It’s Wednesday, February 5th, A.D. 2025. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 125 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I’m Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com)

By Jonathan Clark and Adam McManus

Pakistani Christian brothers released from prison

Praise God! Two Christian brothers are now free from prison in Pakistan. A court acquitted the twin brothers last month. Eighteen-year-olds Sahil and Raheel Shahid were facing false Islamic blasphemy accusations.

The brothers’ attorney told Morning Star News, “We believe that this case was a conspiracy against the Christian residents so that vested interests could grab their land and properties.”

False blasphemy accusations are an increasing problem in Pakistan, a 97%-Muslim nation, The country is ranked 8th on the Open Doors’ World Watch List of the most difficult places to be a Christian. 

Countries in which religious nationalism predominates

Pew Research released a global report on religious nationalism.

The report identified religious nationalists as people who believe in the historically predominant religion of their country and believe that their religion should influence their laws and leaders.

Religious nationalism was most common in Kenya for countries with Christian roots. For Buddhists, the country with the most religious nationalism was Thailand. For Hindus, it was India. For Jews, it was Israel. And for Muslims, it was Indonesia and Bangladesh. 

Religious nationalism for Christians was most common in Africa and South America while being the least common in Europe. The United States was somewhere in-between with just 6% of adults identifying as religious nationalists.

Psalm 33:12 says, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people He has chosen as His own inheritance.”

Senator Cassidy explained his conditional support of RFK, Jr.

In the United States, Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, a moderate Republican who voted to convict President Donald Trump in February 2021 of “incitement of insurrection”, was a key vote as member of the Senate Finance Committee which considered Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to be the next Secretary of Health and Human Services.

As a physician, Senator Cassidy was especially concerned with Kennedy’s questions about a possible link between childhood vaccines and autism.  Before the committee vote, Cassidy made this statement from the Senate floor.

CASSIDY: “Now, Mr. Kennedy and the administration reached out seeking to reassure me regarding their commitment to protecting the public health benefit of vaccination. To this end, Mr. Kennedy and the administration committed that he and I would have an unprecedentedly close, collaborative working relationship if he is confirmed.

“We will meet or speak multiple times a month. If confirmed, he will maintain the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommendations without changes. CDC will not remove statements on their website, pointing out that vaccines do not cause autism.

“He committed that they help committee chair, whether it’s me or someone else, may choose a representative on any board or commission formed to review vaccine safety. These commitments, and my expectation that we can have a great working relationship to make America healthy again, is the basis of my support.

“If Mr. Kennedy is confirmed, I will use my authority as chairman of the Senate committee, with oversight of HHS, to rebuff any attempt to remove the public’s access to life-saving vaccines without iron-clad, causational, scientific evidence that can be accepted and defended before the mainstream scientific community and before Congress.”

RFK, Jr. voted out of Senate Committee

On Tuesday, the U.S. Senate Finance Committee voted to advance President Donald Trump’s nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. 

The committee voted 14-13 along party lines.

Committee Chair Mike Crapo of Idaho oversaw the committee vote.

CRAPO: “We now have not only a quorum, but all members of the committee are present. I move that the committee favorably report the nomination of the Honorable Robert F. Kennedy, Jr of California to be Secretary of Health and Human Services. Is there a second?”

COMMITTEE MEMBER: “Second.”

CLERK: “Mr. Chairman, the final tally was 14 ayes, 13 nays.

CRAPO: “The vote was 14-13. The nomination is reported favorably.”

Kennedy’s nomination now goes before the full U.S. Senate where he needs a simple majority or a minimum of 51 votes to be confirmed.

Trump: Military will no longer pay for abortion travel

Last Tuesday, the Trump administration announced the military will no longer cover travel expenses for services members to get abortions.

U.S. Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama notably stood against the Defense Department’s funding for abortion under Biden’s leadership. He said, “For the past two years, I have been sounding the alarm about the Pentagon’s illegal and immoral practice of using taxpayer dollars to fund abortions. I took a lot of heat when I stood alone for nearly a year in holding senior Pentagon promotions over this—but as of today, it was all worth it.”

Galatians 6:9 says, “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”

Department of Education getting phased down

The Trump administration is beginning to scale back the Department of Education. 

Already, the administration has placed dozens of employees on paid administrative leave. This is part of a broader effort to remove hires based on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. 

The administration is also working on an executive order that would begin the process of eliminating the Education Department entirely.

GDP slowed

In economic news, the U.S. Gross Domestic Product slowed down during the last three months of 2024.

The economy grew by 2.3% during the fourth quarter of last year, down from 3.1% during the third quarter. Economists had expected 2.5% growth for the fourth quarter. 

Also, the Federal Reserve held its key interest rate at 4.25%-4.5%, saying inflation remains somewhat elevated. The Fed cut interest rates three times since September 2024 and President Trump is calling for more cuts. 

Virginia voted down anti-homeschooling bill

Virginia lawmakers voted down a bill that would have eliminated the religious exemption from the state’s public education requirements. 

The bill would have added many regulations for parents who educate their children at home for religious reasons.

Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin wrote on X, “I stand with parents across Virginia in opposition to Senate Bill 1031. We cannot allow this attack on homeschooling to become law.”

Court: San Francisco must rehire employees who refused COVID shot

And finally, a federal appeals court ruled in favor of Christian employees who were fired for not getting a COVID-19 shot in California.

The city of San Francisco must now rehire workers who were terminated for refusing the shot.

The ruling stated, “Appellants’ coerced decision between their faith and their livelihood imposed emotional damage which cannot now be fully undone.  … [San Francisco’s] finding that Appellants’ religious beliefs were insufficient to warrant any accommodations can only be described as a ‘dignitary affront.’ … The circumstances surrounding Appellants’ termination constitute irreparable harm.”

Close

And that’s The Worldview on this Wednesday, February 5th, in the year of our Lord 2025. Subscribe by Amazon Music or 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.