Social Issues

Like the Los Desaparecidos, Mothers throughout human history have fought hard to protect those they love. What can this “mother-love” teach us about God?

Though debate continues about vaping, its safety and efficacy as a quitting aid, we cannot wait for years, to see the full effects of passive vaping.

A religion true to its nature must also be concerned about man’s social conditions. Navigating social issues as a Christian is important because justice is an essential component of who God is.

Global risks and social issues of the environmental kind are difficult to diminish because it is difficult to ascertain and apportion blame for our common problems.

The natural human impulse is to bunker down and look out for Number One when times get tough. But is that actually the most effective response?

Can you recognise the signs of favour and fear transmitted by children? Devyani Borade looks at what really happens on the playground.

Violence fuelled by alcohol is rising in Australia, but Geoff Youlden believes the media plays an equal part in the demise of values and virtues.

So often seen as a normal part of the lives of young people, binge drinking is increasingly putting those lives at risk. Victor Parachin reports.

Dive into the depths of hyper-consumerism and virtual identities as Mark Sayers unveils the effects of media culture on our daily lives.

Making poverty a thing of the past is a noble and achievable goal. Whether or not it happens, suggests Signs editor Nathan Brown, is up to us.

This March marked the fifth year of the Syrian crisis, which has displaced half of the country’s population. Here’s what one agency is doing to help the suffering population.

George and Joan Eiszele of Tasmania understand what being a true neighbour means. Carole Stanton looks at this extraordinary couple.

Just days after devastating fires ripped through rural Victoria, Adele Nash spoke with one family who'd lost everything. Almost.

The subscriber-only website is best known for its amateur pornography content. But, as people sell their naked photos for large sums of money, they’re also selling themselves short.

Which is worse, tyranny or anarchy? It's a question central to the conduct of human affairs in the context of global terrorism. Robert Wolfgramm takes a look at the options.

The 20th century was the most violent in history and the 21st promises to be just as bad. But the Bible holds out hope for a better future.

The debate over religious freedom has become an ideological battleground. The natural temptation is to raise the drawbridge and prepare for siege warfare. But it’s the wrong response.

Oceans separate them, but they share the same hope.

A study conducted by the British Cheese Board claims that eating cheese before you go to bed will help you have a good night's sleep.

. . . we even went into the local pub shaking our tin. When we got home we had $1500 just from the pub. It was an amazing feeling—people were so friendly

Recent times have been marked with tumultuous financial happenings. Daniel Reynaud considers the implications.

Where do you get your strength? Glenis Lindley discusses the thoughts that plague many of us.

Which side are you on?

In an environment marred by alcohol and crime, a group of Aboriginal children are getting a shot at life.

Should we judge public figures by their private behaviour? And, asks Mark Hadley, what does this dissection of others’ misdemeanours reveal about the darkness in our own hearts?

Living more with Darren Morton

“I should be dead,” says Virginia Prodan, “buried in an unmarked grave in Romania. Obviously, I am not. God had other plans.”

In different ways, all Australians have been affected by drought. Daniel Reynaud ponders the meaning of hope amid the dry.

Church groups in Australia are joining forces in an effort to raise awareness of the plight of Christians in the Middle East.

It is said that a glass of red wine a day is good for one's health. Clark Carr explores the truth behind the health myths of alcohol.

In his first cinematic documentary excursion, God on My Side, Andrew Denton tackles a big topic

Debbie Cosier argues that society itself is to blame for the increasing occurrence of violent acts by children.

"War is all hell," said US General William Tecumseh Sherman after the American Civil War, a battle which, less than 100 years after America's birth, threatened to rip the nation asunder.

In a country where women have to fight doubly hard for gender equality, Jacqueline Joseph, no longer silent, is trying to change the very fabric of society.

This poverty has many dimensions—low levels of education, lack of family planning, insufficient nutrition, inadequate housing, unsustainable agricultural approaches—each compounded by the devastation of natural disaster.

Discover the biblical secret to raising well-adjusted children with Gary Hopkins' exploration of service as a strategy for preventing high-risk behaviors in youth, inspired by the teachings of Jesus.

Adventist Record assistant editor Kent Kingston unpacks a few common beliefs about domestic violence.

Have you ever felt alienated? Robert Wolfgramm explores the chasms that separate us.

Pope Benedict's visit to Australia suggests a clear shift in thinking. Historian Arthur Patrick explains.

Is someone you know a workaholic? Could it be your boss, your spouse or even yourself? Sheila O'Connor explains how to deal with the situation.

What if you had to walk three kilometres just for a clean water drink?

In Melbourne's migrant zone, young people impact the lives of refugees.

It may come as a surprise, but the world's economy just might collapse if everyone was perfect.

In an attempt to get Austrian men to do a fairer portion of housework, one-day courses have been set up across the nation.

But what is “justice” and why compile a book about it?

Harold Harker tells the story of a museum in Amsterdam that graphically portrays the tension between Catholics and Protestants in the Reformation era.

Take a look at Australian history and delve into its racial prejudice and segregation.

Fears have been running high for several months that jihadists returning from conflicts in Syria and Iraq would stage attacks at home.

