34% of Gen Zers are agnostics, atheists, or religiously unaffiliated; San Francisco Catholic Church files bankruptcy; World Chess Foundation restricts transgender chess players

It’s Wednesday, August 23rd, A.D. 2023. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard at www.TheWorldview.com. I’m Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com)

By Jonathan Clark

Police arrest 3 pastors in India

Last Tuesday, police in India’s Uttar Pradesh state accused 37 Christians of engaging in conversion activities.

Police then arrested five people, including three pastors.

Pastor Dinesh Kumar told UCA News, “The Christian community was holding a prayer service on the occasion of Independence Day in the Dalit colony of Rajupur when a police force came and arrested five people. We do not bother anyone in the area, and thus far the locals haven’t objected. Our people are shocked by the sudden police raid.”

Uttar Pradesh is one of many states in India with anti-conversion laws. The laws are often used to target Christians in the Hindu-majority country. 

1 Peter 4:12-13 says, “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you. … But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings.”

World Chess Foundation restricts transgender chess players

On Monday, the World Chess Federation announced restrictions on transgender chess players.

The Switzerland-based group, also known as FIDE, is the governing body for international chess competitions. The new regulations ban men, who pretend to be women, from playing in World Chess Federation events for women.  

Russia praised the new rules, while chess federations from the U.S., U.K., Germany, and France disapproved. 

Other international sports governing bodies have introduced similar restrictions in the last year, including World Aquatics and World Athletics. 

Court: Alabama’s law can protect kids from transgender drugs and surgeries

Meanwhile, in the U.S., a federal appeals court ruled that Alabama can enforce a law to protect children from transgender drugs and surgeries, reports LifeSiteNews.com.

The ruling noted, “States have a compelling interest in protecting children from drugs, particularly those for which there is uncertainty regarding benefits, recent surges in use, and irreversible effects.”

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said, “The Eleventh Circuit reinforced that the State has the authority to safeguard the physical and psychological wellbeing of minors, even if the United States Attorney General and radical interest groups disapprove. … This is a significant victory for our country, for children, and for common sense.”

Indiana Supreme Court’s pro-life position

Speaking of laws going into effect, Indiana’s new anti-abortion law bans nearly all abortions with some exceptions, reports Life News

On Monday, the state’s Supreme Court refused to rehear challenges to the law by pro-abortion groups

The law is expected to save the lives of about 9,000 unborn babies per year.

San Francisco Catholic Church files bankruptcy

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese in San Francisco filed for bankruptcy on Monday.

The archdiocese faces over 100 lawsuits involving sex-abuse allegations.

Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone stated the bankruptcy process was “the best solution for providing fair and equitable compensation to the innocent survivors who have been harmed.”

However, Jeff Anderson, an attorney representing many of the claimants, said, “[Cordileone] refuses to identify offenders in his diocese, he attempts legal maneuvers to eliminate the California Child Victims Act, and now he is attempting a last-ditch effort to hide the truth behind bankruptcy.”

The archdiocese is now the third in the Bay Area to file for bankruptcy this year.

Target CEO’s confession: Sexual perversion push hurt sales

After Target reported a quarterly sales drop, in which sales fell by 5.4% over the retail giant’s perversion push, CEO Brian Cornell  acknowledged the consumer backlash had a material impact on their sales.

After Target removed some particularly offensive items in June, Cornell said it “saw things normalize.” Sadly, Target will continue to have a collection for Homosexual and Transgender Pride month next June. And they continue to sell homosexual and transgender products right now.

No wonder Christians across America are boycotting Target.

Appearing on the Fox Business show “Kudlow” with Larry Kudlow, Taylor Riggs discussed the loss of sales which result every time a company pushes the woke, God-hating agenda.

KUDLOW: “We have a chart of all these woke companies. Target – down.”

RIGGS: “Yes.”

KUDLOW: “Disney – down. What else is up there? I can’t see.”

RIGGS: “Anheuser-Busch, [which sells Bud Light beer], is down.”

KUDLOW: “Right. Getting clobbered. So, the woke companies have done very badly.”

RIGGS: “What is that saying that we use on this program? ‘You go woke, you go broke.’ (laughter) So yes, I think some of that is the name of the game.”

Write a letter to Target CEO Brian Cornell to politely encourage Target to stop promoting homosexuality and transgenderism. Brian Cornell, Target CEO, 1000 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, MN 55403-2542.

34% of GenZers are agnostics, atheists, or religiously unaffiliated

And finally, the latest installment of the State of the Bible USA 2023 report looked at Generation Z, those born in 1997 or later.

The report found agnostics, atheists, or those who are religiously unaffiliated were the most common in Gen Z at 34%. Still, 58% of the generation identifies as Christian. Although, only 13% of Gen Zers identify as practicing Christians.

The report also found younger Gen Zers, those aged 18-21, were more likely to express high views of Scripture and interest in the Bible than older Gen Zers, those aged 22-26.

Psalm 78:5-7 reminds us, “[The Lord] established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers to teach to their children, that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children, so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments.”

Close

And that’s The Worldview in 5 Minutes on this Wednesday, August 23rd in the year of our Lord 2023. 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.

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