Wednesday, September 20th, in the year of our Lord 2017
By Adam McManus
150 People Die in Earthquake in Mexico City
Yesterday afternoon, a 7.1. earthquake 93 miles southeast of Mexico City took the lives of 150 people.
In the upscale neighborhood of Condesa, balconies crumbled and massive cracks opened up on apartment facades, reports the L.A. Times.
In Roma, buildings swayed violently, sending rubble tumbling onto cars below. On Mexico City’s main boulevard, thousands of people streamed out of buildings into the streets in a panic.
Mexico City is prone to major damage in earthquakes because it sits on an old lake bed that amplifies the shaking.
President Trump Bluntly Criticizes Several Leaders in UN Speech
President Donald Trump didn’t pull any punches as he addressed the leaders of the world at the United Nations podium yesterday.
He singled out North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un for his nuclear programming, even giving him a new nickname in true Trump fashion.
“If it is forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea. ‘Rocket Man’ is on a suicide mission for himself and for his regime.”
President Trump asserted that the Iranian government is an “economically depleted rogue state” whose chief export is violence. He also attacked the 2015 Iran nuclear deal envisioned and executed by former President Barack Obama and threatened to junk it since it “provides cover” for Iran to build its nuclear program.
“The Iran deal was one of the worst and most one-sided transactions the United States has ever entered into. Frankly, that deal is an embarrassment to the United States. And I don’t think you’ve heard the last of it, believe me.”
Trump ripped the socialism of Venezuela, now being implemented by their president Nicolás Maduro, whom he called a dictator.
“The problem in Venezuela is not that socialism has been poorly implemented, but that socialism has been faithfully implemented. From the Soviet Union to Cuba to Venezuela, wherever true socialism or communism has been adopted, it has delivered anguish and devastation and failure.”
He reasserted the Trump Doctrine of “America First”.
“As president of the United States, I will put America first. Just like you, as the leaders of your countries, will always and should always put your countries first.”
And President Trump explained that the world stood at a major crossroads, saying, “To put it simply, we meet at a time of both immense promise and great peril. It is entirely up to us whether we lift the world to new heights or let it fall into a valley of disrepair.”
In response, John Bolton, the former U.S. Ambassador to the UN, said this on Fox News.
“This was the best speech of the Trump presidency in my view. I think it’s safe to say in the entire history of the united Nations there has never been a more straightforward criticism of the behavior, the unacceptable behavior, of other member states.”
Former Secret Service Agent Warns That the Service Must Adapt to New Technologies
Dan Bongino, a former special agent who once guarded the commander in chief, has a terrifying warning in his new book “Protecting The President”: Donald Trump is in jeopardy unless there is reform, reports WorldNetDaily.com.
He said, “The threats to the White House and the president are swiftly evolving in this new era of weaponized drones, micro-sized video surveillance technology, vehicle attacks on civilians, small arms tactical assaults, and technologically advanced and difficult-to-detect explosives. And if the decision-makers in the Secret Service refuse to evolve with this series of threats, then, tragically, we may suffer the first loss of a president since John F. Kennedy.”
Bill O’Reilly Denies Sexual Harassment in Today Show Interview
On Tuesday morning’s Today Show on NBC, Matt Lauer grilled Bill O’Reilly, the deposed king of cable television news, about why Fox News fired him six months ago.
Matt Lauer: “You were accused of sexual harassment. You said at the time that you did absolutely nothing wrong.”
Bill O’Reilly: “Correct.”
Matt Lauer: “Do you stand by that?”
Bill O’Reilly: “I do.”
Matt Lauer: “You were probably the last guy in the world that they wanted to fire because you were the guy that the ratings and the revenues were built on. You carried that network on your shoulders for a lot of years. So doesn’t it seem safe to assume that the people at Fox News were given a piece of information or given some evidence that simply made it impossible for you to stay on at Fox News.”
Bill O’Reilly: “That’s a false assumption.”
Lauer got specific in his cross examination of the witness.
Matt Lauer: “Did you ever send a lewd text or email to another employee at Fox News?”
Bill O’Reilly: “No.”
Matt Lauer: “The New York Times reported that up to 5 women had come forward over the years and complained about sexual harassment at your hands and that Fox News actually made deals with those women, financial settlements amounting to about $13 million. Think about those 5 women and what they did. They came forward and filed complaints against the biggest star at the network they worked at. Think of how intimidating that must have been, how nerve-wracking that must have been. Doesn’t that tell you how strongly they felt about the way they were treated by you?”
O’Reilly was dismissive, downplaying the idea that he bore any culpability.
Matt Lauer: “Have you looked at the way you treated women that you think about differently now than you did at the time?”
Bill O’Reilly: “My conscience is clear. This was a hit job, a political and financial hit job engineered by …”
Matt Lauer: “Is this a vast left-wing conspiracy?”
Bill O’Reilly: “Not vast. Don’t be sarcastic.”
Matt Lauer: “Well, I mean, but you know I’m the one that she, that Hillary Clinton said that to here 20 years ago.”
Matt Lauer: “Were there any self-inflicted wounds here Bill?”
