twelve percent said no support was needed.
Valentin Dander of the Gesellschaft für Medienpädagogik und Kommunikationskultur, a German association for media education, offered practical advice in the release. Accompanying young people's media use at home with interest and a critical eye, and negotiating rules together, is where it starts, he said, along with deliberate choices about which platforms to use. He said creative and social leisure activities outside digital spaces are also needed.
Debate over restrictions widens
Governments in several countries have already legislated. Australia passed a law in late 2024 barring children under 16 from social media platforms, with penalties of up to 50 million Australian dollars ($32.5 million) for companies that fail to comply and no exemptions for existing users or parental consent. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said at the time that the aim was to allow young Australians a childhood and to give parents peace of mind. Digital researchers questioned the reliability of age-verification technology and warned that restrictions could be circumvented, while some experts described the measure as too blunt an instrument.
The British government announced in June that under-16s would be barred from platforms including Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X, following the Australian model. Mark Gilmore, policy adviser at the UK Evangelical Alliance, told Christian Daily International that the measure was unlikely to achieve what was intended.
"A social media ban is not a silver bullet, and many young people will find ways around it," Gilmore said. "But social media has caused real harm to children's wellbeing, relationships and safety." He said the alliance had pressed for stronger accountability of technology companies, and that churches had an opportunity to offer young people spaces of friendship, belonging and support as the changes take effect.
Reuters reported in June that authorities in a range of countries, Germany among them, have introduced restrictions on young people's use of social media.
Platform design has also come under legal pressure. Meta Platforms agreed in August to pay billions of dollars and change core features of Facebook and Instagram to settle claims by dozens of U.S. states that it built its platforms to be addictive to children.
Under that settlement, Meta agreed to impose daily time limits for teenagers, restrict overnight access, silence notifications during school hours and late at night, interrupt endless scrolling, and limit beauty filters and visible "like" counts. Several of those measures address the same features the German report identified as sources of stress for young users.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Six in 10 Christian secondary students in Korea report clash between school and church teaching]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/six-in-10-christian-secondary-students-in-korea-report-clash-between-school-and-church-teaching</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/six-in-10-christian-secondary-students-in-korea-report-clash-between-school-and-church-teaching</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Young Christians take part in a worship service in South Korea]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ iStockphoto / artplus ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Young Christians take part in a worship service in South Korea. A survey by the Pastoral Data Research Institute found that 59% of church-attending middle and high school students in South Korea have felt that what they learn at school contradicts what they are taught at church, while only 23% of churches provide regular instruction in biblical values. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Wed, 02 Sep 2026 07:06:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[About six in 10 Christian middle and high school students in South Korea say they have encountered contradictions between what they are taught in the classroom and what they hear at church, according to survey findings released by the Pastoral Data Research Institute in South Korea.]]></description>
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About six in 10 Christian middle and high school students in South Korea say they have encountered contradictions between what they are taught in the classroom and what they hear at church, according to survey findings released by the Pastoral Data Research Institute in South Korea and reported by Christian Daily Korea.
Only 23% of churches provide regular instruction in biblical values for church school students and their parents, the same research found. The institute, known as PDRI, said the results indicate that education aimed at shaping the worldview of the next generation is not sufficient.
The figures appeared Aug. 25 in the 347th edition of PDRI's weekly "Numbers" report, under the heading "Clash of Worldviews: Compartmentalized Faith." They are drawn from "Korean Church Next Generation Trends 2026," a study the institute published in May with the organization Future With Dreams, covering seven groups that included senior pastors, church-attending students and their parents, church school teachers and ministry workers, and students who have left the church.
Where the contradictions appear
Fifty-nine percent of churchgoing secondary students said they had at some point felt that school teaching and church teaching pointed in different directions, a figure that combines those answering "often" and "sometimes."
Science produced the sharpest sense of conflict, cited by 60% of students, with evolution and accounts of the origin of the universe given as leading examples. Ethics and sexuality followed at 37%, society and politics at 34%, and the interpretation of history and culture at 32%.
Students also reported other faith-related difficulties at high rates. Fifty-eight percent said they struggled with the presence of evil, disaster and suffering, and 54% said they found some biblical instruction hard to regard as realistic, including the command to love one's enemies.
Left without an answer
Few students reached a settled conclusion when they sensed a contradiction. Twenty-one percent said they suspended judgment, 20% said they tried to hold the two together and 19% said they avoided the question or did not know — 60% in total. One in four, or 24%, said they gave priority to trusting what the church taught.
Church leaders were not the first people students approached. Twenty-nine percent said they worked through such questions alone, 24% turned to parents and 20% to friends, while 18% went to a pastor and 17% to a church school teacher.
"This is a situation that calls for examining whether the church community has built an environment of trust in which students can ask questions freely when they discover contradictions," PDRI said in its analysis, adding that churches should also consider whether they are equipped to receive and interpret those questions within the faith.
Faith kept separate from daily life
The survey found evidence of what PDRI described as compartmentalized faith. Forty-eight percent of Christian secondary students said that when they face real problems, they reach for practical solutions before faith. Thirty-eight percent said they think of faith and daily life as separate matters, 35% said the same of school life and faith, and 35% said they had rarely applied prayer or Scripture to everyday situations.
