It’s Tuesday, March 4th, A.D. 2025. This is The World View in 5 Minutes written by Kevin Swanson and heard at www.TheWorldView.com. I’m Ean Leppin.
Vietnamese Christians Flee to Thailand
An estimated 4,000 Vietnamese Christians have sought refuge in Thailand because of high levels of political and religious persecution in their home country. And now, 60 of these Vietnamese believers, men, women, children, and pregnant women, have been arrested in Bangkok, Thailand for participation in a memorial service, involving prayer and worship.
Summit in London to Discuss Ukraine
European leaders huddled in London on Sunday for a quick summit, to hammer out a peace plan for Ukraine, after the breakdown of talks between the US and Ukraine’s presidents. UK and France leadership are hoping to get buy-in from President Donald Trump on their plan sometime this week. Speaking to reporters after the summit the United Kingdom’s prime minister, Keir Starmer announced that “a number of countries” had agreed to commit troops to a peacekeeping force in the Ukraine-Russian war.
STARMER: “First priority of this government, of any government, is the security and safety of the British people, to defend the national interest, particularly in these volatile times. That’s why last week, I announced the biggest sustained increase in defense spending since the Cold War. That’s also why I met President Trump last week – to strengthen our relationship with America, our indispensable partners in defense and security. And it’s why this weekend, I’ve been hosting European leaders here in London, to work together for the security of the United Kingdom, Ukraine, and Europe as a whole. Through my discussions over recent days, we’ve agreed that the UK, France, and others will work with Ukraine on a plan to stop the fighting. Then we’ll discuss that plan with the United States, and take it forward together.”
The European nations have also agreed to issue an arms build-up program plan at an emergency EU leaders’ meeting later this week.
The US has spent $8.4 trillion for defense in the last 10 years. The European NATO nations have only spent $3.8 trillion over this same period.
Thus far, over 12,600 civilian men, women, and children in Ukraine have been killed, and over 29,000. have been injured since 2022, according to UN numbers.
Isaiah 2 speaks of the peace only the Lord can bring: “Many people shall come and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob;. . .For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
4 He shall judge between the nations, and rebuke many people; They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation,Neither shall they learn war anymore”
Baptists Losing the Largest Number of People
Pew Research’s most recent Religious Landscape Study has found the most precipitous drop off in denominational affiliation to be among Baptists – falling off from 17% to 12% of the population between 2014 and 2024. Methodists slipped 1.1%, Pentecostals slipped 0.7%, Lutherans 0.6%, and Presbyterians slipped by 0.5%. Non-denominational adherents (usually a mix of Baptists and Charismatic-Pentecostals), gained 0.9% of the US population over the same time period. The Reformed church flatlined at 0.3% of the US population. The Southern Baptists and United Methodists were the largest losers in denominational affiliates over the last ten years.
40% of US adults say they attend religious services less often than they did when they were children. And only 5% say they attend religious services more often. Millennials and Gen Zers are most likely to have abandoned the faith of their parents. About 70% said they were raised Christian, but only 41% still identify as Christian. That compares to 86% of Gen Xers raised, Christian, where 69% still identify as Christian.
And, only 25% of US adults say they attend church weekly. 18% of young adults born in the 1990s and 2000s attend church weekly. 40% of those Americans born in the 1940s are weekly attenders, and 30% of those born in the 1950s attend church weekly.
Yet, Americans believing in heaven and hell has increased slightly over the last 17 years — 72% of Americans still believe in hell, and 85% believe in heaven. All told. . . 62% of U.S. adults describe themselves as Christians: 40% are Protestant, 19% are Catholic, and 3% are other Christians.
Hebrews 10 exhorts us not to forsake “the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. 26 For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.”
Liberal Media in its Death Throes
Is the mainline liberal media in its death throes? Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos has instructed the journalist staff of the liberal paper to emphasize “personal liberties and free markets” on its editorial page. That resulted in the immediate resignation of the Opinions Editor, and the loss of 75,000 paid digital subscribers, according to NPR. The paper had lost 300,000 paid subscribers when Bezos nixed an endorsement of Kamala Harris prior to the 2024 election.
US Border Crossings Dipped to 8300 in February
The White House announced US Border Crossings dipped to 8,300 in February — that compares to hundreds of thousands per month recorded during the Biden administration.
Transgender Ban in Military In Effect Soon
President Donald Trump’s recent executive order banning individuals attempting to change their gender in military service will go into effect within 30 days. Under the order, the military must identify all transgendering troops by March 26, and remove them from military service within 30 days. A recent report counts 4,200 troops affected by the order. These individuals have cost the US military $52 million for hormone therapy, gender-affirming surgery, and other treatment, as reported by the Associated Press.
This reported by Good News Network
Verizon and ForgiveC0 Team up to Eliminate Hurricane Debt
Verizon teamed up with ForgiveCo to eliminate $10 million in consumer debt for 6500 western North Carolina citizens who are still recovering in the wake of Hurricane Helene’s sweeping devastation. The North Carolina families learned that Verizon – the world’s second largest telecommunications company – cleared their medical, financial, and other debts with the help of ForgiveCo, whose ‘random acts of kindness’ model purchases consumer debt, with no applications required. In fact, no further action was required by the beneficiaries.
Recipients were then notified through surprise letters, emails and text messages. But, if a phone call learning that your debt has been cleared isn’t exciting enough, Basketball Hall of Fame coach and Asheville native, Roy Williams, signed on to be the one to share the news with the impacted families. Roy Williams commented on this in a recent interview.
WILLIAMS: “The devastation from the hurricane specifically is the most horrific thing. People can not imagine. I saw it on TV, but when I came back to western North Carolina myself, we have a home there. There were three different ways to get to my home. Two of the roads were completely blocked and the other was one lane…. But I really believe this is my dirt. Being able to help people here is my deal.”
Close
And that’s The Worldview on this Tuesday March 4th, 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. Filling in for Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com) I’m Ean Leppin feel free to email me contact@eanvoiceit.com. Seize the day for Jesus Christ.