How does a calm pacific nation of Tonga break out into chaos? Robert Wolfgramm considers the cause to find peace.

Regardless of where they live, "getting by" on these Pacific islands is a struggle.

Loron Wade ponders the various forms of stealing that people participate in and how it affects the character.

Overheard a worthy food-for-thought quote? Share it at info@signsofthetimes.org.au.

Uncorked! has stirred me to realise I have probably neglected my duty of care.

Disunity again threatens the European Union (EU).

From sewing miniature swags to winning prestigious awards, Jean Madden's journey reflects a deep commitment to the homeless, emphasizing community responsibility and sustainable charity initiatives

Long before government legislation to the effect, Signs has spoke in favour of a smoke-free lifestyle.

Alison Atkinson-Phillips tries to find the truth and silver lining of hope behind the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

We’ve seen people and marriages healed by the power of testimony and a willingness to be open—struck by the realisation they don’t need to struggle and suffer alone

Consumerism threatens to destroy us and our world, warns Brendan Pratt. Here’s what we can do about it.

We are now seeing played out in the United States and Canada a triumphalist approach to the imposition of LGBT rights in which there are winners and losers, with the religious community being the obvious losers. Is Australia next?

The Pilgrims have over one million direct descendants in the United States. Harold Harker recalls their origins.

Eric Webster looks at the current Arab revolt and discovers some lessons for all of us.

While Signs has been communicating with the world for more than 120 years, God has been doing so for thousands of years.

Overheard a worthy food-for-thought quote? Share it at info@signsofthetimes.org.au.

Problem gambling is becoming a problem for the whole society.

Obesity in childhood strongly predisposes to obesity in adulthood. Yet many parents are oblivious to the fact that their child is carrying around more than just puppy fat and they assume their child will simply grow out of it.

Unpack the implications of a rapidly growing population on water resources, the resulting geopolitical tensions, and the biblical prophecies that frame these end-time signs.

When I was a little girl, I would go stay at my grandmother’s house just to be away from home. My parents didn’t love one another.

"Pirates who sail the seas aren't so different from the ones who slouch in front of screens. Both break the law and destroy lives . . ."

Lifeguide with counsellor Deanna Pitchford

Can techniques of nonviolence bring peace?

Apparently one kiss burns about three calories, while the saliva produced reduces plaque.

More Aussies than ever say they’re not religious, but the evidence doesn’t show they’re hardcore atheists either, says Bruce Manners.

Robert Wolfgramm reflects on the bicentennary of the abolition of slavery, which was marked by memorial services earlier this year.

When it comes to celebrating, we need less drinking and more thinking.

Women and girls are facing violence in Papua New Guinea. But, says Maritza Brunt, there’s hope . . .

To drink or not to drink? The answer is not as simple as one might think.

From the heart of Kokoda's past, read how Seventh-day Adventist missionaries transformed a culture of warriors into one of loyalty and love, culminating in the heroic acts of the Papuan 'angels' in wartime.

Is there an objective standard of right and wrong? Are the Bible's teachings on morality and ethics outdated and out of touch with the world of today?

In a survey of Australian university students, more than eight out of 10 admitted cheating and copying the work of others.

A disaster can bring out the best in us, but it is sad that it often takes one to do so.

Hope Stayz, a three-day program for disadvantaged women and their children hosted by Adventist Women Greater Sydney Conference.

More than 10 years of sexual abuse—at the hands of a "good Christian man", no less—is more than enough to distort one's picture of God. “I know God is good," says *Rachel. "I just haven't seen any of it."

Jesus didn’t build ministry around the temple— He went to the people. Jesus was a friend of sinners. (Matt 11:19)

The USA was founded, in part, as a place where there is freedom to worship as one pleased. The possible candidate for the US presidency asks, have attitudes changed?

Discovering what life is really like in Lebanon.

Current research has indicated that men and women are not as different as we may have thought.

With today's sometimes irregular family structures, the family Christmas isn't always ideal. Rita Mitios looks at what you can do to compensate.

In light of Jesus’ statement that pestilences will be one of the signs that His return is near, where do epidemics fit in?

Helping young people make better choices for their lives

Nihilism is the ultimate in despair, in which there is no hope, no future, no meaning, no values, no purpose, no God.

They say money can’t buy happiness, but even a little has the potential to help thousands and address the inequalities of the world.

A community-based project is helping to improve the livelihoods of villagers in Myanmar.

Terrorists see themselves as a prophetic movement that will bring on the apocalypse. Could they be right?

What do you do when family and society expect you to forgo an education to marry and bear children? One girl broke that tradition.

Ashley Eisele reports on the impact that a shortage of food and water is having on one family in Africa—and what ADRA is doing to help.

Ebenezer Scrooge's three spirits of Christmas still live on if you let them. Gordon Botting suggests three ways to save money without losing spirit.

This is the story of Freddy Zeledon, an Adventist refugee who fled Nicaragua.

"Women are built to be loved, especially through sex, and to have no love and just cold sex is very empty."

As nations commemorate their fallen soldiers in the wars of old, the world forgets a remembrance of a different kind.