Adults in the survey were more likely than students to see secular values as dominant, Christian Daily Korea reported. Fifty-five percent of parents said secular values carry greater influence than biblical ones, along with 46% of ministry workers, 35% of teachers and 26% of students. In each group, between 11% and 16% said biblical values carry more weight.
Gaps in church teaching
Asked about instruction in biblical values for church school students and their parents, 23% of senior pastors said their churches provide it on a regular basis. Fifty-four percent said it takes place irregularly and 23% said it does not take place at all.
Teaching capacity emerged as a further constraint. Only 27% of church school teachers said they were able to explain biblical values to students in detail. Separately, 73% of church school ministry workers judged current church education inadequate for helping students apply biblical values to daily life, according to the institute's report.
Where such teaching does occur, teachers reported results. Sixty-nine percent said values education brings about meaningful change in students, 62% said it prompts questions or other responses, and 61% said students attempt to apply it to problems at school and in daily life.
The relationship between teacher and student appeared to shape the outcome. Among teachers who described that relationship as satisfactory, 74% reported meaningful change in students; among those who did not, the figure fell to 44%, a gap of 30 percentage points.
"This suggests that the key factor determining the practical effect of values education is not only the content of the teaching but the formation of a relationship between teacher and student," PDRI said.
Calls for change
More than 90% of both senior pastors and church school ministry workers said education that integrates faith and life is important for the next generation. A comparable share in each group agreed that such teaching should extend beyond faith itself to everyday life.
PDRI argued that faith education should move beyond transmitting information toward equipping students to interpret science, ethics, society and other areas of daily experience from a biblical perspective. Churches in South Korea, it said, need to build "safe communities for questions" where students can work through their confusion.
A strict religious atmosphere in many congregations has prevented such a culture from taking root, PDRI said, pointing to the number of students who suspend judgment or handle their questions alone. It called for relationships in which pastors and church school teachers listen to students' difficulties and look for answers with them.
PDRI also recommended strengthening teacher training through instruction in Christian worldview and values, along with programs and retreats intended to build closer relationships between teachers and students, according to Christian Daily Korea.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[German free evangelical churches report rise in baptisms]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/german-free-evangelical-churches-report-rise-in-baptisms</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/german-free-evangelical-churches-report-rise-in-baptisms</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Congregational Perspective]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ wirestock/Envato ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ The Federation of Free Evangelical Churches in Germany reported 504 congregations and 40,933 members as of Dec. 31, 2025, along with a rise in baptisms on profession of faith from 1,491 to 2,624 over four years. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Wed, 02 Sep 2026 06:38:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[The Federation of Free Evangelical Churches in Germany said it counted 504 congregations and 40,933 members as of Dec. 31, 2025, and reported a rise in baptisms that it called the clearest change in its recent statistics.]]></description>
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The Federation of Free Evangelical Churches in Germany said it counted 504 congregations and 40,933 members as of Dec. 31, 2025, and reported a rise in baptisms that it called the clearest change in its recent statistics.
According to the federation's press release, issued Aug. 28, the number of people baptized on profession of faith rose from 1,491 to 2,624 over four years, an increase of about 76%. The number of baptismal services in the same period rose from 554 to 822.
The figures cover a small segment of German Christianity. Evangelicals are estimated at roughly 2% to 3% of Germany's population of about 84 million. The direction of travel, however, runs against that of the country's two largest churches, which reported a combined loss of about 1.2 million members during 2025.
The federation, known in German as the Bund Freier evangelischer Gemeinden (FeG), draws its data from internal statistics rather than state registers. Member churches are asked to report their figures every two years; the returns are checked for plausibility and reviewed by regional officers before being compiled. Several of the comparisons in the release are measured from 2021, when public health restrictions in Germany limited gatherings, baptisms and worship services.
Reported conversions and baptisms
The federation said member churches reported some 2,700 "decisions for faith in Jesus Christ" in the most recent two-year reporting period. It described this as higher than any comparable period in recent years, adding that the figure was regularly below 2,000 up to 2021 and stood at about 2,400 in 2023.
"These figures fill us with great joy and gratitude," Guido Sadler, the federation's managing director, said in the release. He said the churches were seeing people ask about God "whether for the first time or once again," and that the pattern showing itself in baptisms in particular was an encouragement.
Free evangelical churches practice baptism on profession of faith rather than infant baptism, so their baptismal totals reflect a different category of decision than those published by Germany's Protestant regional churches, which baptize infants as well as adults.
Attendance measured as a ratio
Worship attendance in the federation's churches is reported not as a headcount but as a ratio of attendances to membership. That ratio fell to 62% in 2021, recovered in 2023 and stood at 92% at the end of 2025, according to the release. The federation said regular worship life had returned almost entirely to its pre-pandemic level.
"We are glad and grateful that we have overcome the coronavirus dip," said Henrik Otto, who has served as the federation's president since 2024. "At the same time, we are not yet satisfied. The return to the earlier level is no reason for us to sit back."
