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The faith-related surprise in a new survey on famous quotes

The faith-related surprise in a new survey on famous quotes

Yahoo2 days ago

The United Kingdom may no longer be a majority Christian country, but 8 in 10 people there still recognize a famous Christian prayer, according to new research from the Church of England.
The survey found that more people in the U.K. recognized an excerpt from the Lord's Prayer than recognized quotes from William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens and the British national anthem.
'Overall, the phrase from the Lord's Prayer was recognised correctly by the largest number of people (80.3%), just ahead of Star Wars (79.9%),' per a Church of England press release.
The survey, which was fielded by Savanta among more than 2,000 people in the United Kingdom from May 23 to May 26, tested participants' knowledge of popular phrases from religion, sports, politics and culture.
People were given seven famous phrases — including 'May the force be with you' from 'Star Wars' — and asked to match them to their source from a list of correct answers.
'Give us this day our daily bread' was the phrase used from the Lord's Prayer.
As the press release noted, survey participants were particularly good at recognizing the quotes from religion and pop culture.
They were particularly bad at identifying 'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,' a quote from Dickens.
'A minority of those surveyed (39%) correctly identified the opening line from Dickens's 'A Tale of Two Cities,'' the Church of England reported.
The Lord's Prayer comes from the Bible, where it appears twice: in Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4.
It's widely used in Christianity, but different Christian traditions use slightly different versions of it, in part because of disagreements over how to translate the Bible passages.
Here is the text of the traditional version of the Lord's Prayer that's used by the Church of England:
'Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.'
The new survey also investigated which parts of the Lord's Prayer stand out to people in the U.K.
Survey respondents were given the text and asked to identify which lines were most meaningful to them.
'The most commonly selected line was '… and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us' with 43% overall and more than half (56%) of Christians surveyed," the Church of England reported.
The Lord's Prayer survey was released just ahead of a new Pew Research Center report showing that Christianity is declining in the United Kingdom.
Pew found that the U.K. is one of four countries that stopped being majority Christian from between 2010 and 2020.
'As of 2020, Christians were a majority in 120 countries and territories, down from 124 a decade earlier. Christians dropped below 50% of the population in the United Kingdom (49%), Australia (47%), France (46%) and Uruguay (44%). In each of these places, religiously unaffiliated people now account for 40% or more of the population,' Pew reported.

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Islam Is World's Fastest-Growing Religion
Islam Is World's Fastest-Growing Religion

Newsweek

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  • Newsweek

Islam Is World's Fastest-Growing Religion

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Texas Southern University Announces the Establishment of the William A. Lawson Endowment
Texas Southern University Announces the Establishment of the William A. Lawson Endowment

Yahoo

time4 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Texas Southern University Announces the Establishment of the William A. Lawson Endowment

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How to Get Your Silent Dad to Talk to You
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Yahoo

time9 hours ago

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How to Get Your Silent Dad to Talk to You

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Or, go grocery shopping together. Read More: 10 Questions to Ask Your Parents While You Still Can 'If I sit down in front of my dad and ask him to share something, he's just like, 'Oh, you don't want to hear that,'' she says. 'But if you're doing something together, even as simple as going to the grocery store, you can pull down a box of cereal and be like, 'Did they have this when you were a kid? What did you eat for breakfast when you were little?'' Next thing you know, you'll be hearing all about the boiled egg he had every morning, and how there was no such thing as cereal back in his day. Nostalgia is a silent dad's best friend, Herway says. Open up a conversation by asking him to share one of the simple stories he likes to tell again and again—but this time, ask for more details. The feelings are within the story itself, she adds, so even though your dad might not realize he's sharing certain emotions, you'll be able to notice and appreciate them. 'Dads love to say, 'It was 1962, and I was on the Red Devils baseball team,'' Herway says. 'People will think, 'Oh, there's another story, but my dad doesn't actually share anything personal.' But if you actually listen to the story, you'll see dad sharing about when he was worried, or he was overwhelmed, or he was excited. They may not label the feelings when they're sharing with you, but by sharing facts, they're letting you know what mattered to them.' Mike de la Rocha's dad didn't often tell his sons he loved them—though he did, 'more than life itself.' 'His own father never said 'I love you,' so he showed his love to me by providing, protecting, and doing everything a societally acceptable man is supposed to do,' says de la Rocha, author of the book Sacred Lessons: Teaching My Father How to Love. Read More: How to Reconnect With People You Care About If you're struggling to communicate in a face-to-face conversation, consider other ways to connect. You could write your dad a letter, for example, or get into the habit of exchanging emails on the weekend or a text first thing in the morning, de la Rocha says. Developing a more communicative relationship 'is a process, rather than a destination," he adds. 'It's not going to be one-and-done.' Talking about weighty topics can be overwhelming for dads who don't share a lot. Diffuse that intensity with humor, Herway suggests. Share your favorite joke, show him a funny video on your phone, or introduce him to the latest meme circling the internet. 'I tell people, if your dad isn't cracking, try some humor—that's my secret weapon,' she says. Wisecracking helps ease the mood and facilitate conversation and connection. As Herway says, 'If the front door isn't working to get him to open up, try a window, try the garage, try a different way to get in.' Silent dads are sometimes more comfortable focusing on their expertise than their vulnerabilities. Next time you crave a conversation, ask for help instead of firing off personal questions that may make him uncomfortable. Then listen closely to what he says, because it might be revealing. Imagine you're asking your dad whether or not he thinks you should buy a house you just toured, for example. As he's working through the pros and cons, 'You can hear that he wants you to be secure, he wants you to be safe,' Herway says. You can then ask an open-ended follow-up: What was the interest rate on his first house? Read More: The Worst Thing to Say to Someone Who's Depressed 'Start with something he's comfortable with, and then see if you can go a little further," she says. 'Even though problem-solving scenarios aren't necessarily him opening up in the beginning, they can be a good gateway.' Vulnerability invites vulnerability. If you want your dad to go deeper, show him it's safe, Preston says. She's found that, since becoming a parent herself, she and her father can relate in new ways, so she makes it a point to tell him about her struggles with motherhood. 'It opens up the door for him to be able to share and say, 'You know what, I didn't always have it together when your mom and I were raising you,'' she says. 'If you want transparency, try being transparent.' If you have a silent dad, it can help to think of your relationship like tending to a garden. 'You've got to prepare the soil, put the seeds in, water it, and wait for it to grow,' says Jill Lamar, a Philadelphia-based therapist with Thriveworks who specializes in relationships and family dynamics. 'You can't force it. You lay the groundwork and then continue to come back and keep gently prodding.' Read More: 9 Ways to Set Healthy Boundaries With Your Parents She encourages her clients not to romanticize their vision of an ideal father-daughter or father-son relationship. 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