Thursday, May 25th, in the year of our Lord 2017
By Jonathan Clark
ISIS Militants Seize Hostages and Burn Down Buildings in the Philippines
Islamic militants seized a priest and several churchgoers as hostages recently in the Philippine city of Marawi, according to International Christian Concern.
The gunmen also burned down a Catholic church, a jail, and two schools. The offensive took place after government forces tried to arrest an Islamic leader. The militants have threatened to kill the hostages, if government troops do not withdraw.
Meanwhile, Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte declared martial law on Tuesday in the country’s southern island of Mindanao.
Duterte stated this was to enforce law and security in the wake of the ISIS attacks on the government in the city of Marawi that killed three government troops and injured 12 others.
Court in Taiwan Rules in Favor of Homosexual Marriage
The Constitutional Court of Taiwan ruled yesterday in favor of homosexual marriage.
The legislature now has two years to implement the decision. If carried out, Taiwan would be the first country in Asia to approve of homosexual marriage.
Proverbs 16:12 says, “It is an abomination to kings to do evil, for the throne is established by righteousness.”
British Authorities Arrest Five Suspects in Connection with Manchester Bombing
British authorities are searching for 22-year-old Salman Abedi, the man believed to be the terrorist behind the recent Manchester, England bombing.
Five suspects have already been arrested in connection with the attack. The UK raised its terrorism level to the highest level with 1,000 military troops deployed across the country.
Tucker Carlson Gives Analysis of the Drastic Increase of Terrorist Attacks in Europe
Last night, Fox News Channel’s Tucker Carlson offered some excellent analysis about the Manchester, England terrorist attack which killed 22 and injured 59.
“Why is violent terrorism an inevitability in Europe now? Unless you grew up in Northern Ireland or Italy or the Basque Country, terrorism was not a significant hazard a generation or two ago.
“This is new. Something has changed. What is it?
“Well, the answer most people understand, but relatively few people admit, is that demographics change. There are lot of Muslims living in Europe now. Most of them are indeed decent people, as we’re often reassured. But a surprisingly large number of them aren’t. Check the numbers.
“In 2006, after just a year after terrorists murdered more than 50 people in London on the subway bombings, a full 20% of British Muslims said they sympathized with the motives of the bombers. Younger Muslims were even more enthusiastic about what had happened, about the killings.
“In 2007, Pew found that at least 20% of young Muslims here in America and France and Germany and Britain and Spain, believe that suicide bombings could be justified. In France, that number was above 40%!”
First Lady Melania Trump Confirmed to Be Catholic
Hours after Pope Francis blessed a rosary yesterday for First Lady Melania Trump at the Vatican as President Trump looked on, her spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham confirmed to The Daily Mail that Melania is Catholic.
Mrs. Trump did more than just show up for a Papal audience. She spent time in prayer at the Vatican-affiliated Baby Jesus Hospital, and laid flowers at the feet of a statue of the Madonna.
The last Catholics to live in the White House were John F. Kennedy and his wife Jackie. Melania and her son Barron will move to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue over the summer.
Pope Francis Asks Melania Trump What She Feeds the President
But before the Pope blessed the First Lady’s rosary, he asked her a tailor-made question in Italian as he pointed to President Trump, “What are you feeding him, potica?” According to the Vatican spokeswoman, Francis loves potica and always mentions it when he meets a Slovenian, reports The Guardian.
Potica – pronounced po-teet-sah – is traditionally served at Easter and Christmas. A type of nut bread made from yeast dough, it is typically spread with a mixture of ground walnuts, butter, eggs, cream, and honey or sugar.
Listen now to the brief encounter.
Pope Francis: “What do you give him to eat, potica?”
Mrs. Trump (laughing): “Pizza”
Melania Trump appeared to reply that she feeds him pizza. It was unclear on whether the pope was taking a crack at President Trump carrying a little extra weight or whether he was just trying to ingratiate himself to the First Lady with a reference to a pastry from her home country of Slovenia.
President Trump’s Approval Rating Improves While He Travels
While President Donald Trump continues his first foreign trip as commander-in-chief, a new poll suggests his time abroad may have been good for his approval among Americans back home.
According to the latest Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll, the president’s approval rating spiked four percentage points this week, jumping from 44 percent on Monday to 48 percent yesterday.
Number of Abortion Mills in the US Keeps Dropping
In the US, eight states have closed all but one of their Planned Parenthood abortion mills: Kentucky, West Virginia, Wyoming, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Arkansas.
In 2017 alone, 21 abortion mills and referral facilities have closed and only five have opened.
Psalm 37:38 says, “Transgressors shall be altogether destroyed; the future of the wicked shall be cut off.”
Bill Heid Produces Short Film Presenting the Real Meaning of Memorial Day
And finally, Memorial Day will be celebrated on Monday with barbecues, sports, and good food. But why do we celebrate Memorial Day?
Bill Heid, the producer of Heirloom Audio Productions, has produced a 10-minute film entitled “The Lost Secrets of Memorial Day” and what the holiday really means.
You can watch the film on YouTube under the name, ‘The Lost Secrets of Memorial Day.’
Deuteronomy 32:7 says, “Remember the days of old; consider the years of many generations; ask your father, and he will show you, your elders, and they will tell you.”
Thousands of People March for Life in Various Parts of the World
Thousands participated in pro-life marches last Saturday in different parts of the world, reported Life Site News.
In Rome, Italy, protesters against the murder of the unborn and euthanasia attended the nation’s annual March for Life. In Croatia, over 20,000 people gathered to march for life, including the country’s deputy prime minister. Many young people and young families attended.
Thousands also marched in Birmingham, England to protest the nation’s Abortion Act passed 50 years ago.
Nearly 50 Percent of UK Population Identifies as Nonreligious
As we recently reported, the Benedict XVI Center for Religion and Society found that for every one atheist or agnostic who converts to Christianity in Britain, 26 professed Christians apostatize from the faith.
What we failed to mention was that nearly 50 percent of the UK’s population identifies as nonreligious. Around half of those were raised Christian.
Jobs in the Solar Industry Skyrocket in the US
Solar jobs in the US have been growing 17 times faster than the national economy, according to CNN Money.
The International Renewable Energy Agency report from yesterday found over 260,000 people working in the solar industry last year up by 24 percent compared to 2015.
And that’s the World View in Five Minutes.