It’s Wednesday, April 14th, A.D. 2021. This is The World View in 5 Minutes heard at www.TheWorldView.com. I’m Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com)
By Jonathan Clark
Christian pastor in Laos freed from prison
A Christian pastor in the Southeast Asian country of Laos is now free after spending over a year in prison.
Authorities arrested 35-year-old Pastor Sithon Thippavong last year for organizing religious services without permission from the government and refusing to renounce his faith. The pastor had been preaching to villagers in his district since 2011.
The imprisonment drew international criticism. Christians in the Buddhist-majority nation face regular discrimination for their faith. Open Doors ranks Laos 22nd on its World Watch List of nations where it is most difficult to be a Christian.
Psalm 102:17, 20 says, “He shall regard the prayer of the destitute, and shall not despise their prayer. . . . To hear the groaning of the prisoner, to release those appointed to death.”
7 million Africans on brink of starvation
Seven million people across six East African countries are on the brink of starvation amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Joseph Kamara with World Vision said, “A combination of hazards such as insufficient rainfall, desert locusts, the previous year’s floods that destroyed mature crops prior to the harvest, plus the effects of COVID-19 have fermented this critical situation.”
The Christian humanitarian organization is raising $60 million to reach 2.4 million people, including 490,000 children.
Supreme Court: Californian Christians allowed to gather in homes
In a 5-4 decision last week, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down California’s restrictions on religious gatherings in people’s homes.
It’s the fifth time the high court has rejected rulings by the Ninth Circuit Court concerning California’s restrictions on religious exercise during the coronavirus pandemic.
The ruling noted, “California treats some comparable secular activities more favorably than at-home religious exercise, permitting hair salons, retail stores, personal care services, movie theaters, private suites at sporting events and concerts, and indoor restaurants to bring together more than three households at a time.”
Malachi 2:9 says, “I also have made you contemptible and base before all the people, because you have not kept My ways, but have shown partiality in the law.”
Biden to pull troops from Afghanistan on 9/11
President Joe Biden plans to remove the remaining 2,500 U.S. troops from Afghanistan by September 11 of this year.
The withdrawal will come exactly 20 years since the September 11th attacks that triggered America’s longest war.
Meanwhile, the administration plans to station about 500 additional troops in Germany as Russia increases their troops on Ukraine’s border.
Circuit Court greenlights protection of Down Syndrome babies
Yesterday, the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals struck down an injunction on Ohio’s Down Syndrome Non-Discrimination Act.
The 2017 law bans abortions on babies with Down syndrome as well as sex-selection abortions and abortions because of a baby’s ethnicity.
In recent years, 67% of babies with Down Syndrome in America have been murdered in the womb.
New analysis: Trump didn’t lose ground with religious voters
New analysis of the 2020 presidential election suggests that Donald Trump did not lose ground among religious voters.
Ryan Burge, an Eastern Illinois University professor and religious data analyst, reports that Trump’s support from Evangelicals and Catholics actually increased last year compared with the 2016 presidential election.
However, between the two elections Trump lost support from voters who identify as agnostic, atheist, or nothing in particular.
Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine leads to blood clotting
U.S. officials paused administration of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine this week. The CDC is now investigating rare but dangerous blood clotting that can occur after taking the vaccine.
Healthcare workers have already administered over 6.8 million doses of the vaccine.
The investigation could have a big impact on delivering the vaccine to developing countries. However, the pause does not affect the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines.
First Japanese man to win major golf tournament
And finally, Hideki Matsuyama became the first Japanese man to win a major golf championship this week.
The 29-year-old golfer won the Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia with a score of 10 under par.
The Japanese have played and appreciated golf for over a century.
Close
And that’s The Worldview in 5 Minutes on this Wednesday, April 14th, in the year of our Lord 2021. 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.