Bill O’Reilly: “Nobody is a perfect person, but I can go to sleep at night very well knowing that I never mistreated anyone on my watch in 42 years.”
Proverbs 28:6 says, “Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than a rich man who is crooked in his ways.”
Roy Moore Remains in the Lead in Alabama Senate Race
Former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore is holding a hefty lead in Alabama’s special election GOP runoff against interim Senator Luther Strange scheduled for September 26th. According to a new JMC Analytic survey released Monday, Moore holds an 8 percent lead over Strange.
Dr. James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family and now Family Talk, joins Sarah Palin, Mike Huckabee, and Chuck Norris in endorsing Judge Moore for Senate.
The victor will face Democrat Doug Jones. The Republican nominee is expected to prevail in the GOP-dominated state.
In light of the wisdom of Proverbs 29:2 which says, “When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice,” there would be a lot of Alabamans rejoicing if Judge Moore wins.
Special Report on Buddhist Attacks on Muslims in Myanmar After the Newscast
It’s quite a flip flop of the normal terrorist narrative. This time the Muslims are the victims. And the Buddhists are the aggressors. Stay tuned for a Special Report immediately following today’s newscast.
Pastor of Largest Baptist Church in America Grieves the Loss of His Wife
And finally, Dr. Ed Young, pastor of Second Baptist Church, America’s largest Baptist church is grieving the loss of his wife, Jo Beth, who was a bedrock of support for 58 years. She passed away early Sunday morning at the age of 80, reports The Houston Chronicle.
The church praised her as the “consummate Christian woman,” in addition to being the “model ‘pastor’s wife.”
Closing Line
And that’s The World View in 5 Minutes on this Wednesday, September 20th in the year of our Lord 2017. Invite your friends to listen to this unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldView.com. I’m Adam McManus. Seize the day for Christ.
Special Report: Myanmar Government Cracks Down on Rohingya Muslims
And now for that World View Special Report by Jonathan Clark. I’m Adam McManus.
Since August 25, over 400,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled to Bangladesh from the Rakhine state of Buddhist-majority Myanmar, formerly known as Burma.
The country’s government began a crackdown on the Muslim group after the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army attacked and killed Myanmar police officers. (No connection to the Christian-based worldwide Salvation Army however).
The U.N. Human Rights Commission called the government’s response “clearly disproportionate” and “a textbook example of ethnic cleansing.”
However, Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi stated many of the reports were a “huge iceberg of misinformation.”
The World View spoke with Pastor Mark Robinette of Mission to Myanmar who regularly ministers to Christians in Myanmar and has many connections there.
Pastor Robinette described the situation between the Muslim people and the Myanmar government.
“They’re bordered on the most Muslim per capita country in the world, and it’s a very poor country, and both countries are very, very poor. And so the Muslim people have come over into this area of Myanmar and they have not integrated, they have formed their own communities. And they run themselves on their own, they want to have Sharia law and they have remained Muslim communities.
“And the problem is they don’t want to be ruled by the government of Myanmar. They want to be ruled by themselves. And so this government has historically been a military junta that you don’t mess with. . . The problem is they have been there a long time and they want to be their own people, their own country. And they’re doing this within an established country already.”
Pastor Robinette said the government has launched crackdowns in the past on other groups.
“Whenever people resist the military, which when the Buddhists resist the military, the military would crack down on them to the point where what actually caused the government to change is the Buddhist monks actually got out and walked in the streets by the thousands. Well the government came and started killing the Buddhist monks. And this government is not afraid of anything. They’re very ruthless people.
“What happened was when they killed Buddhist monks, they realized we have 60 million people here and if 20 million turn on us we’re in trouble. And so the country started turning against the government, completely going to completely destroy their government. And so the government realized the tide of this and stopped. So they’ve had some governmental reform. They’ve had an avalanche defeat, the military party did.”
In terms of the current crackdown, Pastor Robinette described how the crisis began with the Muslim group, Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army.
“It is an ISIS-like group. It is what we would definitely consider Islamic militant group. It formed and basically said, we want our rights and we want to do what we want to do. So they organized an attack against the government, and they killed a bunch of government workers, military people because there’s no distinguishing between police and military, at least there hasn’t been, there is becoming that now. But if you attack a policeman, it’s like attacking a soldier. So these guys killed nine of them.
“Well the way the country responded was in a thunderclap that basically said, you’re not going to do this in our country. When this happened it kinda started like an avalanche. And so the people got scared and the people just started running as if they’re being attacked. The militant leaders took advantage of this and started setting their villages on fire themselves. And this is exactly what the leader of Myanmar tried to explain to the United Nations but they’re not having any of it, they’re not believing it. But the people on the ground that I have talked to and that I have been involved with say this is exactly what is going on.
“So, they’re trying to create an unstable situation within the local government there so they can exploit it and take over the area and establish something like the Islamic state. So the government is responding with a very, very harsh response to that.”
Pastor Robinette also commented on how the refugee situation has affected Christians in Myanmar.
