News and Prophecy Staff

Decades ago, John Lennon imagined a world with no religion. Today, that world is becoming a reality in his own country! The British Social Attitudes survey reports that those in Britain without religion (53%) now outnumber those with religion (47%) (The Times, September 5, 2017). The percentage is even higher among young people ages 18-24.

Just 20 years ago, who would have guessed that people would develop “separation anxiety” from their smartphones? Nomophobia is the clinical name for this emotional state, and it goes hand-in-hand with the fear of being offline. Studies show that growing numbers of people experience anxiety, along with increased heart rate and blood pressure, when separated from their cell phones (Time, August 22, 2017).

In recent decades, the Internet has become far more than a research and communication tool—it has become a wealth-generating machine and a tool used to topple governments around the world. This fact has prompted nations to seek to control Internet commerce as well as the political power inherent in the Internet.

Hurricane Harvey slammed into the Gulf Coast over the weekend, destroying properties and drenching parts of Texas and Louisiana. One Houston county saw over 30 inches (nearly a meter) of rain in just 72 hours (Washington Post, August 28, 2017). Officials expect over 30,000 people in evacuation shelters, and President Trump designated parts of Texas and Louisiana national disaster areas.

Recent studies in the UK suggest that lung cancer rates among those who have never smoked have doubled in the last ten years, and this increase may be related to severe air pollution (The Times, August 12, 2017).