It’s Monday, May 23rd, A.D. 2022. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard at www.TheWorldview.com. I’m Adam McManus.
By Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com)
Underground city discovered in Turkey
An amazing discovery in Turkey. Archeologists have uncovered an underground city which provided safety for 70,000 Christians during the sixth century who faced Roman persecution, reports International Christian Concern.
The underground city is located in the Midyat district of the Mardin province. Archeologists found “places of worship, silos, water wells and passages with corridors.”
So far, only about 5 percent of the city has been unearthed, but the entire city will be excavated.
Remarkably, there are 40 other cities that have also been discovered in Turkey, although the one in Midyat is the largest. Derinkuyu, another famous underground city, could hold 20,000 people.
Vice President Harris condemned Oklahoma abortion ban
Last Thursday, Vice President Kamala Harris condemned an Oklahoma bill that would ban virtually all abortions. She was especially incensed that that pro-life law would protect preborn babies from the point of fertilization, reports CNSNews.com.
HARRIS: “Just half an hour ago, in Oklahoma, the state legislature passed one of the most extreme abortion bans in the country – a ban that would outlaw abortion from the moment of fertilization. Think about that for a second. From the moment of fertilization. It’s outrageous. And it’s just the latest in a series of extreme laws.”
The Oklahoma abortion ban, which passed in a 73-16 House vote, prohibits abortion except in a case where the life of the mother is in danger. Sadly, it did not protect babies conceived, through no fault of their own, by rape or incest.
The text defines “unborn child,” for the purposes of the prohibition on abortion, as “a human fetus or embryo in any stage of gestation from fertilization until birth.”
The measure also allows citizens to bring civil lawsuits against individuals who help a woman to procure an abortion – although not against the woman who sought or had the abortion herself.
Oklahoma’s Republican Governor Kevin Stitt has pledged to sign into law any pro-life legislation that reaches his desk. In March, he signed a Texas-style bill banning abortion after six weeks of pregnancy, when a baby’s heartbeat can be detected.
San Francisco archbishop bars pro-abort Pelosi from Communion
Last Friday, San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone announced that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is barred from receiving Holy Communion due to her pro-abortion stance, reports Fox News.
In the May 20th letter, Cordileone warned the California Catholic Democrat against presenting herself for Holy Communion at Mass because priests will not distribute communion to her.
Listen to how House Speaker Pelosi not only misrepresents the pro-life agenda of the Republicans, but how the Democrats embrace the heinous pro-abortion Supreme Court ruling of 1973.
PELOSI: “As Republican seeks to control and criminalize women’s reproductive health freedoms, Democrats are fighting to enshrine Roe v Wade into law.”
Proverbs 29:2 says, “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked rule, the people mourn.”
The San Francisco Archbishop wrote, “A Catholic legislator who supports procured abortion, after knowing the teaching of the Church, commits a manifestly grave sin which is a cause of most serious scandal to others. Therefore, universal Church law provides that such persons ‘are not to be admitted to Holy Communion.'”
Cordileone also wrote, “In light of my responsibility as the Archbishop of San Francisco to be ‘concerned for all the Christian faithful entrusted to [my] care,” I am hereby notifying you that you are not to present yourself for Holy Communion … until such time as you publicly repudiate your advocacy for the legitimacy of abortion and confess and receive absolution of this grave sin in the sacrament of Penance.”
And the Catechism of the Catholic Church says, “Since the first century, the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. Direct abortion … is gravely contrary to the moral law.”
Ironically, Pelosi’s website home page features a prominent picture of her meeting Pope Francis last October. While the Vatican did not say if the topic of abortion was discussed at that time, Pope Francis has compared having an abortion to hiring a hitman, but has been cautious about suggesting politicians be barred from communion.
10 reasons pastors are glad they quit vocational ministry
And finally, 2 in 5 Christian pastors had considered quitting full-time ministry in the past year, according to The Barna Group, a Christian research firm.
Among the pastors who did quit, these are their top 10 reasons that they are glad they made the decision, reports the Christian Post.
- “The pressure is gone.” Pastors could feel a burden lifted when they left.
- “My family likes me now.” Most of the pastors indicated that their families, especially their spouses, benefitted greatly from this move.
- “Marketplace ministry is more fruitful than the pastorate.” Many pastors expressed amazement at how open co-workers were to ministry and to the Gospel.
- “My family had its first uninterrupted vacation in four years.” Some of the interruptions during previous trips were by phone. Others actually caused them to leave their vacations.
- “I don’t jump now when the phone rings.” Many of these pastors especially flinched at late night or early morning calls, often notifying them of tragedy in their church.
- “I don’t dread looking at my emails or social media now.”
- “I actually am taking time to get closer to God.” Sadly, many pastors were so busy being pastors that they were too exhausted to spend sufficient time in prayer and in the Bible.
- “I have a hobby now!” One pastor said that he had forgotten the joy of reading books for pleasure until he quit vocational ministry.
- “I needed a break from the weekly grind of sermon preparation.” Most pastors spend 1,000 hours a year in sermon preparation.
- “I get to come home at night.” It’s not uncommon for pastors to have four or five weeknight commitments a week.
In light of this story, would you two things? Number 1, pray for your pastor that God would strengthen him. Two, would you, along with your children, send your pastor a short, 2-3 sentence note of encouragement? Email me a picture of your note to Adam@TheWorldview.com or bcc me that I can share with our listeners.
In Jeremiah 3:15, God says, “I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.”
Close
And that’s The Worldview in 5 Minutes on this Monday, May 23rd, in the year of our Lord 2022. Subscribe by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com. I’m Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.