Thursday, March 16th, in the year of our Lord 2017
by Adam McManus
Chinese Government Cracks Down on Religion
Freedom House, an independent watchdog organization, noted that the Chinese Communist Party is cracking down on various religions including Christians, seeking to stop the growth of faith in the world’s most populous nation reports the Christian Post.
Roman Catholics are experiencing “moderate” persecution and Protestant Christians are facing “high” levels of persecution.
Authorities have arrested protesters and religious leaders, shut down underground churches, and enacted restrictive laws seeking to control all aspects of religious life.
Samaritan’s Purse Workers Were Arrested, Not Kidnapped
And earlier this week, a news report incorrectly claimed that the South Sudanese aid workers with Samaritan’s Purse had been kidnapped while helping with food distribution.
The World View spoke to Ken Isaacs of Samaritan’s Purse who explained what really happened.
“We were waiting for the security situation to improve, and then on Monday we got a call from the government of South Sudan officials telling us that eight of our staff had been kidnapped and they were being held for food ransom. And then there was a press release made saying that same thing. As soon as we got the call we called the local commissioner. He is not with the government. He is on the opposition side. He said that they had not been kidnapped. He said, “I arrested them. I detained them.” He said, “I’m going to let them go tonight or in the morning.”
Isaacs also said that this incident sheds light on the greater problem that is facing South Sudan.
“What all of this has done, is to illuminate the deep, deep tragedy of South Sudan, a country that fought a civil war for its independence for 23 years, had the favor of the international community, had God’s favor on it. The churches come together. The tribes had come together, and this opportunity has been frittered away by weak leadership, greedy leadership, brutal leadership.”
Isaacs asked Christians to pray for a radical change of heart for those in power.
Ireland Rejects Pro-Abortion Bill
If you get or perform an abortion in Ireland, it’s punishable by up to 14 years in prison. Pro-aborts put forth a new bill which would have legalized abortion with only a “token” $1.22 fine imposed, according to the Christian Institute. However, that bill was ultimately rejected.
Numbers 35:33 says, “Do not pollute the land where you are. Bloodshed pollutes the land.”
Tax Documents Show Trump Did Pay His Taxes
The Left has long speculated that President Donald Trump was a tax dodger. Tax documents publicized by MSNBC show Trump has paid his taxes — a lot of taxes. . . $38 million on $153 million of income in 2005. That’s close to 25 percent.
Russell Moore May Be Fired for Opposition to Trump
Russell Moore might be fired for his vocal opposition to President Donald Trump.
During the presidential campaign, the leader of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission for the Southern Baptist Convention, firmly opposed the Donald. Moore called Trump’s campaign “reality television moral sewage” and accused him, in a New York Times op-ed, of pandering to pent-up nativism and bigotry.
The Washington Post reports that more than 100 (or 0.2%) of the 46,000 Southern Baptist churches have threatened to pull funding if Moore is not given the pink slip.
Author Suggests American Christians Form Communities Patterned After St. Benedict
One Christian author has put forth a radical idea to thwart the spiritual crisis in America and preserve the Christian faith in our contemporary society.
Rod Dreher, author of The Benedict Option: A Strategy for Christians in a Post-Christian Nation proposes that Christians must strategically withdraw from politics and form communities patterned after St. Benedict, the monk born in AD 480.
Religious People Have More Children While Secularists May Die Out
The very secularists who invented effective birth control methods could now be in danger of dying out because religious people, from Muslims to Christians, are having more children, reports Springer International Publishing.
The American and Malaysian researchers asked more than 4,000 students about their religious beliefs and number of siblings.
“The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” (Psalm 14:1)
Research Shows Longer Life Expectancy for Parents than Those Without Children
Parents, take courage. If you survive the sleep deprivation, toddler tantrums and teenage angst, you may be rewarded with a longer life than your childless peers, according to researchers at the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.
Fathers gained more in life expectancy than mothers, particularly in older age.
“By the age of 60, the difference in life expectancy… may be as much as two years” between people with, and those without, children, they concluded.
Only 20 Percent of Kids in Oklahoma City Can Read an Analog Clock
In the digital age of smartphones and the congruent disappearance of traditional face watches with hands for the hour and minute, only 1-in-5 kids in Oklahoma City know how to read a watch, reports News Channel 4, KFOR. And only 1-in-10 Oklahoma City kids own a watch.
Out of 150 students who took the time-telling 15-question survey, only 31 students passed.
Asylum Seekers in Thailand May Be Crammed into Detention Centers
The Thai government is planning to cancel bail for all of Bangkok’s male asylum seekers – many of them Christians – forcing them to move to overcrowded detention centers immediately, reports the World Watch Monitor.
An estimated 11,500 Pakistani Christians could be subject to detention.
Pope Francis Promotes Liberalism in Four Years of Papacy
It’s been four years since Pope Francis kicked off one of the most striking papacies in memory. Within the Catholic world, he is seen as a hero by liberal Catholics and a scourge of conservatives, writes a columnist for TheWeek.com.
Francis has had harsh words against capitalism, championed the global warming theory, and has been a major supporter of migrants in the crisis seizing Europe.
Senators Request Investigation of Claims that Taxpayer Funding Backs Soros’ Meddling
Republican senators are asking Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to investigate claims that U.S. taxpayer money is being used to back left-wing billionaire George Soros’ political meddling around the globe, reports Fox News.
A letter sent Tuesday asked for a probe into how U.S. funds are being used by agencies such as the United States Agency for International Development to back left-wing political groups in other countries. The letter was signed by Senators Mike Lee, R-Utah; James Inhofe, R-Okla.; Thom Tillis, R-N.C.; David Perdue, R-Ga.; Ted Cruz, R-Texas; and Bill Cassidy, R-La.
Rush Limbaugh Speculates that Trump Will Just Let Obamacare Implode
On Tuesday, talk show host Rush Limbaugh weighed in on whether President Trump will ultimately support an Obamacare replacement plan or just let Obamacare implode.
“As I listen to Trump, you know what I think he wants? I think he wants to stand aside and do nothing. I think he wants this thing to implode because I think he wants it to run its course.
“He said this enough times. How many times has Donald Trump said, ‘You know, the political thing to do is just stand by doing nothing. Just let this thing crash and then the Democrats get to blame for it ’cause it’s their bill! But the minute we put a fix on and attach our names to it, then it’s all on us.’”
And that’s the World View in Five Minutes.