It’s Friday, June 20th, A.D. 2025. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com. I’m Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com)
By Adam McManus
Buddhist relatives poison 3 kids of Christian couple in Laos
In Northern Laos, Pa-yang, a young mother in her 20s and her husband, Lavee, became Christians in 2020. Since then, the villagers had tried to expel the family unless they recanted their faith in Christ.
That comes as no surprise since 66% of Laotians are Buddhist and only 1.5% are Christian.
The situation took an ugly turn when Pa-yang’s relatives wanted her to sell them land she owned. When she refused, they hired someone to sneak into the home and poison a beverage. The three children got to it first.
When Pa-yang and her husband were alerted to the medical emergency, they rushed back from the fields to find all three children lying ill on the floor. Tragically, the eldest did not survive and the other two were in comas, reports Open Doors.
Open Doors paid for the hospitalization of the younger two children, who got better, as well as covering follow-up medical visits.
The heartbroken mother said, “I am sad to lose my son, but I believe—and I know—that my son is sitting with Jesus in Heaven.”
Lavee, the father, added, “Even if there is more persecution, we will continue believing in Jesus. We will walk faithfully with the Lord, even if we are the only ones doing it. My encouragement comes from the story of Job in the Bible. He faced many tests and lost almost everything, but the Lord delivered him in the end. I believe the Lord God will always save us like He saved Job.”
Lavee said, “Please pray for our case in the court against the people who killed our child. Pray that the justice system is fair to us. Pray that the perpetrators do not find ways to harm us more if they are released. I am also unsure if God wants us to stay in the same village or look for a new place. Pray that the Lord leads us in making the right decision.”
Remarkably, Lavee said this. “I believe that the people who plan to kill or harm us for any reason can open their hearts to see God’s mercy and love, if we pray for them. So, please pray for them.”
Lavee is living the message of Mathhew 5:44 where Jesus said, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”
Iran’s ballistic missiles hit Israeli hospital
Iran fired a barrage of some 30 ballistic missiles early Thursday, scoring a direct hit on Israel’s main southern hospital, the Soroka Medical Center, reports the Times of Israel.
Sam Mednick, a reporter with the Associated Press, brings us this report from the scene.
MEDNICK: “The hospital was hit by a missile from Iran early Thursday morning. The top of the building is basically blown off, and you can still see smoke smoldering from the side of it hours later.
“This is a major hit from Iran on in a major city on a big hospital, and one of the most significant hits since this conflict began.”
The Magen David Adom emergency service said that a man, age 80, and two women, both in their 70s, were among six people seriously hurt. Two people were moderately injured, and at least 42 others suffered light injuries from shock waves and shrapnel at the various impact sites. In addition, 18 people were lightly injured as they scrambled to bomb shelters when sirens went off.
The barrage was the latest from Iran as it bombards Israel with ballistic missiles. Israel began attacking Iranian nuclear and military sites last week, citing the immediate existential threat they pose.
New York Catholic diocese to pay $150 million to 891 sex abuse victims
The Roman Catholic Church in Buffalo, New York is set to pay $150 million to victims of sexual abuse that occurred at the hands of Catholic priests, reports The Catholic Review.
Gary Aldridge, a survivor of Catholic clergy sexual abuse, said this.
ALDRIDGE: “Being a child and being sexual abused from the ages of 7 to 11, it affects you for your whole life.”
Specifically, parishes will pay $80 million into the diocese’s $150 million bankruptcy settlement, with the funds due to be paid into a trust by July 15.
The bankruptcy settlement, agreed to in principle on April 22, will resolve the five-year-long proceedings, which began in 2020.
Joe Martone, the Catholic communications director of the diocese, explained that the money would compensate victims in “approximately 891 cases” — making for “one of the highest caseloads in the country.”
Martone added, “There’s just a lot of anger toward the church about our past sins, and we could never apologize enough for what went on. We’re just trying to take care of this now and trying to move beyond bankruptcy and get settlement for these people. Not that it provides closure for them, but at least (they) get some recompense.”
All of the claims had been brought under the Child Victims Act, which was passed by the New York Senate and signed into law in 2019.
Indeed, the Child Victims Act extended the state’s former statute of limitations by granting a one-year look back for time-barred civil claims to be revived, giving survivors until age 28 to press charges for felonies and age 25 for misdemeanors, and allowing survivors up to age 55 to bring lawsuits.
Since 2002 — the year in which the U.S. Catholic bishops adopted their “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People” — the nation’s Catholic dioceses have paid at least $5.6 billion in abuse settlements and related costs.
Luke 8:17 says, “For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.”
Texas is first state to build pro-life statue
On Tuesday, Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott signed a resolution to build the Texas Life Monument, a statue honoring mothers and the their unborn children, reports The Daily Signal.
Abbott’s signature made Texas the first state to approve of a pro-life statue honoring mother and child on Capitol grounds.
GOP State Rep. Caroline Davila, co-author of the resolution, said, “The eight-foot bronze sculpture is modeled after the National Life Monument, which depicts a mother with her child in her womb—a powerful image honoring motherhood and the miracle of life.”
