It’s Friday, March 24th, A.D. 2023. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard at www.TheWorldview.com. I’m Adam McManus.
By Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com)
Similarities between Communist persecution & U.S. COVID shutdowns
An expert who tackles Chinese Christian persecution sounded the alarm this week on parallels he sees between crackdowns perpetrated by the Chinese Communist Party and America’s COVID shutdowns, reports FaithWire.com.
Bob Fu, president of ChinaAid, said, “It is very shocking and horrible to see American society’s transformation evolving from its constitutional basis.”
The nonprofit leader, who became a Christian in the Chinese underground church and even went to prison for leading house churches before escaping in 1996, said he believes the American Left is increasingly turning to “dictatorial” tactics, refusing to allow diverse voices.
Fu said, “I saw the governor of California, [Gavin Newsom], basically proscribe and order the church to shut down and say not only when they can worship, but how. The ways that he threatened to punish those churches and pastors sometimes were word-for-word exactly the same as what the Chinese Communist Party is using against the Chinese churches.”
Russian Christian fined for objecting to war against Ukraine
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Christian Russians who express their opposition to it on grounds of their faith, continue to be detained and fined under Russia’s wartime laws punishing “discrediting the Armed Forces,” reports Evangelical Focus.
Police arrested Rostislav Charushin in Moscow because he made a poster that quoted three of the Bible’s Ten Commandments including “Thou shalt not kill.” (Exodus 20:13)
He was fined twice on March 9 for both “discreditation” and violating the so-called Demonstrations Law.
The political game at play in Trump’s possible arrest
Despite former President Trump’s prediction that he would be arrested this past Tuesday over alleged hush payments he made indirectly to a disreputable actress, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg did not arrest him.
Appearing on Fox News, Republican Congressman Jim Jordan of Ohio, the House Judiciary Committee Chair, pointed to the political agenda at play.
JORDAN: “First, they went after President Trump on Russia. Then, it was a phone call with [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelenskyy. Then, they wanted his tax return. Then, they go after his business records. Then, they go after his children. And now it’s some misdemeanor alleged bookkeeping error.
“And this is from the prosecutor who initially didn’t want to do this. In fact, he had people resign because he wasn’t going to do this because no one else would bring this case. I mean, the DOJ didn’t bring the case. The federal district in New York didn’t bring the case. The previous prosecutor in the district there in Manhattan didn’t bring the case. Mr. Bragg himself didn’t want to bring the case. But then, he got pressured I think from the Left. The one thing that I think is changed his mind is President Trump announced he was going to run for president again.”
Keep in mind, Alvin Bragg’s election in November 2021 was funded by a $1 million donation from a political action committee, the Color Of Change, funded by Leftist billionaire George Soros.
Colorado looked at banning all abortions
On January 26th, Colorado Republican State Rep Scott Bottoms introduced a bill that would have banned all abortions in the Centennial State.
Jeff Durbin, Director of End Abortion Now and a teaching elder at Apologia Church in Mesa, Arizona, urged Colorado lawmakers to support the bill.
DURBIN: “They used to say, ‘I know it’s technically a human. I know it looks like a person. It’s not a person. It’s a black man. I know it’s technically human. It looks like a person. It’s not a person. It’s a Jew.’
“Humanity is filled with this evil in this tyranny where we draw circles around ourselves and we dehumanize and butcher and tyrannize other human beings. This is a simple bill: human from the moment of fertilization. That’s a fact. Equal protection for all humans — in the womb and outside of the womb.
“We all agree with the injustice of a white man killing a black man unjustly. But the pro-choice position is essentially saying, ‘We don’t have a problem with that as long as it’s in the womb.’”
Sadly, on February 17th, in an 8-3 vote, the Colorado House Committee on Health & Insurance postponed the bill indefinitely.
Christian wrestler says Muhammed false prophet
And finally, a champion wrestler has come under fire for comments he made on Saturday about his Christian faith and suggesting that Muhammad is a false prophet after winning an NCAA title, reports Fox News.
Penn State wrestler Aaron Brooks, age 22, shared his Christian beliefs after securing the victory, crediting the Lord for his triumph.
BROOKS: “Christ’s resurrection is everything. Not just His life, but His death and resurrection. You can only get that through Him, the Holy Spirit. Only through Him. No false prophets. No Muhammad, no anyone else. Only Jesus Christ Himself.”
REPORTER: “Power and finesse, your calling card.”
BROOKS: “The Holy Spirit. Acts chapter one, verse eight. Power, Holy Spirit power, is everything. That’s where it’s from.”
Brooks won his third consecutive individual NCAA title on Saturday after beating a wrestler from Northern Iowa.
REPORTER: “And put in perspective winning three of these in a row.”
BROOKS: “God used me. He gives me this platform for this right here. It’s all for His glory.”
Brooks came under fire on social media for saying that Muhammad, the founder and main prophet of Islam, was a false prophet.
Hemant Mehta tweeted, “It’s wild to see a Christian athlete trash Muslims during a post-match interview by calling Muhammad a ‘false’ prophet.”
And Randy Patriot tweeted, “If it was a Muslim wrestler saying that Jesus was only a prophet, it wouldn’t even be newsworthy. Why is it a big deal only when Christians profess their faith and belief? Christians know why.”
In John 14:6, Jesus says, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
Close
And that’s The Worldview on this Friday, March 24th 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.