It’s Thursday, October 14th, A.D. 2021. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard at www.TheWorldview.com. I’m Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com)
By Jonathan Clark
Morocco’s Christians defeated Islamic party
Morocco’s Islamist Justice and Development party suffered a surprise downfall after the country’s recent elections.
While the Islamic party won 13 seats during the September election, they endured a net loss of 112 seats.
Religious minorities in the Muslim-majority country are hopeful but cautious.
Adam Rabati, President of the Moroccan Christian Union, noted that Christians played a key role in the defeat of the Islamic party by supporting other parties. Rabati said, “Under the new government we will still have to fight for our demands as Christians in our country.”
Morocco is ranked 27th on the Open Doors World Watch List of nations where it is most difficult to be a Christian.
America plans to give tax funds to Afghanistan
The U.S. will provide aid to a crumbling economy in Afghanistan but will not give political recognition to the Taliban.
The United Nations is also considering giving aid to Afghanistan. After the Taliban took over, U.N. member nations stopped their aid to the country. International funding previously accounted for over 75% of Afghanistan’s spending.
100 pastors criticize Biden’s COVID-shot mandate
Over 100 pastors in Ohio signed an open letter to President Joe Biden on Monday, criticizing his COVID-shot mandate.
The letter stated, “To combat a virus with an overall 99.74% survival rate, the federal government should not impose its will on persons by mandating COVID-19 experimental vaccines and removing other alternative treatments. People should have the ability to make their own health decisions.
“This unilateral and divisive order is unethical and tantamount to what a totalitarian king would dictate. Furthermore, Mr. President, with respect to your vaccine mandate, we respond by saying, ‘We have no king but King Jesus.’”
Isaiah 33:22 says, “The LORD is our Judge, the LORD is our Lawgiver, the LORD is our King; He will save us.”
Turbulence at the Southern Baptist Convention
The general counsel for the Southern Baptist Convention has decided to cut ties from America’s largest Protestant denomination.
The division came after the SBC’s Executive Committee decided to waive attorney-client privileges during an investigation into the panel’s handling of sex abuse accusations in the denomination.
The new decision means that legal conversations of the Executive Committee are no longer confidential.
The investigation began after the Houston Chronicle reported in 2019 on hundreds of sex abuse cases in Southern Baptist churches over decades.
U.S. belief in marriage and family sinking
The 2021 American Family Survey found that only 45% of Americans believe that society is better off when more people are married, the lowest in the survey’s history.
And only 52% of people believe that marriage is needed to create strong families, down 10 percentage points from 2015.
Researchers noted, “There is reason to believe that people are growing less attached to marriage as an institution.”
Supreme Court is open to hear Kentucky case for anti-abortion law
On Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in a case involving Kentucky’s anti-abortion law that was struck down by lower courts.
The justices questioning indicated they may be favorable to let Kentucky’s Republican attorney general defend the anti-abortion law.
Attorney General Daniel Cameron is seeking to defend the law even though the state’s Democrat Governor Andy Beshear refused to do so. The law in question was passed in 2018 and bans dismemberment abortions.
Proverbs 24:11 says, “Deliver those who are drawn toward death, and hold back those stumbling to the slaughter.”
4.3 million Americans quit jobs in August
The Labor Department reports a record 4.3 million Americans quit their jobs in August, representing about 3% of the workforce.
Restaurant and retail staff led the job vacancies.
The labor shortages are accompanied by supply chain shortages.
Ports in California account for 40% of shipping container imports in the U.S. Ships are already backed up at the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports, and stores are beginning to see empty shelves on certain products.
Actor William Shatner returned from 66-mile high flight
And finally,
(audio of Star Trek theme)
Science fiction became science fact. Star Trek star William Shatner became the oldest person to go to space.
On Wednesday, the 90-year-old blasted off in a ship built by Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin company with NASA engineers on board.
After the 10-minute, 66.5-mile-high flight, an emotional Shatner said this.
SHATNER: “It was so moving to me. This experience meant something unbelievable. What you’ve given me is the most profound experience (Shatner cries) I can imagine. I’m so filled with emotion about what just happened. I, I, just. It’s extraordinary. I hope I never recover from this.”
The flight now brings the number of people who’ve been to space to 597.
What would Captain Kirk say?
KIRK: “Scotty, beam me up!”
(audio of transport)
Close
And that’s The Worldview in 5 Minutes on this Thursday, October 14th, in the year of our Lord 2021. 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.