University of Oxford developmental psychologist Dr. Olivera Petrovich has spent years researching a single question: Are children predisposed to belief in a transcendent being? This research, much deserving of greater exposure, intrigued me, since I have engaged atheism’s most prominent modern proponents. I chaired three of atheist and evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins’s debates with his Read more
The great doorway to growing in the Christian faith is narrowing from year to year in Quebec as baptisms have significantly declined in since 2012 and there’s no indication the trend will reverse. Confronted with a shift away from traditional practices of transmitting the faith in childhood, leaders in the Quebec church are rethinking how Read more
A coalition of big-tech companies and institutions meeting at the Vatican starting Thursday (Nov. 14) seeks to create a safe environment for children on the internet through cooperation and concrete actions. The international and interreligious conference, “Promoting Digital Child Dignity: From Concept to Action,” was organized to combat the multiplying risks and challenges of the Read more
New Zealand’s total fertility rate has reached an all-time low. An average of 1.71 children per woman in New Zealand is well below population replacement level and threatens economic growth and the country’s social balance and structure. Population replacement and growth is only coming by way of immigration. The claims come in “Families: Ever Fewer Read more
The Seriously Surprising Story draws children into the biblical story of Easter as they walk in the footsteps of Jesus’ followers on the road to Emmaus. Acclaimed New Zealand Children’s author Joy Cowley described it as “a lovely little book”. “It’s warm, it’s happy, it’s the Good News! “The positive message with the rhythmic text Read more
When you have children, everyone tells you that your life is going to change. They mean this in both the best and the worst possible ways: There are the predictable losses (lost sleep, lost money, lost time) as well as the wholly unexpected gains of loving a child beyond reason, beyond yourself. What people do Read more
If I could only give my friends advice, it would be this: have children. At least one. But if possible, have 2, 3, 4 … Brothers are our bridge with the past and the safe harbor for the future. But have children. Children make us better human beings. What a child does for you no Read more
Happy birthday wishes greeted Pope Francis as he celebrated his 81st birthday on Sunday. Children were among his party guests in the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall. The celebrations included an extra-long pizza, a cake, and a message urging the world — and children in particular — to join in the holiday mood and be joyful. Read more
When a New York, Jewish psychoanalyst who is, predictably, a political liberal, has her book shunned by the mainstream media, there has to be something very wrong with it. And you can see what the problem is just by reading the title: Being There: Why Prioritizing Motherhood in the First Three Years Matters. That the author, Read more
Almost a quarter of a million more couples are projected to be living without children by 2038, Statistics New Zealand says. Couple-without-children families account for more than half the projected growth of all families, increasing from 513,000 in 2013 to 757,000 in 2038 (up 244,000). While this figure includes “empty nesters”, there is also an Read more