World News and Trends: Soviet fall hits population hard
The collapse of the U.S.S.R. has led to major social changes and a potentially major population decline, according to observers.
Observing declining birth rates and rising death rates, some demographers estimate that the Russian population may shrink by 15 million over the next few decades.
Before, government policy—through cash allowances, larger apartments, supplemental food and other benefits—encouraged citizens to have more children. However, with the downfall of that system many of those incentives evaporated. As a result, the birth rate has plunged to nine births per 1,000 citizens, among the lowest in the world.
Meanwhile, deaths among working-age men from coronary and cardiovascular disease, along with deaths from unnatural causes, have doubled since 1990. As a result, the average lifespan of a male has dropped to 57.4 years, compared to 72 for women.
Health officials attribute these changes to factors stemming from the country's widespread economic, social and political upheaval, including a growing disparity in income, pervasive crime and corruption, crumbling social services, plunging living standards and apprehension about the future. Consequently, some demographers and health officials foresee a 21st century in which children and men in Russia are relatively scarce, and aging widows will make up much of the population. (Source: The Boston Globe.)
An Article from:
Good News Magazine: March - April 1997
Course Content
John Ross Schroeder
John died on March 8, 2014, in Oxford, England, four days after suffering cardiac arrest while returning home from a press event in London. John was 77 and still going strong.
Some of John's work for The Good News appeared under his byline, but much didn't. He wrote more than a thousand articles over the years, but also wrote the Questions and Answers section of the magazine, compiled our Letters From Our Readers, and wrote many of the items in the Current Events and Trends section. He also contributed greatly to a number of our study guides and Bible Study Course lessons. His writing has touched the lives of literally millions of people over the years.
John traveled widely over the years as an accredited journalist, especially in Europe. His knowledge of European and Middle East history added a great deal to his articles on history and Bible prophecy.
In his later years he also pastored congregations in Northern Ireland and East Sussex, and that experience added another dimension to his writing. He and his wife Jan were an effective team in our British Isles office near their home.
John was a humble servant who dedicated his life to sharing the gospel—the good news—of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God to all the world, and his work was known to readers in nearly every country of the world.
Scott Ashley
Scott Ashley was managing editor of Beyond Today magazine, United Church of God booklets and its printed Bible Study Course until his retirement in 2023. He also pastored three congregations in Colorado for 10 years from 2011-2021. He and his wife, Connie, live near Denver, Colorado.
Mr. Ashley attended Ambassador College in Big Sandy, Texas, graduating in 1976 with a theology major and minors in journalism and speech. It was there that he first became interested in publishing, an industry in which he worked for 50 years.
During his career, he has worked for several publishing companies in various capacities. He was employed by the United Church of God from 1995-2023, overseeing the planning, writing, editing, reviewing and production of Beyond Today magazine, several dozen booklets/study guides and a Bible study course covering major biblical teachings. His special interests are the Bible, archaeology, biblical culture, history and the Middle East.
