It’s Monday, April 22nd, 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
Bible-tweet case to be heard at Finnish Supreme Court
Päivi Räsänen, Finland’s former Minister of Interior and a sitting Finnish parliamentarian, will stand trial for a third time for her Bible-verse tweet, as confirmed by the Supreme Court of Finland, reports Alliance Defending Freedom.
Despite the Christian grandmother of 11 being acquitted unanimously of “hate speech” charges before both the Helsinki District Court, and the Court of Appeal, the State prosecutor appealed the case. The Supreme Court has agreed to hear that appeal on a date to be set in the future.
Räsänen stands criminally charged for sharing her Biblically-based views on marriage and sexual ethics, in a 2019 tweet, and in a 2004 pamphlet which she wrote for her church, cantered on Genesis 1:27 which explains that God created men and women.
Commenting on the Supreme Court’s decision, Räsänen said, “This was not just about my opinions, but about everyone’s freedom of expression.”
Paul Coleman, Executive Director of ADF International, is supporting Räsänen’s legal defense.
He said, “This is a watershed case in the story of Europe’s creeping censorship. In a democratic Western nation in 2024, nobody should be on trial for their faith – yet throughout the prosecution of Päivi Räsänen and Bishop [Juhana] Pohjola, we have seen something akin to a ‘heresy’ trial, where Christians are dragged through court for holding beliefs that differ from the approved orthodoxy of the day.
“The state’s insistence on continuing this prosecution after almost five long years, despite such clear and unanimous rulings from the lower courts, is alarming. The process is the punishment in such instances, resulting in a chill on free speech for all citizens observing.”
House Passes $95 Billion Foreign Aid Package
On Saturday, the House of Representatives passed legislation that would give financial assistance to American partners in the Indo-Pacific, Ukraine, and Israel, reports The Epoch Times.
This comes as House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) faces growing discontent among conservatives, particularly over the billions in funding for Ukraine and its lack of border security measures.
The House passed the $61 billion aid package for Ukraine in a 311–112 vote. The $8 billion measure providing for Indo-Pacific and Taiwanese security passed in a 385–34 vote. Another bill funding $26 billion for Israel passed 366–58.
JOHNSON: “The world is destabilized and it’s a tinderbox. It’s a dangerous time. Three of our primary adversaries — Russia and Iran and China — are working together and they’re being aggressors around the globe. They’re a global threat to our prosperity and our security. Their advance threatens the free world and it demands American leadership. If we turn our backs right now, the consequences could be devastating.”
Now that it’s been passed by the House, the legislation will go to the Senate as a single package, where it’s expected to easily pass.
Former Congresswoman: American Democrats have joined Team Hamas & Iran
In an interview on “Understanding the Times with Jan Markell,” former Republican Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann bemoaned the fact that President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and others in American political leadership, have seemingly abandoned Team Israel and joined Team Hamas.
BACHMANN: “Now, we’re seeing a shift with the White House, with the President and the Vice President, with the leading Jew in the United States, which would be Chuck Schumer, the head of the United States Senate, with our Secretary of State Antony Blinken, with Nancy Pelosi, who is essentially the head of the House of Representatives, as far as the Democrats are concerned.
“They all came out one after another, just in this last two weeks, and they’ve come one by one to condemn Israel, and to tell Israel, ‘You’re going to lose this war. You’re going to pull back.’ They’ve gone so far as to embrace and move from Team Israel to Team Hamas. And, what’s worse, the Democrat Party has embraced Team Iran!”
Congresswoman Bachmann elaborated on Iran’s goal.
BACHMANN: “And the goal of Iran is very clear. The Ayatollah – [Seyyed Ali Hosseini Khamenei] — made it very clear himself when he wrote his book in 2015. He said, ‘If Muslims and Palestinians unite and fight, the Zionist regime will not be in existence in 25 years.’ He wrote that, and he means it. Benjamin Netanyahu said, ‘I believe the sincerity of the Ayatollah,’ knowing that no statement has changed that.
“We just saw they were screaming ‘Death to America! Death to Israel!’ They’re following Islamic law. They believe that within a very short period of time they will realize their dream of killing every Jew in Israel and taking over the land.”
Members of Kennedy Family endorse Biden over Kennedy
Some members of the Kennedy family are backing President Joe Biden re-election bid even as their own relative, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., runs as an independent presidential candidate, reports The Blaze.
RFK Jr.’s brother, Chris Kennedy, has gone as far as describing Biden as “the RFK of his generation.”
CHRIS KENNEDY: “When I think of modern politicians in our country in this century, I think Joe Biden is the RFK of his generation.”
And Rory Kennedy, a sister of RFK, Jr, described Biden this way.
RORY KENNEDY: “This is a president who embodies the Kennedy legacy.”
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has 10 siblings, is the son of the late U.S. Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1968.
In response to his siblings’ endorsements of Joe Biden for president, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. tweeted, “I hear some of my family will be endorsing President Biden today. I am pleased they are politically active — it’s a family tradition. We are divided in our opinions but united in our love for each other. … My campaign, which many of my family members are working on and supportive of, is about healing America.”
Australian bishop forgives his Muslim stabber
And finally, the Australian bishop, who was stabbed in the middle of a sermon during a church service on Monday and is recovering in the hospital, has forgiven his alleged attacker, reports the Christian Post.
Bishop Mari Emmanuel, age 53, has been in the hospital since he was stabbed by a 15-year-old male while in the middle of a livestreamed service at the Assyrian Christ the Good Shepherd church in Wakeley. A 39-year-old priest was also allegedly stabbed after attempting to intervene. Other churchgoers were hurt in the scuffle as well. All are expected to make full recoveries.
The bishop is now asking his supporters to emulate Jesus, through “Christlike” behavior, rather than engaging in vengeful words or actions following the attack.
In Luke 6:27-28, Jesus said, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”
Close
And that’s The Worldview in 5 Minutes on this Monday, April 22nd 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.