The federation also said the number of "friends of the church" (people connected to a congregation without holding membership) has risen continuously in relation to membership in recent years and continued to rise even in years when membership fell. The release likewise stated that membership is again growing slightly after a dip in 2023.
Church planting and congregation size
The average size of a free evangelical congregation has fallen over the past six years from 84 members to a little more than 81, the federation said, attributing the decline largely to a growing number of new congregations, which typically begin small.
"Church planting is firmly part of the DNA of our federation of churches," said Sascha Rützenhoff, director of the federation's home mission arm. He said the aim was not only to maintain existing congregations but to keep founding new ones.
Sadler said the figures confirmed a decision to continue directing resources toward new congregations.
The federation reported that the average age of its members has risen by 1.2 years over six years and now stands at a little over 53 — a slower increase than demographic trends alone would suggest, it said, and one it linked to new congregations.
"We have overcome the coronavirus dip — and that is good. But we want more," Sadler said. "Behind every figure stand people who are discovering faith, experiencing fellowship, being baptized or setting out to found a new church."
The wider German picture
Germany's two large state-recognized churches have been losing members for decades, with a decline of roughly 3% a year since 2022. The Evangelical Church in Germany, the mainline Protestant umbrella body known as the EKD, reported about 17.4 million members at the end of 2025, down 3.2% from the previous year, with roughly 350,000 formal departures and about 330,000 deaths set against some 105,000 baptisms and 16,000 admissions. The Catholic Church in Germany reported about 19.2 million members, down from 19.8 million, with around 307,000 departures.
Together the two churches accounted for about 36.6 million people at the end of 2025, or roughly 44% of the population. This is a steep decline from over 90% of the population since the 1970s.
The Federation of Free Evangelical Churches was founded in 1874 and consists of independent local congregations, which do not receive the church tax collected by the state on behalf of the Protestant and Catholic churches. It is associated with the German Evangelical Alliance and belongs to both the Association of Evangelical Free Churches and the Council of Christian Churches in Germany.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Survey finds only half of South Korean church teens confident in the gospel, with family playing key role]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/survey-finds-only-half-of-south-korean-church-teens-confident-in-the-gospel-with-family-playing-key-role</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/survey-finds-only-half-of-south-korean-church-teens-confident-in-the-gospel-with-family-playing-key-role</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Worship, youth, young adults, teens, church, service]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Christian Daily International ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ A survey of more than 3,300 South Korean churchgoers found youth worship attendance and gospel confidence lagging behind adults, even as overall satisfaction with church life remained high. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Thu, 20 Aug 2026 05:35:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Fewer than half of female middle and high school students in South Korean churches say they are confident in the Christian gospel, and youth worship attendance remains well below pre-pandemic levels, according to a major new survey of the country's next generation of churchgoers.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Fewer than half of female middle and high school students in South Korean churches say they are confident in the Christian gospel, and youth worship attendance remains well below pre-pandemic levels, according to a major new survey of the country's next generation of churchgoers.
The Pastoral Data Research Institute (PDRI), known in Korea as Mokdeyeon, published findings from its "Korean Church Next Generation Trend 2026" study on Aug. 18, according to reporting by Christian Daily Korea. The research, conducted over roughly a year beginning in 2025, surveyed 3,308 people across seven groups, including students, parents, teachers and ministry workers.
Overall, just 53% of middle and high school students attending Sunday school said they "believe" in the gospel with confidence. The figure varied sharply by gender: 57% of male students responded affirmatively, compared with 48% of female students. Students who described a close relationship with their parents reported higher gospel confidence at 59%, while those whose families hold regular home worship services reported the highest rate at 75%.
"The relationship with parents and family worship showed relatively high rates in connection with confidence in the gospel," PDRI said in its published findings.
The survey also documented a persistent gap in worship attendance between youth and adults since the COVID-19 pandemic. Using pre-pandemic attendance as a baseline of 100, adult worship participation had recovered to 94% as of May 2026, while Sunday school attendance stood at 81% — unchanged from January 2024, according to PDRI data.
That gap extends to weekly attendance. Among adult churchgoers surveyed, 75% said they attend worship every week, against 60% of youth — a 15-percentage-point difference. Of those youth who do attend, 43% said they participate in worship only, 30% in worship and Sunday school study, and 27% in a fuller range of church activities and fellowship.
Despite these figures, overall satisfaction among youth was relatively high. Some 64% of middle and high school students said they were satisfied with church life, giving it an average score of 3.9 out of 5. The leading reason for satisfaction was friendships, cited by 41%, followed by the pastor or associate pastor at 36%, and praise and worship at 32%.
Among dissatisfied students, 43% pointed to church programs and activities as the main problem, with the pastor and sermons each cited by 27%. Satisfaction with Sunday school teachers stood at 61%, three percentage points below the overall church satisfaction rate.
On factors that had supported their spiritual growth, students ranked summer and winter retreats first at 42%, followed by praise and worship at 39%, sermons at 28%, and fellowship with peers at 25%.
