Tuesday, July 31st, in the year of our Lord 2018
By Kevin Swanson
The Potomac Declaration on Religious Rights
The U.S. State Department sponsored its first conference to Advance Religious Freedom Worldwide. The conference included a release of a document called The Potomac Declaration on Religious Rights.
The statement argued for freedom for public discourse, worship, prayer, practice, teaching, and other activities. No mention was made in the document though concerning a right to evangelize or seek conversions.
However, the statement did include a defense of parental discipleship of their children. It said, “Parents and legal guardians have the liberty to ensure the religious and moral education of their children in conformity with their own convictions.”
Also, the State Department issued six statements of concern, condemning blasphemy laws, as well as Iran, China, and Myanmar’s discrimination against Christians, Jews, and other sects.
Vice President Pence to North Korea: Stop Persecuting Christians!
Last Thursday, Vice President Mike Pence condemned North Korea’s persecution of Christians.
“Today, as we gather at this ministerial, an estimated 130,000 North Koreans are imprisoned for life in unimaginably brutal slave labor camps. Contrast it with the thriving Christian community in South Korea. North Korea’s persecution of Christians has no rival on the earth. It is unforgiving, systematic, unyielding, and often fatal. The mere possession of a Christian Bible is a capital offense.”
No More Obama-Era Hostility to African Nations Which Condemn Homosexuality
Mick Mulvaney, President Trump’s Director of the Office of Management and Budget, indicated the administration is planning to put an end to the practice of punishing African countries for their criminalization of homosexuality.
Mulvaney noted that “Our U.S. taxpayer dollars are used to discourage Christian values in other democratic countries.”
U.S. Justice Department Defends Religious Liberty
Attorney General Jeff Sessions has announced that the U.S. Justice Department will open up a new department dedicated to handling religious liberty cases. The department has already settled 24 civil cases relating to religious organizations unwilling to submit to the Obamacare contraception mandate.
These announcements came yesterday at a Religious Liberty Summit sponsored by the Justice Department.
We read from Psalm 94 – “Blessed is the man whom You instruct, O Lord, and teach out of Your law, that You may give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit is dug for the wicked. For the Lord will not cast off His people, nor will He forsake His inheritance.”
California Shakes Its Fist at Creator
Earlier this month, California Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill into law that permanently established the month of June as LGBT Pride Month.
Assembly Member Evan Low, the homosexual author of the bill, said, “California has the largest LGBT population of any state in the union, and the state is home to over 40 LGBT Pride celebrations each year.”
Good Advice to Californians from Jude
California is again overwhelmed by forest fires, patterning last year’s devastation. This has been a year that produced the worst fire damage in recent history.
A total of 1,000 structures have been burned down in the Redding area, making this the ninth worst fire in California history. So far, six people have died in this wildfire which has consumed some 100,000 acres.
Another fire in Mariposa County has burned 54,000 acres. Seven of the 12 most destructive fires have occurred in the last two years, according to CAL FIRE stats.
Jude provides a lesson for destructive wildfires. “Just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.”
Doctor Who Euthanized Dementia Patient in Hot Water
The Dutch Medical Complaints board has formally reprimanded a doctor for forcibly euthanizing an elderly woman with dementia.
In the days before her death, the woman had on several occasions informed the staff she did not want to die.
The Daily Mail reported that the doctor had drugged the victim’s coffee, and then he had her family hold her down as she continued to fight off the lethal injection.
The chief prosecutor for the Hague is considering criminal charges against the doctor. More investigations on four other cases of euthanized Alzheimer patients are also in process, according to The Daily Mail.
Venezuela’s Monetary Meltdown
Prices for goods are doubling every 18 days in Venezuela, as the nation’s monetary system is in the process of collapse. Economists estimate the inflation rate has hit 1,000,000%.
The last nation to experience this hyperinflation was Zimbabwe, Africa in 2007.
Senator Rand Paul: Thumbs Up to Trump’s Supreme Court Pick
Over the weekend, Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky announced he plans to vote in favor of Brett Kavanaugh, President Trump’s nominee for the Supreme Court.
Dr. James Dobson to Christian Americans: Vote in Mid-Term Election!
Dr. James Dobson is urging Christians to get out and vote during the mid-term elections.
In his recent newsletter sent to constituents, Dobson writes, “More than half of Americans, including the majority of Christians, don’t even bother to vote. Shame on them all! Don’t they know that tyranny for us and our children is only one generation, or even one election, away?
“We must vote, vote, vote to elect leaders who will defend what has been purchased with the blood of patriots who died to protect our liberty.”
4 World View Listeners Gave $540
And finally, the big update on our fundraising campaign. And frankly, I’m getting nervous. I’m not sure we are going to hit this Friday’s goal of $30,000 to keep The World View in 5 Minutes on the air. It’s getting really close!
Each day, our team spends 8-9 hours working on The World View between researching, interviewing, transcribing, writing, editing, and voicing the newscast.
Special thanks to Margaret from city of Antrim in the United Kingdom for her $40 gift, Petra in Crespino, Italy for her $100 gift, and Mark from Grand Forks, North Dakota for his $100 gift.
And we’re also grateful to God for Lisa in Rainer, Oregon for her $25/month pledge for a year.
Together, their 4 gifts totaled $540.
Ready for our new grand total? Drum roll please. (drum roll) So far, since July 2nd, the remnant has given or pledged $24,482 toward our $30,000 goal. (applause) We now stand at 81.6% of our goal!
Time is Running Out to Make a Donation
If you’ve been sitting on the sidelines throughout this month, now is the time to get in the game!
We need just 5 more World View listeners to pledge $50 per month for a year and 9 more listeners to pledge $25 per month for a year. It would be terrific if we not only reached the $30,000 goal by this Friday, August 3rd, but blew it out of the water.
Go to www.TheWorldView.com, click on ‘Give’ on the top right, then on $50 or $25, and check the recurring donation button. Would you prayerfully consider becoming one of 10 brand new World View donors to help today?
And that’s The World View in 5 Minutes on this Tuesday, July 31st in the year of our Lord 2018. Subscribe by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldView.com. I’m Adam McManus. Seize the day for Jesus Christ.