“We’re dealing with Christian people and they’re not particularly friendly with Christianity. In fact, they are hostile to it. It is still a felony in Myanmar to attempt to convert someone to Christianity. . . But for the short term, this situation has caused the people who have been so opposed to Christianity to at least leave them alone because they have been focusing on the Islamic situation there and not Christianity.”
Pastor Robinette said he had some unique opportunities to preach to the people in Myanmar, encouraging the Christians to show the love of Christ to all.
“So I realized here I am in a place where they are killing these Rohingya and they are running for their lives, and they’re hungry and they’re terrified. . . But here they have a chance to love these unlovable people. So they’re not saying they support Islam.
“But what they’re saying is what Christian people do is Christian people feed people who are hungry, they help people who are about to die, and they risk their lives to do so. And so I challenged the church there: love these Rohingya. No, I’m not trying to get you to promote Islam, but I’m trying to say you have a unique opportunity in the world to love these people and be kind to them. . . I know that if they take these words to heart there could be a revival of Christianity among the Rohingya that would solve this crisis.”
Pastor Robinette shared how we can pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ in Myanmar.
“Pray that they have courage. Courage to do what might get them killed or get them hurt or make their neighbors hate them. As much as they would hate Christianity, right now they hate Islam more. And so being a Christian takes courage, and courage that comes from faith in Christ. And so that’s what I would pray. Pray for courage.”
1 Corinthians 16:13-14 reminds us, “Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love.”
You can also help bring support to these Christians as they minister in Myanmar. Visit the website MissionToMyanmar.com to see how you can contribute.
This has been a World View Special Report. I’m Adam McManus.
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President Trump Losing Popularity Among White Evangelicals
A new Reuters/Ipsos poll shows that Trump’s popularity among white evangelicals has weakened, suggesting his grassroots support may not be as unconditional as religious leaders’ public displays of allegiance would suggest, reports The Christian Post.
Throughout August, only 62 percent of white evangelicals said they approved of Trump, while 33 percent disapproved. That’s a drop from the first four weeks of Trump’s presidency when 73 percent of white evangelicals approved while 23 percent disapproved.
That may pose a problem for Trump and his allies as the 2018 midterm congressional election season nears. Trump’s strong links to conservative Christians played a key part in his stunning victory in the 2016 presidential election.
Though disenchanted evangelicals were unlikely to switch their votes to Democrats, they could stay home next year when U.S. voters elect senators and representatives.
Senate Running Out of Time to Pass Latest Healthcare Reform Bill
The Trump administration and top U.S. Senate Republicans pushed yesterday for action on a bill to dismantle Obamacare, but they only have 11 days left to find the votes needed to pass their latest attempt to gut the 2010 healthcare law, reports Reuters.
It proposes to replace Obamacare with a system giving states money in block grants to run their own healthcare programs.
LGBT Activists Deface Church in Wisconsin
Cornerstone Community Church in La Crosse, Wisconsin was vandalized with anti-Christian and sexually explicit graffiti during LGBT Pride last weekend.
Using red spray paint, the vandals spray painted the male anatomy, the acronym ‘LGBTQ’, and an upside down cross.
Farmer Barred from Market for His Stand on Marriage Is Granted Preliminary Injunction
U.S. District Court Judge Paul Maloney has granted a preliminary injunction to a Michigan farmer named Stephen Tennes who was barred from selling his products at an East Lansing market because of his opposition to faux homosexual marriage, announced the Alliance Defending Freedom.
Earlier this year, Country Mill Farms sued the town of East Lansing, Michigan for banning the business from its farmer’s market over comments made against faux homosexual marriage on the business’ Facebook page.
Portland, Maine Votes to Celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day Instead of Columbus Day
On Monday, the City Council of Portland, Maine decided that it would no longer celebrate Columbus Day as a municipal holiday, voting unanimously to designate the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples’ Day, reports the Portland Press-Herald.
Recognizing indigenous people on Columbus Day is a growing trend across the U.S. A few states – Alaska, Oregon, South Dakota and Vermont – don’t recognize Columbus Day.
Schools in Dallas May Be Renamed over “Connection to Confederacy”
According to WorldNetDaily.com, it’s the latest case of anti-Confederacy hysteria sweeping America: Now school officials in Dallas, Texas may remove the name of Benjamin Franklin – an abolitionist and Founding Father who signed the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution – from a middle school over a “connection to Confederacy.”
Like many men in their day, Franklin was known to have owned slaves. But by the time of America’s founding, he was outspoken in his condemnation of slavery, and he led the nation’s first abolitionist society.
Four of the Dallas-area schools that are currently scheduled to be renamed include: Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee Elementary Schools.
School officials are still determining what actions to take on the names of at least 20 more schools. A list obtained by the Dallas Morning News also includes Sam Houston, James Bowie, William Travis, U.S. President James Madison, James Gaston and William Brown Miller.
San Francisco School Administrators Want to Use Detailed Achievement Reports Instead of Letter Grades
Administrators for San Francisco’s government schools are convinced that the letter grades A through F are outdated, reports KPIX-5 TV.
Instead they want to create transcripts with details about each student’s achievements which would be optional within seven years. No word on the havoc this would place on the college admissions process.