It’s Wednesday, April 3rd, A.D. 2024. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard at www.TheWorldview.com. I’m Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com)
By Jonathan Clark
Nicaragua convicted 11 pastors on false charges of money laundering
Alliance Defending Freedom reports that Nicaraguan government officials have convicted 11 pastors and ministry leaders on sham charges of money laundering.
The Christians worked with the U.S.-based Mountain Gateway ministry. They now face 12 to 15 years in prison.
This comes after the ministry held evangelistic events that drew hundreds of thousands of people in the Central American country.
ADF attorney Kristina Hjelkrem said, “No one is safe from religious persecution in Nicaragua, and it is devastating to see the … conviction of these pastors … who were simply sharing their faith.”
Nicaragua is ranked 30th on the Open Doors’ World Watch List of nations where it is most difficult to be a Christian.
Australian officials object to Christian schools’ stand against sexual perversion
The Australian Law Reform Commission released a report on faith-based schools last month.
The report recommends that the Australian government should remove protections for faith-based schools from the Sex Discrimination Act. The act had allowed Christian schools to expel students or staff who identified with sexually perverted lifestyles.
Religious organizations are calling on the country’s Prime Minister to reject the recommendation. The Australian Christian Schools Alliance called the report a “direct attack on faith and freedom of belief in Australia.”
Christian identification dropping in England and Wales
Christian identification fell below 50% of the population in England and Wales for the first time on record in recent years.
Even atheists aren’t happy as Islamic influences are rising in the once dominantly Christian area.
During an interview on Resurrection Sunday, Richard Dawkins, a prominent British atheist, lamented the cultural demise of Christianity in Europe.
DAWKINS: “It’s true that statistically the number of people who actually believe in Christianity is going down. And I’m happy with that. But I would not be happy if, for example, we lost all our cathedrals and our beautiful parish churches. So, I count myself a cultural Christian. I think it would matter if we certainly if we substituted any alternative religion, [like Islam]. That would be truly dreadful.”
2 Timothy 3:2, 5, 7 warns, “For men will be lovers of themselves … having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! … [They are] always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
Florida Supreme Court: 15-week abortion ban is constitutional
In the United States, Florida’s Supreme Court ruled that the state’s 15-week abortion ban is constitutional.
The Monday ruling also upheld the Heartbeat Law that banned most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.
Mat Staver with Liberty Counsel said, “Today, the Florida Supreme Court rejected the dreadful history of abortion that began with an activist bench in 1989. . . . the wrongly decided abortion opinions are no more. The Constitution wins. Life wins.”
However, the court also allowed a pro-abortion ballot measure to move forward. If passed, the referendum would make abortion a “right” in the state’s constitution.
Walt Disney dropped lawsuit against Florida
In other Florida news, the Walt Disney Company has dropped its lawsuit against the state over its Florida resort.
Back in 2022, Disney opposed a Florida bill which sought to protect young children from sexually-related content in schools. In response, Republican Governor Ron DeSantis revoked Disney World’s special district status and appointed a new oversight board for the resort. Disney pushed back but has now conceded.
A DeSantis spokesman said, “No corporation should be its own government. Moving forward, we stand ready to work with Disney and the District to help promote economic growth, family-friendly tourism, and accountable government in Central Florida.”
Traffic deaths down
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports traffic deaths fell for a second year in a row in 2023.
U.S. traffic deaths dropped 3.6% last year. Still, almost 41,000 people died on the roads last year. The number of deaths in 2022 was just over 42,000.
Traffic deaths are down even though driving is up. Americans drove 67.5 billion more miles last year compared to 2022.
152nd anniversary of Samuel Morse, inventor of Morse code
And finally, this week is the anniversary of the death of Samuel Morse.
The American inventor died on April 2, 1872. Before his important inventions, Morse was known as a painter, even gaining admittance to the British Royal Academy of Art.
Later in life, he would make key contributions to the design and deployment of the telegraph system. He also co-developed the code that bears his name. Morse code would become the primary language for telegraphy and is still used to this day.
Notably, Morse was a devout Christian who gave glory to God for his inventions.
Psalm 115:1 says, “Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to Your name give glory, for the sake of Your steadfast love and Your faithfulness!”
Close
And that’s The Worldview in 5 Minutes on this Wednesday, April 3rd 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.