Life

UK scientists are more atheist than the rest of the population
Nearly half of the UK's scientists do not believe in God, researchers have found.

The more popular children are also more stingy
Children who are popular are less likely to be generous with their friends when it comes to Christmas gifts, research has found.

O come, all ye faithful: 5 reasons to sing Christmas carols
From Australia to Argentina to Anchorage, the message of Jesus will resonate from the mouths of his people in the same melodies and lyrics that his people have been singing for centuries.

Christmas is a spiritual eruption: What the West can learn from the Eastern Church
Jesus' birth is not primarily an historical event, though it was that. It's a spiritual one.

And Was He God With Us?: A meditation for Christmas
And was he God With Us the second the Spirit shadowed the virgin?

John's Gospel: Christmas on a cosmic scale
It's all too easy over the Christmas season to swap the important stuff for the big, shiny festive stuff and end up disappointed.

Doing good in secret: How George W Bush sponsored a child through Compassion International
An extraordinary story has emerged of former US president George W Bush's anonymous sponsorship of a Filippino child through Christian agency Compassion.

Diets heavy in junk food increase risk of depression, study finds
Eating too much fast food, processed meat and cakes is putting people at increased risk of depression, according to a new study.

Over a quarter of Brits and Americans would like to see a female or gender-neutral Santa
With the 'gender neutral' trend shaking up everything from personal identities to clothes and toys, it should come as no surprise that over a quarter of people also want it to shake up the tradition of a male Santa Claus.

Silent Night: the story of the carol that paused a war
Two popular stories contribute to its appeal: one concerning the circumstances of its composition in Oberndorf, near Salzburg in Austria, and the other its role in the Christmas Truce of 1914 when the opposing forces walked out of their trenches to greet their enemies and share food and drink.

Where is the Cross in Revelation?
Any discussion of 'the cross' in the Book of Revelation initially looks like a substantial challenge: it is barely mentioned at all overtly.

Both/and discipleship: Why Christians need to embrace complexity
Our culture has a decidedly fraught relationship with complexity.

Using cannabis alters genetic structure of sperm
Cannabis is changing sperm but scientists are not completely sure how this will impacts users' children

Respect, gratitude and honesty are the top three life lessons parents want to teach their children
The top three life lessons parents want to teach their children are to 'be respectful', 'be thankful for what you have' and be honest, new research has found.

Living Advent Calendar is a hit with Hertfordshire village
The village of Redbourn in Hertfordshire has taken the idea of marking each day of Advent by opening a new door to a new level.

When Christmas is just plain hard: 5 ways to help you cope
Christmas is often more messy and broken than merry and bright.