It’s Thursday, September 25th, A.D. 2025. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com. I’m Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com)
By Jonathan Clark
The martyrdom of 1,624 Christians
A Vatican commission has documented the stories of 1,624 Christians who died for their faith over the past 25 years.
The stories cover Christians from all denominations. Of the cases, 643 were in Sub-Saharan Africa, 357 in Asia and Oceania, 304 in the Americas, 277 in the Middle East and the Maghreb, and 43 in Europe.
Archbishop Fabio Fabene is the head of the commission. He noted that “Martyrdom has existed in every age of the Church, but perhaps now more than in the past, many surrender their lives in order not to betray the message of Christ.”
Typhoon prompts 2 million Chinese to evacuate
Typhoon Ragasa made landfall in China yesterday.
Nearly two million people evacuated southern China ahead of the storm. The typhoon is equivalent to a Category 5 hurricane, making it the world’s most powerful storm this year.
The typhoon left a path of destruction in the Philippines and Hong Kong and killed at least 17 people in Taiwan.
Oracle to buy Chinese-owned TikTok to allay security concerns
Speaking of China, officials from the country reached an agreement with leaders from the United States last week about the Chinese-owned app TikTok.
According to the deal, the tech company Oracle will lead a U.S.-backed acquisition of TikTok’s assets in America. This is part of the Trump administration’s efforts to address national security concerns of China’s control over TikTok.
Listen to comments from U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.
GREER: “We were very focused on Tiktok and making sure that it was a deal that is fair from the Chinese and completely respects US national security concerns. And that’s the deal we reached.”
False prophet had predicted end of the world by September 24th
Meanwhile on TikTok, claims that the rapture was supposed to have occurred in the last two days went viral this week.
The reactions came in response to a video from a South African man named Joshua Mhlakela. He claimed to have a vision that Jesus would return on the 23rd or 24th of September. I guess he was wrong!
The hashtag #rapturenow on TikTok has hundreds of thousands of videos.
In the wake of the false predictions, Rev. Franklin Graham called people to turn to Christ, not panic. He wrote on Facebook, “There’s no question, Jesus Christ will return—but we don’t know when. Jesus Himself tells us, ‘But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of Heaven, but My Father only’ (Matthew 24:36)” Graham concluded, “Surrender your life to Him—this is the preparation that will count.”
Chicago dropped charges against 3 street preachers
The American Center for Law and Justice announced that a court in Chicago dropped charges against three street preachers this month.
In the case, police arrested three young men for peacefully preaching the Gospel near Chicago’s Millennium Park. After six months of court battles, the judge recently dismissed the case.
The ACLJ wrote on Facebook, “Far-Left cities are arresting preachers for sharing the Gospel. We just filed a brief at the U.S. Supreme Court to defend their religious liberty. Help stop the far Left’s attack on preachers. Sign our petition.”
You can sign that petition through a link in our transcript today at TheWorldview.com.
Texas law prohibits manufacture or distribution of abortion kill pill
Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott signed the Woman and Child Protection Act into law last Wednesday.
The law makes it illegal to manufacture or distribute abortion-inducing drugs in the Lone Star State. It also bans mailing such drugs to or from any person or location in the state.
The chemical abortion business has surged after many states passed anti-abortion laws. For example, ever since Texas protected babies in the womb after six weeks gestation, it has seen nearly 20,000 abortion kill pills mailed into the state annually.
Most Americans believe we’re born without sin nature
And finally, Lifeway Research and Ligonier Ministries released their latest State of Theology study.
A majority of U.S. adults strongly embraced ideas like the Trinity, God’s perfection and unchangeableness, and marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
However, a majority of Americans also strongly agreed that everyone is born innocent in the eyes of God and strongly disagreed that even the smallest sin deserves eternal damnation.
Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research, noted, “When a clear majority of Americans think God is flexible when it comes to religion, it’s not surprising that agreement with some teachings in the Bible does not translate to accepting all biblical teaching. Americans want the same flexibility they think God has, even if that contradicts other beliefs they have and how God is revealed in Scripture.”
James 1:17 reminds us, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”
Close
And that’s The Worldview on this Thursday, September 25th, in the year of our Lord 2025. Follow us on X or subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or 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.