SpaceX rocket explodes in new setback to Elon Musk’s Mars project
One of Elon Musk’s SpaceX Starships has exploded during a routine test in Texas in the latest setback to the billionaire’s dream of turning humanity into an interplanetary species, reports The Guardian.
The Starship 36 underwent “catastrophic failure and exploded” at the Starbase launch facility shortly after 11pm on Wednesday.
A video showed the fiery explosion of the megarocket.
Worldview listener in Kansas says her 7 kids love it
I invited Worldview listeners to share what they enjoy about the newscast in 2-6 sentences by email. You can share your thoughts — along with your full name, city and state — and send it to adam@TheWorldview.com
Katie Link in Hutchinson, Kansas, said, “Hi Adam, my seven children — Emily, Lizzie, Levi, Evie, Esther, Caleb, and Eowyn — and I love listening to your podcast over lunch. I asked the children why they love and want to support The Worldview and they gave me many great reasons.
“We love that you use the Bible as proof text and that you share international stories of missionaries as well as local news. We also appreciate the happy stories and the calls to action with specific steps. And all of us, including the 1 and 2-year-old, love to loudly proclaim ‘Seize the day for Jesus Christ!’”
5 Worldview listeners gave $584.30 to fund our annual budget
And finally, toward our $92,625 goal by 12 midnight tonight Central Time, Friday, June 20th to fund three-quarters of The Worldview newscast’s annual budget for our 6-member team, 5 listeners stepped up to the plate.
We are grateful to God for Quinn in Mhlambanyatsi, Eswatini, Africa who gave $30 as well as Ronnie in Milano, Texas and Mike and Ginger in Jonesville, Virgina – both of whom gave $100.
And we appreciate the generosity of Tom and Jenn in Palmdale, California who gave $154.30 and Rick and Barb in Arlington, Washington who gave $200.
Those 5 Worldview listeners gave a total of $584.30.
Ready for our new grand total? Drum roll please. (Drum roll sound effect) $48,330 (People clapping and cheering sound effect)
Toward tonight’s goal of $92,625, we need to raise $44,295.
Will 56 Worldview listeners give $45,000 TODAY?
Let me make an editorial comment about the sacrificial gift of Quinn, our brother in Christ from Eswatini, Africa – formerly known as Swaziland. I looked up the average annual salary for someone in Eswatini. What’s your guess? How much do you think they make in an entire year?
The answer is just $2,974. The average American makes $63,795 per year. In other words, Quinn’s gift of $30 is the equivalent of an American giving $643. Wow! That puts Quinn’s gift in proper perspective.
I just finished reading the late Ann Kiemel’s 1976 book entitled I Love the Word Impossible. She had a disarmingly gentle way of talking with absolute strangers about the love of God which prompted many to profess faith in Christ, and inspired hundreds of thousands who heard her speak in person. Her 17 books sold 28 million copies.
On page 144, she wrote, “I love the word ‘impossible.’ It’s one of my favorites because I have a giant of a God inside of me.”
KIEMEL: “I come to tell you, I am just one young woman in the world. But I am one. And one plus a giant of a God can do anything!”
In the 10 years, I’ve been voicing this Christian newscast, we have never been further behind in our annual appeal. To man, raising $44,295 in one day seems absolutely impossible. But, you know what? Like Ann Kiemel, I, too, love the word “impossible” because I have a giant of a God inside of me.
Listen, if just 37 Worldview listeners pledged the approximate equivalent of what Quinn did from Africa and committed to give $50/month for 12 months for a gift of $600, God will have raised $22,200. And if another 19 of you pledged $100/month for 12 months for a gift of $1,200, God will have raised another $22,800. That adds up to $45,000. That would get us across the finish line to cover three-quarters of our annual budget for the 6-member newscast team by tonight, June 20th at 12 midnight Central.
These days, $50 is the cost of buying a family of four a combo meal at Chick-fil-A. Can you go without Chick-fil-A once a month to help fund this newscast for an entire year?
We’ve never raised $45,000 in one day. Never! But, with God, all things are possible. If you feel the Lord prompting you to be one of the 56 donors to pledge either $50/month for 12 months or $100/month for 12 months, go to TheWorldview.com and click on Give on the top right.
There were 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence. We’re coming up on the July 4th 249th anniversary of that moment. We need 56 Worldview donors to step up today. Especially if you’ve never given to this ministry before. This is the day we need your help.
Who is getting fired up about making a sacrifice? It will ensure we can continue telling the truth about the news from a Biblical perspective — complete with compelling soundbites, relevant Bible verses, and empowering action steps. Without a doubt, this is a one-of-a-kind Christian newscast. Will you back us today? Just 56 of you?
I am truly excited to return to the airwaves on Monday, June 23rd to report back to you about how God touched the hearts of at least 56 faithful listeners.
Close
And that’s The Worldview on this Friday, June 20th, in the year of our Lord 2025. Follow us on X or subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com. Plus, you can get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I’m Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.