Bloody Mary’s first Protestant martyr, U.S. hits hard at militias in Iraq and Syria, Theology professor fired for upholding Biblical sexual ethic

It’s Monday, February 5th, A.D. 2024.  This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard at www.TheWorldview.com.  I’m Adam McManus.  (Adam@TheWorldview.com)

By Adam McManus

Theology professor fired for upholding Biblical sexual ethic

A theology professor in Derbyshire, England, has been fired from a Methodist Bible university after sharing his Biblical beliefs on social media, reports International Christian Concern.

Dr. Aaron Edwards, an employee at Cliff College for seven years, was dismissed for publicly criticizing the Methodist Church and its unbiblical views on marriage. Edwards’ employer had accused him of “bringing the college into disrepute.”

On February 19, 2023, Edwards tweeted, “Homosexuality is invading the Church. Evangelicals no longer see the severity of this because they’re busy apologizing for their apparently barbaric homophobia, whether or not it’s true. This is a ‘Gospel issue,’ by the way. If sin is no longer sin, we no longer need a Saviour.”

The professor’s tweet drew push back from several homosexual groups, prompting Cliff College to call the post “unacceptable” and “inappropriate,” demanding the professor remove the tweet.

Isaiah 5:20 describes perfectly both the push back of the homosexual groups and the cowardly, unbiblical Cliff College. “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness.”

Truth be told, Cliff College brought itself into disrepute.

To his credit, Edwards refused to take down the post, arguing it would violate his conscience. He further pointed out that the post was not defamatory to any individual in particular and was, therefore, not in violation of the school’s social media policy.

Despite his sincere efforts, the school opened an investigation, leading to the professor’s suspension and subsequent dismissal. Unbelievably,  school officials threatened to refer him to the U.K. government’s counter terrorism and hate speech unit. Edwards is suing Cliff College for unfair firing and compensation under England’s Equality Act.

U.S. hits hard at militias in Iraq and Syria

On Friday, the U.S. military launched an air assault on dozens of sites in Iraq and Syria used by Iranian-backed militias and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, reports the Associated Press.

This was retaliation for the drone strike that killed three U.S. troops in Jordan last weekend.

The massive barrage of strikes hit more than 85 targets at seven locations, including command and control headquarters, intelligence centers, rockets and missiles, drone and ammunition storage sites that were connected to the militias or Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force. The Force is the Guard’s expeditionary unit that handles Tehran’s relationship with and arming of regional militias.

The U.S. strikes appeared to stop short of directly targeting Iran or senior leaders of the Revolutionary Guard Quds Force within its borders, as the U.S. tries to prevent the conflict from escalating even further. Iran has denied it was behind the Jordan attack.

Protesters rally in Texas against entry of illegal immigrants

Here in America, hundreds of people converged Saturday in trucks, vans and RVs, in southern Texas to rally against what they say is an illegal immigrant “invasion,” demanding tough new controls at the U.S. border with Mexico, reports AFP.

Scrawled on the side of one of the vehicles reaching Quemado, Texas — population 162 — were the words “Join the God Fight.”

The convoy decided to gather in this tiny town along the Rio Grande river, which forms the natural border between the United States and Mexico, as debate swirls again about how to address record high illegal immigrant crossings.

Hundreds of thousands of people from Central and South America, and beyond, have waded illegally across the river in recent months.

But their huge numbers have become a galvanizing issue, especially ahead of the November presidential election, with Republicans in Congress blocking additional U.S. aid to Ukraine and Israel over demands that President Joe Biden does more to stop the flow.

And so it is at tiny Quemado that the activist group calling itself “We the People” — the first words in the preamble to the U.S. Constitution — decided to meet and make their anger known.

Under the slogan “Take our border back,” these activists, traveling in convoys from the across the United States, have been arriving in towns along the border to camp — and protest — this past weekend.

Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America to spend $100 million on presidential election

A national pro-life advocacy organization aims to spend nearly $100 million and knock on over 4 million doors ahead of the 2024 presidential election, reports the Christian Post. The November election outcome could have major implications for the future of abortion policy in the United States.

In a statement Thursday, Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America announced it will collaborate with its partner organization Women Speak Out PAC to “spend $92 million and reach 10 million voters to protect life across America.” The figure exceeds the $56 million spent in the 2020 election cycle and the $78 million the group pledged to spend during the 2022 midterm election cycle.

The campaign’s hundreds of thousands of volunteers will canvas in eight battleground states: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Montana, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Bloody Mary’s first Protestant martyr

And finally, on February 4th, 1555, John Rogers, an English Protestant clergyman and Bible translator, was burned at the stake in England by Queen Mary I, also known as “Bloody Mary. She was determined to violently restore Roman Catholicism.   

Translating the Bible into commonly spoken English, Rogers published The Matthew Bible under the pseudonym Thomas Matthew. Rogers’ work constituted the first complete English Bible and commentary.

On January 28 and 29, 1555, he came before the commission appointed by Catholic Cardinal Reginald Pole. He was sentenced to death by Catholic Bishop Stephen Gardiner for the so-called sin of denying the Christian character of the Church of Rome and the alleged real presence of Jesus Christ in the symbolic elements of bread and wine of Catholic communion. Even though Rogers was denied a meeting with his wife, he awaited and met death cheerfully.

Shortly before his execution, Rogers was offered a pardon if he were to recant, but he refused. As he was marched to the site of his execution, the irrepressible John Rogers sang the Psalms.

In John 16:2, Jesus said, “The time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God.” Tragically, that is exactly what Bloody Mary thought, that she was offering a service to God by killing Protestant leaders who loved God’s Word.

Close

And that’s The Worldview in 5 Minutes on this Monday, February 5th in the year of our Lord 2024. 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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