By Christy Barritt

One-Third of Christian Media Audience Unchurched

A new study by LifeWay Research shows that approximately one-third of those engaging in Christian media, such as books, radio, TV, and movies, are unchurched. The results showed that, even though the primary audience for these venues are Christians who use the media as a means of discipleship, there is still a number of people who may be evangelized through Christian books, radio, TV, and movies.

Here is the breakdown: 35 percent of those who saw a Christian movie last year, 31 percent of those who watched Christian TV, 28 percent of those who read Christians books, 26 percent of those who listened to Christian radio, and 26 percent of those who listened to Christian podcasts were frequently or sometimes unchurched.

Christian media’s biggest supporters were African Americans. Nearly one-quarter of African Americans frequently read Christian books, compared to only 9 percent of Caucasian respondents, 8 percent of Asian American respondents, and 2 percent of Hispanic respondents.

Men, Women, and Narcissism 

A new study conducted by the University at Buffalo School of Management looked at various aspects of narcissism—things such as leadership/authority, grandiose/exhibitionism, and entitlement. Data collected over the span of 30 years from more than 475,000 people was used to determine the results.

The results showed that men were consistently more full of themselves and their abilities than women. They also more often used this trait to their advantage.

“Narcissism is shown to boost self-esteem, emotional stability, and the tendency to emerge as a leader,” said Dr. Emily Grijalva, lead author of the study. “By examining gender differences in narcissism, we may be able to explain gender disparities in these important outcomes.”

While both genders were equally given to fits of vanity and self-absorption, men were more likely to exhibit assertiveness and desire for power. Grijalva pointed out that with narcissism, there also come interpersonal dysfunctions, including the inability to maintain healthy long-term relationships, unethical behavior, and aggression.

Rape Victim Rejects Abortion

Lianna Rebolledo was only 12 when she was raped and became pregnant. Doctors advised her to have an abortion, but Lianna clearly remembers asking the physician if an abortion would ease her pain. The doctor said no.

Knowing that, she chose to keep the baby.

Today, Lianna is 35, and she said she has no regrets about choosing life for her child. Lianna said her daughter has helped her in some of the toughest moments of her life, times when she wanted to give up.

“In my situation, two lives were saved,” Lianna told Lifesitenews.com. “I saved my daughter’s life, but she saved my life. Even though [the assault] was a very hard moment, if I had to go through that [again] just to know and to love my daughter, I would go through that again. She’s the one person who has shown me a real love, and I will always be grateful.”

New York City Public Schools to Close for Muslim Holidays

Starting next fall, the New York City Public School system will close for two Muslim holidays. A new policy was revealed early in 2015, announcing that the school system would be closed on September 24 for Eid al-Adha and during summer school for the holiday of Eid al-Fitr.

During Mayor Bill de Blasio’s announcement, he said, “Hundreds of thousands of Muslim families will no longer have to choose between honoring the most sacred days on their calendar or attending school.”

The total number of school days will go unchanged in New York, however. New York City Public Schools also close for the Jewish holidays Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, as well as the Christian holidays of Christmas and Good Friday.

Christy Barritt is an award-winning author in Chesapeake, Virginia. She and her husband, Scott, have two sons (christybarritt.com).