A country with little religion: the future?

What the papers said in the week ending 4 February 2023

Churches:

Data on religion from the Census show a fascinating pattern of practices by age groups: projections predict a continuing and dramatic fall in church attendance: Census data suggests UK faces ‘non-religious future’, say campaigners | Population | The Guardian

The future of the Church of England is in question because of disagreements relating to sexuality: Welby ‘would rather see C of E disestablished than split over same-sex marriage’ | Anglicanism | The Guardian

And Rev Dr Stephen Sizer is banned for his anti-Semitic views: C of E vicar who shared claims 9/11 was Israeli plot barred for antisemitism | Anglicanism | The Guardian

Care:

Deficiencies in the care of older people are exposed: UK dementia care agency’s half-hour home visits ‘lasted as little as three minutes’ | Social care | The Guardian

But the difficulties facing the care sector are recognised and must be addressed: The Guardian view on the care home sector: trouble looms as rents rise | Editorial | The Guardian

The review of care services for adults shared from the Archbishops of Canterbury and York is similar to that underway for services for children: Children to be housed closer to family in overhaul of England’s social care system | Children | The Guardian

Overhaul of children’s social care in England urgent and unavoidable, review finds | Children | The Guardian

The state of the nation:

There is much unrest across the nation, with strikes involving a range of key workers: Up to half a million to strike across UK as talks go ‘backwards’ | Industrial action | The Guardian

Our economy is judged to be precarious: Britain the only G7 economy forecast to shrink in 2023 | Economic growth (GDP) | The Guardian

UK supermarket price inflation hits record high, adding £788 to annual bills | Supermarkets | The Guardian

The understanding of economics which most of us have, is poor and flawed – we need a better education: The Guardian view on economics in the media: poorly communicated, poorly understood | Editorial | The Guardian

Review of BBC economic coverage finds concerns but no systematic bias – BBC News

We should be sharing our resources more fairly: Calls for bigger windfall tax after Shell makes ‘obscene’ $40bn profit | Shell | The Guardian

Energy bailiffs for the poorest, huge profits for the richest: this is Britain in 2023 | Gaby Hinsliff | The Guardian

Older people:

Older people complain that we could do more if people would let us: Sorry, Jeremy Hunt, we older people want to work. But bosses just don’t want us to | Dorothy Byrne | The Guardian

Evidence from A and E departments shows that older people are left waiting for attention much longer than younger people: Elderly people waited nearly twice as long in A&E in England as in 2021 | Older people | The Guardian

Yet older people remain active in politics: Netanyahu is an existential threat to Israel. He can be resisted – but only with Palestinian support | Jonathan Freedland | The Guardian

Gary Glitter’s release from prison opens a door for consideration of the complexities of old men and the legal options: Why did Gary Glitter only serve half his prison sentence? | UK criminal justice | The Guardian

Science brings us:

The possibility of reinventing the Dodo: www.theguardian.com/science/2023/jan/31/gene-editing-company-hopes-to-bring-dodo-back-to-life

We should eat less meat to save the planet: ‘Let them eat lentils’ won’t save us from animal farming – we must embrace meat substitutes | George Monbiot | The Guardian