PDRI said its findings point to an ongoing need to strengthen retreat programming and praise ministries for youth, and called on churches to engage parents early in the year to encourage their children to attend retreats. The institute noted that declining birth rates and rapid social change are reshaping the environment surrounding the next generation of Korean Christians, making it essential for churches to assess where young people actually stand in their faith.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Barna book argues worldview gap explains why many Christians think like the culture]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/barna-book-argues-worldview-gap-explains-why-many-christians-think-like-the-culture</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/barna-book-argues-worldview-gap-explains-why-many-christians-think-like-the-culture</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[George Barnas new book, How to Think Like Jesus: 7 Cornerstones to Build a Biblical Worldview, releases Sept. 15, 2026.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ George Barna's new book, How to Think Like Jesus: 7 Cornerstones to Build a Biblical Worldview, releases Sept. 15, 2026. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Wed, 19 Aug 2026 10:31:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[A new book from Christian researcher George Barna argues that the reason many people who call themselves Christians think and live indistinguishably from the broader culture comes down to a missing foundation — not a lack of sincerity, but the absence of a coherent biblical worldview]]></description>
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A new book from Christian researcher George Barna argues that the reason many people who call themselves Christians think and live indistinguishably from the broader culture comes down to a missing foundation — not a lack of sincerity, but the absence of a coherent biblical worldview, a conclusion he draws from more than 1,000 surveys and interviews with over one million Americans.
How to Think Like Jesus: 7 Cornerstones to Build a Biblical Worldview, published by Arizona Christian University Press in partnership with Fedd Books, is scheduled for release Sept. 15, 2026.
Barna, who directs research at Arizona Christian University's Cultural Research Center, identifies seven core beliefs he describes as the non-negotiable building blocks of a biblical worldview — covering topics such as the nature of God, the authority of Scripture, human sin, the definition of truth, and what he calls God's definitions of meaning, purpose and success.
"Your worldview is only as strong as its foundation," Barna writes in the book. "You will experience as much success in life as your worldview allows."
The book grows out of research Barna has conducted at the Cultural Research Center, which also produced the ACU Worldview Assessment — an online tool that measures an individual's worldview and gives readers a score reflecting how their beliefs align with each of the seven cornerstones. "Because worldview is measurable, we have research data that identify the incidence of various worldviews, how people piece together the elements of their life philosophy, and insights into the life consequences of people's chosen philosophy," Barna writes.
The central distinction the book draws is between what Barna calls "genuine disciples" and "cultural Christians" — people who identify with Christianity but whose thinking and decision-making, he argues, have been shaped more by surrounding culture than by biblical convictions.
Barna is a professor at Arizona Christian University and founder of The Barna Group. He also serves as senior research fellow at the Family Research Council Center for Biblical Worldview and has authored or co-authored more than 60 books, including several New York Times and Amazon bestsellers. The new title builds on themes from his 2023 book, Raising Spiritual Champions: Nurturing Your Child's Heart, Mind and Soul.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[UN warns children are 'guinea pigs' for unregulated AI as online risks mount]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/un-warns-children-are-guinea-pigs-for-unregulated-ai-as-online-risks-mount</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/un-warns-children-are-guinea-pigs-for-unregulated-ai-as-online-risks-mount</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Imaginary Friend]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ The United Nations is urging a fundamental shift: the burden of protecting children online must fall on the platforms generating harm, not on children, parents or caregivers. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Wed, 19 Aug 2026 07:55:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[The United Nations is calling on governments, technology companies and advertisers to act on what it describes as a pressing and consequential policy challenge — the safety, rights and digital future of the world's most connected generation.]]></description>
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The United Nations is calling on governments, technology companies and advertisers to act on what it describes as a pressing and consequential policy challenge — the safety, rights and digital future of the world's most connected generation.
The United Nations is calling for urgent, coordinated action to protect children and young people from escalating dangers in digital information spaces, warning that business models built on capturing attention and harvesting personal data are shaping the online experiences of a generation with little recourse against harm.
A new UN report released ahead of International Youth Day on Aug. 12 found that disinformation, algorithmic manipulation, targeted advertising, online harassment and opaque AI systems now pose serious and compounding threats to children's safety, development and rights. The brief, published Aug. 10 by the UN Department of Global Communications, is the third in a series examining how to strengthen integrity across global information environments.
"No child should be a guinea pig for unregulated AI," UN Secretary-General António Guterres said. "When a child is harmed, the answer must never be 'the algorithm did it.'"
More than 80% of young people between the ages of 15 and 24 are now online worldwide, the brief reported. In lower-income countries, young people are nearly twice as likely to use the internet as the broader population — even as significant digital divides persist within and across regions. In higher-income countries, children's relationship with digital platforms often begins in early childhood and deepens through adolescence.
Children and youth now engage with digital technologies across nearly every dimension of daily life: education, social connection, economic opportunity, entertainment and civic participation. Yet the platforms shaping those experiences were not designed with child welfare at the center.
Built for revenue, not for children
Technology companies have constructed their platforms around what researchers call the "attention economy" — business models that depend on maximizing the time users spend online and the data that can be extracted from their behavior, habits and emotional states. This model funds hyper-personalized advertising that can be tailored in real time to individual vulnerabilities and insecurities, the UN report said.
