Monday, February 29th, in the year of our Lord, 2016.
By Kevin Swanson
Since the year 2000, Islamic persecution has displaced over one million Christians in Nigeria, killed tens of thousands of Nigerian Christians, and destroyed many churches, particularly in northern Nigeria. The source of persecution is not only the Islamic militant group Boko Haram, but also other Muslims considered to be more “moderate.” The World View spoke to Troy Augustine, regional manager for Africa at International Christian Concern, about the churches suffering in Northern Nigeria: “From Northern Nigeria, the Brethren Church of Northern Nigeria has more than a million of its own members displaced. And what this means, as a representation of what it’s like to be a Christian in Northern Nigeria, is they face homelessness, disruption of their livelihoods and their means of making money and growing food, and also that means hunger and starvation for many of them, especially children.”
Christian Today reports that three teenaged Coptic Christians received a five-year jail sentence in Egypt last week for insulting Islam. They reportedly were filmed reading verses from the Qur’an while laughing. Muslims responded by attacking houses and businesses of Christians in the town where the students lived.
In an interview with CNN last Friday, former Mexican President Vicente Fox continued his criticism of Donald Trump and even compared him to Hitler. A day before, Fox declared that he would not be paying for a wall between the US and Mexico. Fox told CNN concerning Trump, “Today, he’s going to take that nation (U.S.) back to the old days of conflict, war and everything. I mean, he reminds me of Hitler. That’s the way he started speaking.”
Last Wednesday, President Obama signed a law banning the import of goods produced by child labor or forced labor. According to the Bureau of International Labor Affairs, products affected by this provision will include bricks from Vietnam, electronics made in Malaysia, and fireworks coming from Peru.
Tomorrow is Super Tuesday, the biggest day for the 2016 primaries. Christians will play a huge role in the Republican primaries for the 13 states involved in the Super Tuesday elections. Pew Research reports that a whopping 47% of the Super Tuesday Republican vote will come from Evangelical Protestants, 15% from Catholics, and 17% from mainline Protestants.
May Christians remember this one thing as they place their votes on Tuesday: “The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spoke to me: ‘He who rules over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God” (2 Samuel 23:3).
It is one of the last of the Western nations to take the step. The Italian Senate passed a bill last Thursday permitting civil unions between same-sex and heterosexual couples. The billed passed by a vote of 173 to 71.
Buy gold! At least that’s what Deutsche Bank is recommending. Although gold remains expensive, the Deutsche Bank says that “buying some gold as ‘insurance’ is warranted,” amid the growing economic risks and market unrest.
Based on statistics by Bloomberg News, over 162 abortion mills in the United States have shut down or ceased performing abortions since 2011, while only 21 new abortion mills have opened during that same period. Thirty abortion mills were closed in Texas, 14 in Iowa, 13 in Michigan, and 12 in California.
The Anglican Church in North America, the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, and the Lutheran Church-Canada have been engaging in ecumenical dialogue for the past six years. These three conservative church bodies released a report entitled “On Closer Acquaintance,” acknowledging their differences but emphasizing their theological common ground. The World View spoke to Rev. Peter Frank, senior associate rector for Church of the Epiphany of the Anglican Church in North America, about the progress conservative Anglicans and Lutherans have made in their ecumenical dialogue: “And as we get to know each other and build a relationship and trust, with those basic things understood and shared, well then we’re in a place to recognize each other more fully as brothers and sisters, and also to work together for God’s glory.”
The Apostle Peter reminds us all to “have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind” (1 Peter 3:8).
Christian Today tells the story of a Muslim doctor who came to Christ years ago as he suffered through cancer in a hospital in Kolkata, India. After praying to Jesus for healing, his cancer disappeared, and the man was baptized shortly thereafter. Since then, he has shared the Gospel in his Muslim community in India and planted 50 churches, and he continues to see patients. Early on, his family cast him out and the community persecuted him, but now his mother has received him back and those who attacked him are bringing patients for him to see, saying that they are so sorry. Praise God!
“Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).
And that’s the World View in Five Minutes.