It’s Friday, March 6th, A.D. 2020. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard at www.TheWorldView.com. I’m Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com)
By Jonathan Clark
Iranian Muslim convert to Christianity released from prison
Praise God! Mary Fatemeh Mohammadi, an Iranian Christian convert from Islam, has been released on bail from Qarchak Prison just before her court hearing on Monday.
Iranian officials had arrested the Christian human rights activist on January 12 after a protest near Azadi Square in Tehran. Little was known of Mary’s whereabouts for some time. She was reportedly tortured and beaten during her imprisonment.
Please pray for Mary and the many other Christians persecuted by Iran’s Muslim regime.
Hungary has given $40 million directly to persecuted Christians in Middle East
The small eastern European country of Hungary is playing a big role in helping persecuted Christians in the Middle East, sending $40 million directly to them since 2017.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto spoke to Fox News recently.
SZIJIARTO: “We give the money directly to the churches, to the church communities. We have rebuilt 33 torn-down Christian churches in Lebanon, for example.”
Hungary sees this work as part of their safeguarding of Christian culture, not only in their country, but the world.
Jesus said in Matthew 25:40, “Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.”
Columbia stands tall in protecting unborn babies
Colombia’s Constitutional Court voted 6-3 on Monday against hearing a challenge to the country’s law that protects the lives of unborn babies.
The challenge came from both pro-life and pro-abortion contenders.
Pro-life lawyer Natalia Bernal brought the case against the current law, pushing for all babies to be protected since the current law has exceptions in cases like rape, the life of the mother, and babies with disabilities. Unfortunately, the court ruled not to hear Bernal’s case.
However, the court also refused to hear abortion activists’ case to legalize abortion on demand in all cases.
Columbia’s President Ivan Duque said the decision was important for the country, saying, “I am a pro-life person, who believes that life begins at conception.”
Psalm 139:12 says, “For You formed my inward parts; You knit me together in my mother’s womb.”
Coronavirus death rate: 3.4%
The World Health Organization updated the global coronavirus death rate to 3.4 percent on Tuesday, up from the previous 2.3 percent estimate.
With over 95,000 cases worldwide and over 3,300 deaths, doctors are noticing something unique about this coronavirus.
Dr. Frank Esper, a pediatric infectious diseases specialist at Cleveland Children’s Clinic, told NBC News, “Normal coronaviruses seem to affect children and adults equally, but this one, for whatever reason, certainly skews more to the adult population.”
In God’s providence, children have been largely spared in this epidemic.
Trump’s Dept. of Justice backs Christian wedding photographer
The U.S. Department of Justice filed a statement of interest in federal court on February 27, backing a Christian wedding photographer in Kentucky who is suing Louisville over the city’s ordinance that would require her to photograph faux homosexual weddings.
The DOJ said the city’s ordinance violates Chelsey Nelson’s sincerely held religious beliefs and thus invades her First Amendment rights.
Similar religious freedom suits are underway in Oregon, New Mexico, Colorado, and California.
Senator Warren drops presidential bid
Senator Elizabeth Warren suspended her campaign for president yesterday after not winning a single state on Super Tuesday, including her home state of Massachusetts.
WARREN: “I will not be running for president in 2020.”
Democratic frontrunners Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders have spoken with Warren since Super Tuesday, but Warren has yet to reveal whom she may back.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump won 1.8 million votes on Tuesday in an uncontested Republican primary in Texas, showing a huge turnout and stronger support for Trump than all the Democratic candidates combined in the Lone Star state.
Senator Cruz, McConnell rebuke Schumer over attack on Supreme justices
Republican and conservative leaders are criticizing Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer for his remarks at a pro-abortion rally on Wednesday on the steps of the Supreme Court, during which he threatened Trump’s two Supreme Court nominees.
SCHUMER: “I want to tell you Gorsuch. I want to tell you Kavanaugh. You have released the whirlwind and you will pay the price! (cheers) You won’t know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions.”
President Trump, Chief Justice John Roberts, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell all called out Schumer for his remarks.
Republican Senator Ted Cruz spoke to Fox News.
CRUZ: “He was talking to those two justices. He was threatening them quite directly. ‘You will reap the whirlwind, you will pay the price.’ That is an unambiguous threat. Now, whether it’s a threat of political retribution or something even worse, that’s not clear. But whatever it is, it’s judicial intimidation. It’s not right. It is unacceptable. And I think Chuck Schumer should apologize.”
Yesterday, Schumer apologized on the Senate floor for his strong language.
SCHUMER: “Now, I should not have used the words I used yesterday. They didn’t come out the way I intended to. My point was that there would be political consequences, political consequences, for President Trump and Senate Republicans, if the Supreme Court, with the newly confirmed justices, stripped away a woman’s right to choose.”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell didn’t buy his so-called apology.
McCONNELL: “There is nothing to call this except a threat. And there’s absolutely no question to whom it was directed. Contrary to what the Democratic leader has since tried to claim, he very, very clearly was not addressing Republican lawmakers. He literally directed the statement to the justices — by name. The Minority Leader of the United States Senate threatened two Associate Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court. Period. There’s no other way to interpret that.”
Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”
Religious liberty is also on Supreme Court docket
And finally, the U.S. Supreme Court not only has a pro-life case on their hands but also a number of religious liberty cases this year.
A new study by Pew Research found Americans generally view the court favorably at 61 percent. Christians, especially Evangelicals, favor the Supreme Court even more favorably at about 70 percent.
Meanwhile, those religiously unaffiliated had a lower view of the Supreme Court with only 51 percent viewing the court favorably.
Close
And that’s The Worldview in 5 Minutes on this Friday, March 6th in the year of our Lord 2020. 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.