Children's still-forming cognitive and emotional capacities make them particularly susceptible to design features engineered to exploit psychological weaknesses. Algorithmic systems can trap young users in escalating content loops, exposing them to increasingly extreme material — including content related to self-harm, suicide, pornography, extremism and violence. Gaming and social media environments use deceptive interface designs, intermittent reward mechanics similar to slot machines, and "fear of missing out" tactics to drive compulsive engagement and spending.
Children also struggle to tell the difference between organic content and paid advertising, a gap that commercial interests are structured to exploit. Some technology companies have begun placing advertisements within AI-generated results and summaries, deepening an already wide literacy deficit.
"Protecting them and including them are not competing goals. We have to do both," said Charlotte Scaddan, UN Senior Adviser on Information Integrity.
The brief argues that framing these problems as a matter of parental oversight or individual screen time misses the structural forces driving harm. Digital systems are now so deeply woven into commercial, educational and social life that opting out is neither feasible nor realistic for most families. The burden, it says, must rest on the platforms generating the harm and the regulatory systems needed to govern them — not on children, parents or caregivers.
A global wave of regulation — with gaps
Governments around the world are moving to fill what the UN describes as critical policy gaps. Australia sparked international regulatory momentum in 2024 by requiring social media platforms to prevent users under 16 from holding accounts. The European Union is weighing a comparable measure across its 27 member states, while Indonesia and Malaysia have enacted similar laws. The United Kingdom plans to introduce age restrictions in early 2027.
Brazil's Digital Statute of the Child and Adolescent, enacted in September 2025, stands as one of the most comprehensive approaches to date. It prohibits behavioral advertising targeting minors, bans the use of children's personal data in ways that violate their rights and mandates the highest default privacy settings for users under 18 — while also requiring age verification mechanisms.
A UNICEF analysis across six jurisdictions — Australia, the European Union, India, Kazakhstan, South Africa and the United Kingdom — identified a cluster of common business obligations present in at least half the frameworks reviewed, including safety-by-design requirements, impact assessments, complaints procedures and transparency reporting. The African Union adopted a Child Online Safety and Empowerment Policy in 2024, though the UN brief notes that its effect depends heavily on the capacity and political will of individual member states.
Despite the breadth of this regulatory momentum, the brief warns that existing frameworks were not designed to address what is coming. AI technologies are introducing risks — synthetic content, AI-facilitated exploitation and opaque algorithmic systems shaping children's information environments — that current rules cannot adequately reach. The UN and children's rights experts have warned against a "wait-and-see" approach to AI governance, arguing that legislative frameworks should incorporate children's rights from the outset, before this window of opportunity closes.
Coalition puts children's rights at the center of AI governance
One month before the brief's publication, UN News reported on the launch in Geneva of the Coalition for Children's Rights and Protection in the Age of Artificial Intelligence — a new international body whose founding members committed to ensuring that children are treated not merely as technology users to be protected after the fact, but as rights holders whose perspectives shape how AI systems are designed in the first place.
Seventeen countries signed on at launch: Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Czech Republic, El Salvador, Estonia, France, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Luxembourg, Morocco, the Netherlands, the Republic of Korea and Spain. UN founding members include the Department of Global Communications, the UN human rights office, the International Telecommunication Union, the Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies, UNICEF and UNESCO.
The coalition is anchored in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the world's most widely ratified human rights treaty. Its formation followed Secretary-General Guterres's call for an AI Child Safety Pledge at the Global Dialogue on AI Governance in July, and a landmark G7 agreement among digital and technology ministers on common principles for safer digital spaces for children.
Youth as actors — and targets
The UN brief presents young people as active participants in public life — creators, advocates, organizers and civic leaders — whose capacities the information ecosystem should be designed to support rather than exploit.
Youth-led movements have demonstrated the power of digital platforms to mobilize rapidly and across borders, using shared cultural symbols to build transnational solidarity around issues from government corruption to climate change and human rights. These movements have, in some cases, outpaced governments' own messaging capabilities.
Yet the same environments enabling that civic energy also expose young activists to serious risks. Women and girls who enter the public sphere — as journalists, human rights defenders, politicians or activists — are disproportionately targeted by technology-facilitated violence, the brief said. Youth protesters have faced online harassment, state and non-state surveillance, disinformation campaigns designed to discredit their movements, internet shutdowns and the exploitation of algorithmic amplification by actors seeking to polarize and destabilize.
The brief also identifies a structural problem of representation. Despite the scale and sophistication of youth-led movements worldwide, young people's perspectives remain underrepresented in the policy forums where decisions about information integrity are made and contested. Closing this gap, the brief argues, is both a rights obligation and a practical requirement for building effective, durable solutions.
What the UN is calling for
The UN's recommendations are organized around five core principles drawn from its Global Principles for Information Integrity, launched by Guterres in June 2024.
On trust and resilience, the brief calls for states to require safety-by-design from technology companies and hold platforms accountable for outcomes rather than intentions alone. Age-appropriate design, it says, must be embedded in product architecture from the start — with the highest available privacy and safety settings as the default for younger users, not something they must navigate menus to find.
