It’s Friday, January 13th, A.D. 2023. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard at www.TheWorldview.com. I’m Adam McManus.
By Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com)
Three Chinese Christian leaders detained on trumped up charges since August
A church in China’s Shaanxi Province has expressed concerns for the wellbeing of its three leaders, who have been held in secret detention over trumped-up fraud allegations since August 2022, reports Christian Solidarity Worldwide.
In a January 4th open letter, published by Xi’an Church of Abundance, family members revealed that they had received no news about Pastor Lian Changnian, his son Pastor Lian Xuliang and co-worker Ms. Fu Juan, who are currently being held in ‘Residential Surveillance at a Designated Location’. Police in the Xi’an, Shaanxi province, have denied all three access to their lawyers on the grounds that they are suspected of “endangering national security.”
In John 15:18, Jesus said, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated Me first.”
GOP Congress protects babies who survive botched abortions
In one of the first acts of the new Congress, the Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives secured legal protections for babies born alive after botched abortions, reports LifeSiteNews.com.
The House voted 220-210 on Wednesday, January 11th to pass H.R. 26, also known as the “Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act,” which had been introduced in the House on January 9th. It would amend Title 18 of the United States Code in order “to prohibit a health care practitioner from failing to exercise the proper degree of care in the case of a child who survives an abortion or attempted abortion.”
To his great credit, Democrat Congressman Henry Cuellar of South Texas was the only Democrat who voted along with every Republican to protect these babies who survive botched abortions. To thank Cuellar, call him at 202-225-1640. And Democrat Congressman Vicente Gonzalez of Texas voted present.
For years, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had refused to even introduce the bill on the House floor for a vote.
While the vote signals strong pro-life sentiment among the Republican majority in the House, the measure is unlikely to progress in the Democrat-controlled Senate.
According to the legislation, if an abortion fails and “results in the live birth of an infant, the infant is a legal person for all purposes under the laws of the United States and entitled to all the protections of such laws.”
While federal law does provide protections for babies born after botched abortions, the measure would specifically require healthcare practitioners to treat such babies like “any newborn, or for any person who comes to a hospital, clinic, or other facility for screening and treatment or otherwise becomes a patient within its care.”
Proverbs 31:8 says, “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves.”
Democrat leader: Protecting babies who survive botched abortions is “extreme”
Sadly, the House’s vote to pass the “Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act” came despite vehement opposition from pro-abortion Democrats.
Democrat House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, who replaced Nancy Pelosi after she stepped down from the role last year, complained that the bill to protect babies born alive after failed abortions was part of “a march towards criminalizing abortion care, a nationwide ban.”
Listen to the outrageous opposition of this self-proclaimed Baptist as he speaks on behalf of the Democrat Caucus.
JEFFRIES: “We believe in Roe v. Wade. You wonder about our position? That’s it. Freedom to make your own reproductive health care decisions. That’s it. As compared to a march toward criminalizing abortion care, a nationwide ban, government-mandated pregnancies, part of an extreme [Make America Great Again] Republican agenda.”
During floor speeches on Wednesday, Democrats repeatedly played into the hands of their opponents by disturbingly defending late-term abortion and conflating the treatment for miscarriage with abortion.
In one instance, Democrat Congresswoman Frederica Wilson of Miami, Florida made her pitch for killing babies who survived botched abortions by suggesting that Republicans want to prevent women from getting proper care in the event of miscarriages. During her speech, she showed a chart that depicted a fully formed unborn infant in his mother’s womb. (Make sure to click on the link in our transcript today at www.TheWorldview.com)
House condemns attacks on pro-life facilities, groups, and churches
In a second pro-life initiative, the Republican-led House voted to pass House Resolution 1233 which condemned the recent attacks on pro-life facilities, groups, and churches.
The House referenced the fire bombings, vandalism, and violent threats lodged against pro-life pregnancy centers and places of worship since the draft of the Dobbs decision was initially leaked on May 2, 2022.
The resolution provides a long list of attacks on pro-life establishments and churches, and ends with a condemnation of the assaults, a recognition of the sanctity of life, and a call to action for the Biden administration to “uphold public safety and to protect the rights of pro-life facilities, groups, and churches.”
The Biden administration has faced consistent pressure from pro-life groups to appropriately investigate the attacks and threats against pregnancy centers and churches.
While the Biden Department of Justice has aggressively prosecuted pro-life activists, even sending armed agents to arrest them at their homes in front of their children, it has been far less assertive in pursuing investigations against those who have attacked and threatened pro-lifers.
The inaction on the part of federal law enforcement has led some pro-lifers to hire their own detectives to investigate the attacks, reports LifeSiteNews.
Lisa Marie Presley died at 54
And finally, Lisa Marie Presley, the only daughter of legendary rock icon Elvis Presley and actress Priscilla, was unable to survive “full cardiac arrest” on Thursday, reports The Daily Mail.
The 54-year-old was discovered unresponsive by a housekeeper, with sources saying her first husband, Danny Keough, returned to the house they were sharing and performed CPR until paramedics arrived.
EMTs were able to resuscitate her and rush her to a local hospital, where she was ultimately pronounced dead.
While writing the foreword for Harry Nelson’s book – The United States of Opioids: A Prescription for Liberating a Nation in Pain – she opened up for the first time about her addiction to painkillers, opioids and cocaine.
She married four times including to Michael Jackson.
Lisa Marie Presley was “devastated” when she lost her son Benjamin Keough – who was 27 – in 2020 after he shot himself in an apparent suicide.
She joined the Scientology cult in 1977, just after her father, Elvis’ death. And she remained in that religion through 2014.
In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me”
Close
And that’s The Worldview in 5 Minutes on this Friday, January 13th, in the year of our Lord 2023. 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.