Thursday, November 1st, in the year of our Lord 2018
By Jonathan Clark
Pakistani Supreme Court Frees Asia Bibi from Death Row!
In God’s providence, the Supreme Court of Pakistan acquitted the Christian woman named Asia Bibi yesterday who has been on death row for nearly eight years on false charges of blasphemy against Islam.
Asia was accused of speaking disparagingly about the false prophet Mohammed, but her real crime was that she offered water to Muslim co-workers who believed Asia had made the water ceremonially unclean by drinking from the same cup.
Praise be to God for the release of our sister in Christ. Please keep the rest of Pakistan’s Christians in prayer as they may face backlash from Muslim extremists over the ruling.
Isaiah 42:7 says that God works to “open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the prison, those who sit in darkness from the prison house.”
Sri Lanka, a Buddhist-Majority Nation, Persecutes Christians
Sri Lanka, a small predominantly Buddhist nation off the coast of India, is another nation that has seen a rise in attacks on Christians this year.
William Stark of International Christian Concern told The World View about one incident in which a Christian family had to wear helmets every night because of rocks thrown through their windows.
“A pastor who I talked to; his house and his church were connected. And basically none of the windows on his house had glass because every night a Buddhist extremist would come to his house and wait for them to have the lights on inside, so they could be out in the dark and see people inside, and they’d essentially throw rocks in the window and hit them. Every night when the sun went down, the family had to pull out helmets. So every night they wore helmets, just in case rocks were going to be thrown through the window at them or the children.”
Stay tuned for a World View Special Report about why Christians in Sri Lanka face increasing hatred and opposition.
Brazil’s New President Vows to Follow the Bible; Rejects Socialism, Communism
Brazilian politician Jair Bolsonaro won the country’s presidential election this week, receiving congratulations from President Donald Trump.
Bolsonaro gave thanks to God for the victory, promising to govern “following the Bible and the constitution,” and saying, “we cannot continue flirting with socialism, with communism, populism and the extremism of the Left.”
Ireland Clears the Way for Blasphemy of God
Last week, Ireland’s voters approved a referendum to remove a constitutional ban on blasphemy in the once staunchly Catholic country.
The 1937 blasphemy provision drew criticism in 2015 when police investigated British actor Stephen Fry for calling God “stupid and selfish” in an interview.
Exodus 20:7 says, “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.”
CA Pro-Life Pregnancy Centers No Longer Compelled to Push Abortion
Last Friday, a U.S. federal district court issued an order permanently barring enforcement of California’s Reproductive FACT Act which would have forced Christians in pro-life pregnancy centers to promote information about abortion.
This is a welcome reprieve for the approximately 200 pro-life centers in California, many with religious affiliation.
The order comes after the U.S. Supreme Court found the law was likely in violation of the First Amendment back in June.
Democrat House Leader Nancy Pelosi Vows to Push LGBT Agenda
With the midterm elections less than a week away, U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California is promising to introduce legislation to protect individuals committed to sexual perversions if Democrats win the House, reports The News Tribune.
Politico predicts the House leans in favor of the Democrats and that the Senate will likely go to the Republicans.
But if you’ve not yet cast your ballot, please make sure that you go to the polls and represent Biblical values.
How One Christian Couple Helps Central Americans Break Cycle of Violence, Poverty
President Trump is moving over 5,000 U.S. troops to the border with Mexico as the migrant caravan from Honduras of around 4,000 people approaches.
Religious organizations are calling on the government to treat people “humanely.”
However, one Christian couple moved to Central America five years ago to help people there break the cycle of violence and poverty and ultimately to find Jesus.
Graham Davis with the Advance Project told CBN News, “Our students aren’t running for the border. They see the value in being where they are and growing in leadership. The Advance Project develops leaders in the developing world.”
Study: Selfless People Have More Children, Make More Money
And finally, researchers at Stockholm University and the University of South Carolina released a study recently showing unselfish people have more children and make more money.
Focusing on the personal lives of Americans and Europeans, the study found that those who make sacrifices for others typically had more children and received higher salaries compared with more selfish people.
Acts 20:35 says, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
Close
And that’s The World View in 5 Minutes on this Thursday, November 1st in the year of our Lord 2018. Subscribe by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldView.com. I’m Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldView.com) Seize the day for Jesus Christ.
Special Report: Sri Lankans’ Buddhist Identity Leads to Christian Persecution
Time now for a World View Special Report by Emily Swanson. I’m Adam McManus.
By Emily Swanson
William Stark of International Christian Concern talked with The World View about the rise of Christian persecution in Sri Lanka. Because Christians are a very small minority in Sri Lanka, they are often the victims of discrimination and attacks.
“Christianity makes up a very small percentage of the country, around 1-2%. And Christians face persecution there mainly because of religious nationalism. Buddhists, especially more extremist nationalists, believe that Sri Lanka should be and/or is a Buddhist nation and that Christianity is a foreign negative influence coming into Sri Lanka. So, it needs to be pushed out, even by violent means.”
Stark talked about the rise in hate crimes against Christians in Sri Lanka just this year.
“Recently it is on the rise. The National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka; they have reported an increase in 2018 in the number of incidents they’re seeing. According to their report, they’ve seen 67 incidents of persecution in Sri Lanka, as they define it, with September being the worst month.”
Stark said that Christians have been beaten and government officials have confiscated church properties.
“A lot of those are assaults; Christians being attacked physically. Also, you will have authorities who will come and close down churches, intimidation, discrimination, false arrests. Those are all the sorts of things that Sri Lankan Christians face because of their faith.”
Stark emphasized that the reason Indian Christians and Sri Lankan Christians face a good deal of persecution is that countries in Southeast Asia identify themselves strongly with one religion or another.
“Religious nationalism is a bigger problem in South Asia, generally speaking. If you look at the map of South Asia, you have India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh. These are all countries that used to be part of the same nation, or the British Colonial as we see it. When the British left, India and Pakistan divided based on religious lines. Pakistan being the Muslim country for Muslims in South Asia, whereas India became the Hindu nation for Hindus in South Asia. And then, Sri Lanka became the Buddhist nation of Buddhists in South Asia. From the founding of these countries, there’s been this idea of religious nationalism.”
Stark said that this is what has caused Christians to be looked at as a despised minority.
“That sort of mixing of national and religious identity has led to a lot of problems with a lot of these countries. Look at India. Hindu nationalism is a big issue. You look at Pakistan and you have Muslim nationalism. Generally speaking, it’s more of this religious nationalism issue that is systemic in South Asia. Like you get all the rights because this is a Muslim country or this is a Hindu country or this is a Buddhist country, but if you’re not, you get to be a second-class citizen here.”
Please keep the Sri Lankan Christians in prayer, that they would remain steadfast and immovable and that their eyes would be daily fixed on Jesus Christ, the Author and Finisher of our faith.
This has been a World View Special Report. I’m Adam McManus.