On advertising, the brief calls on advertisers to stop targeting minors with behavioral advertising and to ensure commercial messaging is clearly distinguishable from organic content. It points to Brazil's law and the EU's Digital Services Act as models, while calling for industry coalitions to establish shared norms around what constitutes manipulative or exploitative practice when directed at young audiences.
On public empowerment, the brief calls for digital and media literacy to be integrated into formal education from an early age, with content and methods tailored to children's developmental stage. It also calls for accessible, child-friendly mechanisms for reporting harm and seeking redress — including mental health referrals — available in local languages and designed with direct input from young people themselves. Accountability measures must ensure that platforms and other actors can be held responsible when their products cause measurable harm.
On independent media, the brief identifies the decline of local journalism and the spread of "news deserts" as a compounding problem for children's access to reliable, relevant information about their communities. AI companies are exacerbating that decline, it notes, through aggressive data scraping and zero-click summaries that bypass direct access to news websites. Young people are also increasingly media producers in their own right — through social media, podcasting and other platforms — and the brief argues that the same press freedom protections extended to professional journalists should apply to children and youth engaged in civic and journalistic expression online.
On transparency, the brief identifies a significant systemic barrier: technology companies hold vast quantities of data on how their platforms affect users, but that data is largely inaccessible to independent researchers. Without it, neither policymakers, educators, parents nor children themselves have the evidence needed to make informed decisions. The brief calls for data-sharing arrangements that protect user privacy while enabling rigorous independent scrutiny — with particular urgency around the AI systems now mediating so much of what children encounter online.
The brief also flags a geographic blind spot in the existing evidence base. Most research on children and digital environments has been conducted in North American and European contexts, despite the fact that most of the world's children and young people live in the global South. It calls for sustained investment in research capacity in underrepresented regions, alongside genuine partnerships with institutions and young people there.
Physical spaces as a necessary counterweight
A different kind of recommendation also included is an emphasis on physical environments. Community centers, libraries, youth clubs and other shared spaces outside the home and school — sometimes called "third spaces" — are essential foundations for information integrity, the UN report said. These are places where young people encounter different perspectives, practice civic engagement and develop the habits of mind that digital platforms alone cannot build.
The brief calls on states to work with all stakeholders to support the conditions for children and youth to have dynamic, varied lives beyond digital platforms — treating this not as a cultural preference but as a structural necessity for building resilient, informed and participatory societies.
Young people are not only among the populations most affected by the failures of the global information ecosystem, but also among the most motivated and capable of helping to fix it, the brief argued. The question, it says, is whether institutions — governments, technology companies, civil society, media organizations and the UN itself — are willing to bring them in as genuine partners rather than treating their protection as the whole of the problem.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Canadian evangelical body launches study on pastor shortage]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/canadian-evangelical-body-launches-study-on-pastor-shortage</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/canadian-evangelical-body-launches-study-on-pastor-shortage</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Pastor, preaching, church, pulpit, bible]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Unsplash / Nycholas Benaia ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Tue, 18 Aug 2026 15:54:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada has announced a new research project to assess how many churches across the country lack pastoral leadership and what factors are driving that gap.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada has announced a new research project to assess how many churches across the country lack pastoral leadership and what factors are driving that gap.
The study, conducted through the EFC's Centre for Research on Church and Faith in partnership with Northwest Seminary's Propel Lilly grant program, will examine pastoral calling, training and long-term sustainability in ministry.
Researchers plan to conduct a needs analysis of past, present and projected pastoral workforce demands among EFC-affiliated congregations. They will also hold conversations with denominational, higher education and church leaders to identify what is preventing people from entering pastoral ministry — and what is driving current pastors to leave it.
The EFC said it has already begun consulting with affiliate leaders across Canada to ensure the study addresses their specific concerns about pastoral vitality in the 21st century.
According to the EFC, the Centre expects its findings to produce benchmark projections of current and future pastoral needs and to help church and denominational leaders develop strategies for identifying and recruiting pastoral candidates. Researchers also hope to clarify the relationships between denominations, congregations and Christian higher education institutions in forming the next generation of pastors.
The study is also expected to shed light on how pastors develop resilience and longevity in ministry — a question the EFC described as central to sustaining healthy churches over time.
Those with relevant perspectives or questions about the research may contact the team at research@theefc.ca.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Most evangelicals give their spiritual lives a C+, new study finds]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/most-evangelicals-give-their-spiritual-lives-a-c-new-study-finds</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/most-evangelicals-give-their-spiritual-lives-a-c-new-study-finds</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[worship, church, praying]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Unsplash / Ismael Paramo ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Tue, 18 Aug 2026 12:03:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[A new survey of 1,000 evangelical Protestants in the United States found that believers rate their own spiritual lives at an average grade-point equivalent of 2.42 — roughly a C+ — with evangelism, financial giving and tithing ranking as the weakest areas, according to research released by Infinity Concepts and Grey Matter Research.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
A new survey of 1,000 evangelical Protestants in the United States found that believers rate their own spiritual lives at an average grade-point equivalent of 2.42 — roughly a C+ — with evangelism, financial giving and tithing ranking as the weakest areas, according to research released by Infinity Concepts and Grey Matter Research.
