10 trends in global religion
North American issues are tempests in teapots compared with everywhere else
10 The Arab Spring proved Muslims want democracy, too, and that is being exhibited best in Tunisia, which analysts call the most authentically 'liberal democratic' of Arab Spring countries. For the most part, support for democracy springs from its perceived economic benefits and security, not so much for its support of individual freedoms.
Photograph by: Hichem Borni, The Associated Press , Vancouver Sun
By Douglas Todd, Vancouver Sun
January 12, 2013 2:04 AM
Many predicted religion would die out as secularism spreads around the planet. But so far they've been wrong, mostly.
Religion and spirituality remain extremely powerful across the globe, even while atheism gains more attention, pluralism expands and traditional institutions lose some of their authority. It's a challenge to keep track of the trends.
The Religion Newswriters Association does its bit to monitor shifting religious winds each year by asking U.S. and Canadian religion writers (including me) to name the year's top religion stories.
But the results are U.S.-centric. For instance, a majority of RNA members last month voted that the top religion story of 2012 was U.S. Catholic leaders' opposition to Barack Obama's required insurance coverage of contraception.
http://www.vancouversun.com/life/trends+global+religion/7811425/story.html
