It’s Wednesday, May 8th, 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
Religious Freedom Commission warns State Dept about 17 countries
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom released its annual report last Wednesday.
The commission makes recommendations to the U.S. State Department about which nations should be designated as Countries of Particular Concern. Such countries are considered the worst violators of religious freedom.
The latest report recommends 17 countries for the designation, including China, India, Iran, North Korea, Russia, and Myanmar (formerly known as Burma). The Religious Freedom Commission lamented that the State Department has still not designated India as a Country of Particular Concern. Christians faced at least 687 incidents of violence last year in India.
Matthew 5:10 says, “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.”
Thousands of Columbians march for life
Over the weekend, thousands of people joined the 18th National March for Life across over 100 cities and towns in Colombia.
In 2022, the Constitutional Court of the South American country ruled in favor of killing unborn babies up to 24 weeks of pregnancy. This follows a trend of South and Central American countries caving to international pressure by decriminalizing abortion.
Jesús Magaña with United for Life attended the recent march. He said, “We are unwilling to remain silent and stand by in the face of the largest massacre in the country.”
15 GOP-led states oppose Biden’s sexually perverted agenda
In the U.S., more and more states are opposing the Biden administration’s support for sexually perverted lifestyles.
New regulations from the Education Department protect students on the basis of their so-called gender identity and sexual orientation.
At least 15 Republican-led states challenged the regulations in court. And at least seven say they will not follow the new rules.
Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders wrote in an executive order, “The Biden administration’s facially absurd redefinition of sex in Title IX turns back the clock on women’s opportunities, erodes student privacy, threatens women’s sports, and erases women.”
Isaiah 5:20 says, “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness.”
Southern Baptist membership dropped by 241,000
The Southern Baptist Convention released its Annual Church Profile this month.
Membership in the largest U.S. Protestant denomination fell by 241,000 people last year. Membership is now below 13 million for the first time since the 1970s. It’s also the 17th year of decline in a row.
However, weekly service attendance increased to 4 million last year. And baptisms were up 26%. California witnessed a 248% increase in baptisms over the previous year.
Boy Scouts changes name to “Scouting America”
The Boy Scouts of America is changing its name for the first time since its founding in 1914.
The organization is rebranding to Scouting America after facing bankruptcy and abuse scandals.
The Boy Scouts allowed girls to join in 2019. This followed allowing homosexual youth and scout leaders. The organization has dropped to just over one million members, down from over two million in 2018.
2,000 anti-Israel college students arrested
Police have arrested over 2,000 protesters in recent weeks at universities across America.
Demonstrators are supporting Palestinians and opposing Israel’s response to the October 7th attack by Hamas, the Muslim terrorist group. Protestors formed tent encampments at colleges and even took over parts of school buildings. One of the schools was Columbia University in New York City.
Thirteen federal judges accused the school of becoming an incubator of bigotry, antisemitism, and violence. The conservative judges said they would not be hiring law school students from Columbia University.
Federal Reserve won’t cut interest rates
The Federal Reserve decided against cutting interest rates last week.
The central bank left its short-term borrowing rate at 5.25%-5.5% which is the same rate it has been since July 2023.
The Fed noted, “The Committee does not expect it will be appropriate to reduce the target range until it has gained greater confidence that inflation is moving sustainably toward 2 percent.”
Boy survives getting sucked 25 feet into sky by tornado
And finally, a Texas family is giving thanks for an absolute miracle.
A tornado struck their home recently, reports KWTX-TV. Wes and Kasey Lambert, along with their daughter, Allie, and son, Lane, took cover in a closet. During the commotion, Lane got sucked up 25 feet in the air by the tornado.
KASEY: “I remember hearing glass break. And then I remember hearing bricks coming down, and they were coming down on top of us. At that point, the suction became so strong it sucked Lane from Wes’ arms.”
The 7-year-old boy told the TV station what the tornado did to him.
LANE: “It picked me up about 25 feet!”
In God’s providence, the family found him on top of some insulation in another part of the house after the tornado passed. Lane suffered a dislocated shoulder and had severe injuries to his face and eyes which caused heavy bleeding. They believe a brick might have hit him during his airborne experience.
While Wes and Kasey suffered other minor injuries and the house is considered a total loss, they are thankful to God to be alive.
Close
And that’s The Worldview in 5 Minutes on this Wednesday, May 8th in the year of our Lord 2024, my 58th birthday. 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.