The study, titled "The Spiritual Report Card: Perception vs. Practice Among Evangelicals", asked participants to grade themselves across 12 areas: prayer, Bible knowledge, Bible reading, tithing, charitable giving, volunteering, church attendance, worship, Christian relationships, evangelism, ministry involvement and their overall relationship with God.
Only 12% of respondents assigned themselves an average grade of A. At the other end, 16% averaged a D+ or below, including 2% who gave themselves a failing grade.
One of the more striking findings, according to the researchers, was how accurately believers' self-assessments reflected their actual behavior. Ron Sellers, president of Grey Matter Research, said the alignment between perception and practice was unexpected.
"When some evangelicals say they are struggling spiritually, they usually are not being overly critical — they are being honest," Sellers said. "What surprised us was not that Christians recognize their weaknesses — it's that their self-evaluations so often synchronize with their behavior. But we also see that recognizing the problem is not necessarily producing meaningful change."
The data showed the correlation playing out consistently across categories. Among those who gave themselves an A for Bible reading, the overwhelming majority reported reading Scripture daily. Among those who gave themselves a failing grade in the same category, few reported opening the Bible at all. Church attendance followed a similar pattern: 92% of those who graded themselves A in attendance said they attended in-person services weekly or more often, compared with just 7% of those who gave themselves an F.
Two categories where self-assessments appeared to outrun actual behavior were Bible knowledge and financial giving, according to the study.
Respondents rated prayer and their overall relationship with God as their strongest areas, while evangelism and financial generosity — both giving and tithing — were rated lowest.
Mark Dreistadt, president and CEO of Infinity Concepts, said the findings present both a challenge and an opening for church leaders.
"This study offers something every church leader wants but rarely has — a candid look at how believers evaluate their own spiritual health," Dreistadt said. "The encouraging news is that most Christians recognize both their strengths and their struggles. The challenge for the Church is helping people move from honest self-awareness to intentional spiritual growth."
The research was conducted by Grey Matter Research, a consumer insights firm that has worked with more than 100 charities, ministries and Christian denominations since 1996. The full report is available for download through Infinity Concepts.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Young people twice as likely to want more liturgy, structure at church: Lifeway]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/young-people-twice-as-likely-to-want-more-liturgy-structure-at-church-lifeway</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/young-people-twice-as-likely-to-want-more-liturgy-structure-at-church-lifeway</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[The Christian Post]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Young people twice as likely to want more liturgy, structure at church: Lifeway]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ iStock/98155414 ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Fri, 07 Aug 2026 08:42:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Younger churchgoers in the United States are twice as likely than older worshipers to want more liturgy and structure added to their church services, according to the Evangelical research group Lifeway Research.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Younger churchgoers in the United States are twice as likely than older worshipers to want more liturgy and structure added to their church services, according to the Evangelical research group Lifeway Research.
Among churchgoers ages 18 to 29, 18% say they would like more liturgical elements, and 19% of those ages 30 to 49 say the same, compared with 9% of churchgoers 50 and older, a Lifeway survey of over 1,200 Protestant churchgoers found.
The gap also shows up in satisfaction.
Just 69% of churchgoers ages 18 to 29 and 30 to 49 say they are content with the current amount of liturgy in their church, compared with 80% of those 50 to 64 and 77% of those 65 and older.
Liturgical style refers to elements such as set prayers, responsive readings and formal patterns of worship, as opposed to a more informal or organic service.
Churchgoers who are 65 and older are more likely to say their church is very liturgical, 29%, compared with 15% of those ages 18–29.
The respondents were surveyed in September 2025, and the survey contains a sampling error that does not exceed plus or minus 3.2 percentage points. 
Scott McConnell, the group’s executive director, said many younger churchgoers are early in their spiritual growth and still working out how the overall narrative of Scripture connects.
"Liturgical elements such as creeds and other regular practices can serve as helpful reminders of biblical truths and provide structure that guides believers through worship,” McConnell said.
Nationally, most Protestant churchgoers are satisfied with their church’s worship style regardless of age.
Three in four churchgoers, 75%, say they are fine with the current amount of liturgical style in their church, while 13% would like more, 5% would prefer less and 7% are unsure.
Protestant churches vary widely in how they structure services. About one in four churchgoers, 24%, say their church has a very liturgical style. The largest share, 42%, say their church has some liturgical elements, while 27% say their church has none and 7% are unsure.
McConnell said individual churches and branches of Protestant Christianity carry different amounts of liturgy in their history, and called it reassuring that most churchgoers are comfortable with whatever style they attend.
“Whether a church uses responsive readings and creeds or a more organic style of worship, those different expressions share the same goal — helping people acknowledge God’s presence and worship Him together. When churches are moving in that same direction, a variety of worship styles can be effective,” said McConnell.
Among those who want change, few want less liturgy.
With 13% wanting more liturgical elements, 8% currently attend churches with some liturgical practices and 5% attend churches with none. Of the 5% who want less, 3% attend churches with some liturgical elements and 2% attend very liturgical churches.
