It’s Thursday, October 5th, 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
Laos officials break up church service
On Sunday, officials in Laos broke up a house church service in a village. They also threatened to arrest 18 Christians there if they continued to meet.
Members of the animist village first converted to Christianity in 2019. Since then, many more joined them. Animism is the belief that objects, places, and creatures all possess a distinct spiritual essence, and are animated and alive.
Human Rights Watcher for Lao Religious Freedom reports that officials have persecuted local Christians since the first conversion. They asserted, “Thus began pressures and threats from the local government upon Christians, coercing them to give up their religious faith. The local government subjected Christians to intimidations, threats, and coercion throughout 2022 and again this year.”
The Southeast Asian nation is ranked 31 on the Open Doors World Watch List of countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian. Communist authorities consider most church gatherings illegal and put Christians under close scrutiny.
Javier Milei, a pro-lifer, is leading in Argentinian presidential polls
Javier Milei, a libertarian economist and congressman in Argentina, continues to lead in the polls for the country’s upcoming October 22nd presidential election.
The top concern for voters is the economy and inflation, which is over 120%. Milei blames Argentina’s welfare model while promoting a free market economy in its place.
The presidential candidate also opposes abortion and wants to end the government’s ministry of women, gender, and diversity.
Milei’s popularity comes despite Argentina’s liberal policies. It was the first Latin American country to legalize faux homosexual marriage in 2010 and relaxed its abortion laws in 2020.
Daniel 2:21 says God “changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.”
Judge: Schools cannot affirm transgenderism without parental consent
In the United States, a Wisconsin judge ruled Tuesday that a Milwaukee school district cannot affirm transgenderism to students without permission from parents.
Circuit Judge Michael Maxwell barred the Kettle Moraine School District from “allowing or requiring staff to refer to students using a name or pronouns at odds with the student’s biological sex, while at school, without express parental consent.”
The case began after the district refused to refer to a gender-confused student according to her biological sex, despite being asked to by her parents.
75,000 Kaiser Permanente healthcare workers strike
Yesterday, over 75,000 healthcare workers went on strike across the U.S.
Workers for Kaiser Permanente hospitals walked off the job in California, Colorado, Oregon, Washington state, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. over wages and staffing shortages.
It’s the largest healthcare strike in U.S. history.
This comes as tens of thousands of autoworkers are also on strike against companies like Ford and General Motors.
NYC Mayor proud of abortion kill pill availability
Speaking of firsts, New York City public hospitals are the first in the nation to offer abortion drugs through virtual visits.
The city’s Democrat mayor, Eric Adams, announced the program Monday.
After a virtual or phone visit, women in New York City can get the abortion kill pills mailed within days.
Adams said the move was in response to the overturning of Roe v. Wade on June 24, 2022.
Isaiah 59:7 says, “Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood; their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths.”
Americans now want bigger families
A new survey from Gallup found Americans’ preference for larger families is the highest it’s been since 1971.
Forty-seven percent of U.S. adults prefer smaller families, identified as those with two or fewer children. Forty-five percent prefer larger families with three or more children.
Americans preferred larger families from the 1930s to the 1960s. That preference then plummeted and plateaued through the 80s and 90s. Since then, preference for more than two children has been making a comeback.
Arkansas’ longest married couple and their Christian testimony
And finally, the Arkansas Family Council honored a Christian couple last week for being the longest married couple in the state.
102-year-old Cleovis Whiteside and his 98-year-old wife, Arwilda Whiteside, have been married for 84 years. The couple raised 12 children and housed many more in need of a family, becoming pillars in their community.
Arwilda had some advice to give to couples. She said, “Pray. Know how to get on your knees, and get you a Bible because that Bible is going to have to take you through all kinds of storms.”
Close
And that’s The Worldview in 5 Minutes on this Thursday, October 5th 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.