Wednesday, February 3rd, in the year of our Lord, 2016.
By Mark Robinette
Three Egyptian Christian high school students are on trial for insulting Islam. Their teacher was sentenced to three years in prison. The teacher and students made a video that appears to mock Islam.
Dalit Christians of India, members of the lowest caste called “untouchables,” are reportedly planning a nationwide rally to demand equal rights from their government. The rally, to be held in New Delhi in March, protests the Indian government’s refusal to offer benefits to Christians among the lowest class. International Christian Concern said, “Millions of Dalits have to decide between choosing to follow Jesus as their Lord and Savior and receiving government benefits . . .”
Chinese pastor Gu Yese of Chongyi, pastor of the largest state-sanctioned Christian church (with 10,000 members), has been arrested. Police took him to a secret jail after he spoke out against China’s current systematic persecution of Christians in Zhejian Province. Gu wrote an open letter to Chinese officials after several churches were demolished and more than 1,800 crosses were destroyed. Sunday worship at Gu’s former church was strange and frightening for many. A Chinese Communist Party official took the pulpit, and the front row was filled with strangers who clapped at the speaker’s every word, according to China Aid. All the church leadership was transferred.
When a “runaway grand jury” indicted pro-life activists from the Center for Medical Progress, the folks behind the Planned Parenthood video exposes, it sparked outrage in the pro-life community. Devon Anderson, the district attorney in Harris County, Texas, convened a grand jury in Houston to investigate possible illegal acts by Planned Parenthood, but jurors ended up indicting the investigative journalists, David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt, who exposed the abortion giant’s baby body-parts business. They were charged with making fake ID’s and purchasing human organs, which they did as part of their undercover operation. The charges are serious with penalties of up to 20 years in prison. Since then, more than 100,000 people have signed a petition to have the charges dropped.
Cheryl Sullenger, the senior vice president of Operation Rescue, echoed Moore’s sentiments in a statement to LifeNews.com: “A grand jury chose to indict the investigative journalists who were trying to expose and report crimes . . . This has the effect of chilling the First Amendment freedom of the press and could scare crime witnesses away from coming forward for fear that they might suffer similar retaliatory prosecution.”
Colorado legislators will introduce an assisted suicide bill in Colorado next week, similar to one rejected last year by lawmakers for a lack of safeguards. The bill would allow terminally ill patients to request medicine to help them die if they meet certain lack of quality of life criteria. The World View spoke to Susan Sutherland, the vice president of Colorado Right to Life, about the bill: “As Christians, we need to recognize how God has intervened in humanity and placed this all-important value upon human beings. And we know God’s enduring command, ‘Do not murder,’ and that stands forever—we need to understand that we always respect life in every case. Is it always easy when we have loved ones who are in the end life stages? No, but we’re not called to be comfortable; we’re called to be a people of service and love and giving and sacrifice.”
“You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body” (1 Corinthians 6:20-21).
Texas Senator Ted Cruz is praising God for his victory in the Iowa caucuses on Monday night. When news outlets called the race for Cruz, he said, “God bless the great state of Iowa. Let me first of all say, to God be the glory.” Former state governors Mike Huckabee and Martin O’Malley have dropped out of the presidential race. Neurosurgeon Ben Carson says he’s regrouping after a lackluster performance in the first caucus. Donald Trump, who won second place among Republicans, reminded his supporters no one believed a few months ago he could make the top 10, saying that he was “honored” by the outcome.
The Old Testament prophet Habakkuk proclaims that one day “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.”
The biggest news of the night might be that Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders ended the night in a virtual tie. All she could say was “Wow, what a night!” while Sanders said his tie-victory was the beginning of a “revelation.”
The White House confirmed that President Barack Obama plans to make his first visit to a mosque today in Baltimore, Maryland. His goal is to celebrate “American Muslims and reject bigotry in the country,” the press release said.
God’s word says, “Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following [false gods]” (Deuteronomy 12:31).
And that’s the World View in Five Minutes.