It’s Thursday, April 18th, A.D. 2024. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard at www.TheWorldview.com. I’m Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com)
By Jonathan Clark
Ugandan Christian convert likely killed by Muslim son
A Christian woman in Uganda died last week after refusing to renounce her faith.
Sadly, her son is suspected of killing her.
Sulaina Nabirye came to Christ in February. One of her relatives told Morning Star News, “During the month of Ramadan, she complained of her son pressuring her to stop attending church and revert back to Islam since he was studying to become an imam. … When she refused to convert back to Islam, he stopped visiting her at her house and threatened to chase or even kill her.”
Psalm 116:15 says, “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints.”
New Zealand eager to deny churches tax-exempt status
New Zealand is considering stripping churches of their tax-exempt status.
Churches there have enjoyed the status since the 1600s. But now Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is looking to axe it as cultural pressure mounts against churches.
Christian identification has been declining in New Zealand in recent decades. Over half of the population now identifies with no religion. And only 37% claim to be Christian.
America’s deficit spending not fiscally sustainable
The International Monetary Fund released its latest world economic outlook report.
The global economy is expected to grow 3.2% this year and next year just like it did last year.
The U.S. economy is seeing stronger-than-expected growth while Europe is facing weaker-than-expected growth.
However, the International Monetary Fund did warn that U.S. growth is driven by deficit spending that is “out of line with long-term fiscal sustainability.”
Senate Democrats dismiss charges against Homeland Security Secretary
On Tuesday, the U.S. House of Representatives sent two articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to the Senate. He was facing a trial on charges of refusing to enforce U.S. immigration law.
However, the Democrat-controlled Senate killed both articles of impeachment yesterday.
Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas was livid.
Listen.
CRUZ: “When it comes to the Constitution, the Democrats concluded that Joe Biden and Alejandro Mayorkas defying federal law, ignoring the text of the statute, deliberately releasing criminal illegal aliens over and over and over again, that’s just hunky dory. You can’t impeach him for that. Every Democrat just voted.
“By the way, every Cabinet member, guess what? You’ve just been given a blank slate: ignore the law. When Democrats are in charge of the Senate, the entire Cabinet could ignore the law. It is no longer impeachable, in Democrat Wonderland, when a member of the Executive branch openly defies the law.”
It’s the second time in U.S. history that the Senate has received articles of impeachment against a cabinet secretary. Wiliam Belknap, who served as Secretary of War under President Ulysses S. Grant, was impeached on March 2, 1876, for his role in the trader post scandal. However, he was acquitted by the Senate.
Supreme Court to take up emergency room abortion case
The U.S. Supreme Court plans to hear another abortion case involving emergency rooms.
The Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act requires emergency rooms to provide medical care for patients. The Biden administration is trying to make abortion part of that required medical care even in states where it is banned.
A federal appeals court has already ruled that doctors in Texas are not required to perform abortions under the act.
15 states upset with Bank of America’s political and religious discrimination
On Monday, fifteen states sent a letter to Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan.
Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach is leading the coalition. Together, they are calling out the bank for religious and political discrimination.
The letter stated, “Your discriminatory behavior is a serious threat to free speech and religious freedom, is potentially illegal, and is causing political and regulatory backlash.”
Alliance Defending Freedom scores businesses on an index for free speech and religious liberty. Last year, Bank of America tied for the lowest score among commercial banks.
Private school students more civically engaged than public school peers
A new study in the Educational Psychology Review found that private school students are more likely to be engaged citizens than public school students.
The study measured civic outcomes in students through several factors, including political participation, civic knowledge and skills, and voluntarism.
The report noted, “Religious schooling seems to play a positive role in shaping civic outcomes. We find positive effects across various definitions of religious private schooling.”
Martin Luther: “My conscience is captive to the Word of God”
And finally, today is the anniversary of when Martin Luther stood before the Diet of Worms.
The Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, called the imperial diet, a formal deliberative assembly. The assembly called on Luther to recant his teachings of church reform.
On April 18, 1521, he uttered these immortal words that would characterize his work and the work of many others during the Reformation:
LUTHER (from “Luther” movie): “Unless I am convinced by Scripture and by plain reason, and not by popes and councils who have so often contradicted themselves, my conscience is captive to the Word of God. To go against conscience is neither right nor safe. I cannot, and I will not recant. Here I stand, I can do no other. God help me. Amen.”
That audio clip was taken from the 2003 movie “Luther.”
Isaiah 8:20 says, “To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.”
Close
And that’s The Worldview in 5 Minutes on this Thursday, April 18th in the year of our Lord 2024. 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.