It’s Tuesday, November 15th, A.D. 2022. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard at www.TheWorldview.com. I’m Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com)
By Kevin Swanson
Laos pastor abducted, tortured, and killed
Government authorities are highly suspected to be the cause of the murder of a pastor and father of eight children in Laos.
Pastor Seetoud of the Nakai District in the Khammouane Province was abducted, tortured, and killed while he was on his way to minister in a village 60 miles from his home. His body was severely disfigured, his Bible was found near his body, and motorcycle just off the main road.
Morning Star News reports that two other Christians who had planned to join pastor for the meeting in the village said he was delayed because two unidentified officials were questioning him about his activities and reasons for travel to the town.
According to Open Doors, Laos is the 26th worst country for the persecution of Christians.
Nigerian Muslims killed 4,000 Christians this year
The most severe persecution in the world, by body count, is happening in Nigeria this year, reports The Christian Post.
Thus far, in 2022, Islamic jihadist groups in Nigeria have killed at least 4,000 Christians and abducted more than 2,300, according to the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law
130,000 U.S. tech layoffs in 2022 so far
Big layoffs have started in the United States.
Amazon has announced 10,000 layoffs to commence this week, amounting to 3% of its corporate workforce. Facebook is also shedding 11,000 jobs. That’s about 13% of its workforce. Meantime, following Elon Musk’s buyout, Twitter has laid off half its workforce of 8,000 employees along with 4,400 of its 5,500 contract employee base.
In 2022, Layoffs.fyi reports there have been 130,000 tech layoffs involving 788 tech companies.
Big Tech’s persecution of conservative, Christian groups
Napa Legal Institute has reported on Big Tech’s de-platforming and other forms of persecution that have been let loose on Christians over the last few years.
The report indicated 27 instances of high-profile Christian, pro-life, pro-family ministries persecuted by Amazon, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Tiktok, since 2020.
Psalm 37:1-3 comes to mind. “Do not fret because of evildoers, nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.”
Republicans hold out hope for control of House
While the Democrats retained control of the U.S. Senate in the 2022 elections, the House of Representatives is still up for grabs. Yesterday, the New York Times projected the Republicans would gain control by 1-3 Congressional seats.
The two states where concerted ground was made for Republicans in the 2022 elections were Georgia and Florida.
Meanwhile, the Democrats gained ground in Pennsylvania. The Democrats also were successful at flipping state houses in Michigan, Minnesota, and Arizona.
The Economist’s surprise at mid-term election results
The Economist magazine summarized the election this way.
It said, “At the half-way mark between presidential elections, voters routinely give the incumbent party a beating. But, despite high inflation and low approval ratings for Joe Biden, the Republicans are unsure to flip the Senate and look likely to win control of the House with one of the smallest swings in years.”
U.S. church attendance has dropped 15%
Lifeway Research reports that U.S. church attendance has dropped off 15% in the last two years.
The survey of 1,000 pastors found that Pentecostal churches and non-denominational churches grew the most over the last two years.
The Reformed Presbyterian, Lutheran, Methodist, and Church of Christ denominations saw the least growth.
United Methodist Church on the ropes
The United Methodist denomination is bleeding churches.
Another 58 local churches in Louisiana have voted to leave the denomination for the matter of homosexual faux-marriage. Back in June, 70 churches in Georgia left, 30 more Methodist churches in North Carolina left, and over 100 congregations in Florida are moving in that direction.
Critics say: “The Chosen” TV series quoted Book of Mormon
And finally, the joint Mormon and Christian evangelical-produced series, “The Chosen,” has come under some controversy again. The problematic section comes in the preview for the third season of the TV series, where critics believe this is a quote from the Mormon book, 3 Nephi 15:8-9., where the Mormon Jesus, referring to the Law “which was given unto Moses” says, “I am the law.”
Listen to how it played out.
JEWISH LEADER: “Jesus, if you do not renounce your words, we will have no choice but to follow the law of Moses.”
JESUS: “ I am the law of Moses!”
Dallas Jenkins, the director, claimed the line was not a direct quote from the Book of Mormon, but written by the script writers, reports Crosswalk.
3 Nephi 15:9 says, “Behold, I am the law, and the light. Look unto me, and endure to the end, and ye shall live; for unto him that endureth to the end will I give eternal life.”
In an article in a Mormon publication, called LDSLiving, Derral Eves, one of two Mormon executive producers of The Chosen, explained that he was aware that the show’s creator, Dallas Jenkins, has received pushback for choosing to work with Mormons. In fact, Eves became emotional when talking about that opposition in a recent podcast interview.
The trailer of The Chosen for Season 3 made it to first place on YouTube’s trending chart during its first week out, reaching a total of 2.1 million views. The first two episodes of Season 3 will hit theaters this Thursday, November 18th.
The Scriptures tell us plainly: “The law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” (John 1:17)
(Note: The headline and the first paragraph of this story were edited at 8:09pm CT on November 15)
Close
And that’s The Worldview on this Tuesday, November 15th, in the year of our Lord 2022. Subscribe by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com. Or get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I’m Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.