By Stan Friedman

CHICAGO, IL (October 25, 2012) – Many Covenanters routinely share links to social media articles and videos with one another that Covenant News Service believes may be of interest to others. Following is a sample of those submissions – their inclusion does not represent an endorsement of any views expressed

“Nones” on the Rise – A study by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life found that the number of Americans who do not identify with any religion continues to grow rapidly. One-fifth of the public—and a third of adults under 30—are religiously unaffiliated today, the highest percentages ever in Pew Research Center polling. This is an interesting and important set of findings by a reputable nonprofit.

Young Evangelicals and the “Nones” – Jim Wallis says both liberal and conservative young evangelicals can point the way to showing the “nones” what faith is and what the church still often is and can be.

Is Apple Fandom a Religion? – This is not the first time this question has been raised. While somewhat tongue-in-cheek, it also provides fodder for considering the longings of people outside the church—as well as some of our neighbors in the pew or chair next to us. And nearly everyone knows at least one Apple user who speaks with missionary zeal about the company.

Christian Rock Rises Again on the Charts, on the Road, on the Sea – New creativity is leading to a renewed popularity of “Christian rock.” Two artists, TobyMac and Lecrae, both had albums debut on the Billboard Top 10 recently. TobyMac’s “Eye on It” shot straight to number one, a feat that has not been achieved by a debut Christian album since 1997.

The Old Rugged Hymnal: New Songs and Old Media – A member of the hymnal selection committee for the Presbyterians reflects on digital versus print formats or whether a new hymnal needs to be one or the other. He does say, “I have thought about these questions deeply and come to appreciate the technology of an old-fashioned printed book in a new way.”

Look at Obama’s Faith Draws Criticism, Praise – An interesting article by a CNN reporter on how people reading the exact same words can attribute polar opposite motives to a writer. An article asking why so many doubt President Obama’s faith, provoked more than 8,000 comments and 25,000 Facebook shares—from readers all along the political and religious spectrum.

Editor’s note: If you have a link you would like considered for publication, please email Covenant Communications.