A separate study conducted in 2019 found that only 15% of U.S. Protestant pastors named the task of navigating varying worship preferences as the biggest challenge they faced with music in their congregation.
According to the latest Lifeway research, denomination also correlates with liturgical style.
Almost half of nondenominational churchgoers, 45%, say their church has no liturgical style, as do 27% of Baptists. Most Lutherans, 56%, and nearly two in five Presbyterian or Reformed churchgoers, 38%, say their church is very liturgical.
Presbyterian or Reformed churchgoers, at 22%, are among the most likely to want more liturgical elements added to their services. Lutherans, at 10%, nondenominational churchgoers, at 9%, and Methodists, at 8%, are less likely to want additional liturgy. Nondenominational churchgoers report some of the highest satisfaction with their current worship style, at 79%, compared with 71% of Baptists.
Churchgoers who hold Evangelical beliefs are more likely than those who do not to say their church has no liturgical style, 34% against 19%.
Other demographic patterns also emerge. Men, at 26%, are more likely than women, at 21%, to say their church is very liturgical. African American churchgoers, at 19%, are more likely than white churchgoers, at 11%, and Hispanic churchgoers, at 10%, to say they want more liturgical elements.
Education level correlates with satisfaction. Churchgoers with a bachelor’s degree or graduate degree, 78%, are more likely than those with a high school education or less, 70%, to say they are content with their church's current amount of liturgical style.
Church size shows a similar pattern. Most churchgoers at churches with 500 or more attendees, 51%, say their congregation has no liturgical style, and 80% of those attendees say they are content with the current approach.
Originally published by The Christian Post.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Practicing Christians use AI more than most Americans, Barna finds]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/practicing-christians-use-ai-more-than-most-americans-barna-finds</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/practicing-christians-use-ai-more-than-most-americans-barna-finds</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[The Christian Post]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Practicing Christians use AI more than most Americans, Barna finds]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Getty Images/Exkalibur ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Wed, 29 Jul 2026 06:05:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Practicing Christians are using artificial intelligence in both their work and personal lives more than most Americans, and nearly half of them say they would trust the technology with their spiritual growth, according to a recent survey from Barna Group.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Practicing Christians are using artificial intelligence in both their work and personal lives more than most Americans, and nearly half of them say they would trust the technology with their spiritual growth, according to a recent survey from Barna Group.
The findings come from a survey of 1,514 U.S. adults conducted in November 2025 and another of 442 Protestant pastors conducted in December 2025. Researchers found that even though practicing Christians already use AI more than their pastors, they still want their guidance on engaging with the technology. Only a minority of pastors, around 12%, feel prepared to give guidance on using AI.
About 44% of practicing Christians say they use AI “very often” or “often” in their personal lives. This share is 13 percentage points higher than the 31% of U.S. adults overall who fall in the category of AI engagement. Only 29% of non-practicing Christians reported the same engagement.
When it comes to AI use on the job, 39% of practicing Christians reported using the technology often compared with just 26% of U.S. adults nationwide.
Only 16% of pastors say they use AI “often” personally and 5% said they engage AI for personal matters “very often.” Some 45% said they used AI “not very much” or “not at all.” About a third said they use AI only “sometimes.” Even for work purposes, 24% of pastors said they used the technology very often compared with 39% of practicing Christians.
Nearly half of practicing Christians say they would trust the technology with their spiritual growth. However, the data shows that spiritual growth isn’t the top priority for engagement.
Most Christians use AI for learning, getting advice or improving their writing much more than for interpreting Scripture or spiritual guidance.
“Ask people yes-or-no whether they use AI, and the average pastor and the average American look about the same,” Daniel Copeland, Barna’s vice president of research, said. “It’s frequency of use where the difference actually shows up.”
Research produced by Barna earlier this year suggests that about a third of practicing American Christians say the spiritual advice they get from artificial intelligence is just as good as that from a pastor, with practicing Christians more likely to agree with this notion than non-practicing Christians and non-Christians.
The findings come as advocacy organizations like Tech Justice Law, a public-interest litigation firm, push to ensure that “artificial intelligence products are safe by design, subject to oversight, and transparent to their users.”
“Our work is grounded in a simple, yet important premise: if it would be illegal, exploitative, or dangerous for a human actor to engage in certain conduct, it should not be immunized simply because the harm is mediated through software,” Tech Justice Law states on their website.
“This principle animated why, in fall 2024, we filed the first wrongful death case on behalf of Megan Garcia, against an AI chatbot company, Character.AI, its co-founders Noam Shazeer and Daniel DeFreitas, and Google.”
On Tuesday, Tech Justice Law was also one of several organizations that sued OpenAI and its co-founder and CEO Sam Altman on behalf of former Florida pastor Scott Winters, alleging he nearly died after ChatGPT-4o gave him inaccurate medical advice during several months of what he says were manipulative conversations.
Among other things, Winters’ lawsuit accuses OpenAI of engaging in the unauthorized practice of medicine and exploiting sensitive information about his religious beliefs to increase his engagement with the product. His medical struggles and increased dependence on the technology led him to leave his job as a pastor.
Originally published by The Christian Post.]]></content:encoded>
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