Thursday, March 23rd, in the year of our Lord 2017

By Adam McManus

Terrorist in London Severely Injures 20 People and Attempts to Enter Parliament

British police said a vehicle mowed down pedestrians on London’s Westminster Bridge yesterday morning, leaving more than 20 with injuries described as catastrophic, reports Fox News.

Head of Counter Terrorism Mark Rowley said the car then crashed near Parliament, and at least one man — armed with a knife — continued the attack, attempting to enter Parliament. Four people died including a London police officer who was stabbed and the alleged assailant who was shot, in an act described as “sick and depraved” by British Prime Minister Theresa May.

May said it was “no accident” the attacker chose Parliament, which stands for democracy, freedom and the rule of law.

While not taking responsibility for the attack, ISIS has long promoted the use of vehicles and knives in attacks by so-called “lone wolf” terrorists, particularly in Western countries. 

International Christian Concern Holds Reception with Two Members of Congress to Support Persecuted Church in Syria

On Tuesday, International Christian Concern called attention to the persecuted church in a reception attended by two members of Congress, a Syrian pastor, and a member of the United States Commission for Religious Freedom.

Isaac Six with ICC told The World View why.

“We had this reception, primarily for Pastor Edward Awabdeh, a Syrian Pastor, who has been leading his church in Syria for the past six years through civil war there. And he was able to make it out of Syria for this reception. We wanted to give him a chance to update lawmakers, policymakers, and their staff on what’s happening with Christians in Syria.”   

Six said that they are hoping the reception will “galvanize action” for those who have been suffering deeply under the rule of the Islamic State.

To find ways to support your persecuted brothers and sisters, you can visit www.persecution.org.

Gun Sales Hit Record Highs in 2015, While Accidental Deaths from Guns Hit Record Low

Despite gun sales having soared to record highs of 23 million firearms in 2015, the National Safety Council says in its “injury report” that in 2015 accidental deaths by guns was down to an all-time low of 489.

As the Washington Examiner points out, that’s 0.3% of all deaths, making it the lowest it’s been since 1903 when this record keeping began.

Oklahoma State House Passes Bill Banning Abortion of Babies with Down Syndrome

The Oklahoma State House marked World Down Syndrome Day on Tuesday by passing a bill to prohibit abortions on unborn babies with Down syndrome and other genetic disorders, reports KFOR News.

House Bill 1549 passed in a 67-17 vote and now moves to the state Senate for consideration.  State Rep. George Faught said, “Life is a gift from God.”

Racial Tensions Increase in the United States

Secular liberals are observing that, contrary to hopes of a more tolerant secular age, racial tensions worsen as more Americans ditch Church.

In an Atlantic article titled “Breaking Faith” from the upcoming April 2017 edition, contributing editor Peter Beinart wrote that many believed that bitter cultural clashes would decrease as the United States became less religious. Yet it turns out that the clashes are not dissipating after all; they are just centered on other things.

Beinart wrote, “Secularism is indeed correlated with greater tolerance of gay marriage and pot legalization. But it’s also making America’s partisan clashes more brutal.”

Theologians who spoke with The Christian Post say this is what happens when people lose sight of transcendent truths and exchange biblical truth for American civil religion.

This is what the LORD says: “If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve Me.” (Jeremiah 15:19)

Princeton Decides Not to Award Pastor from Denomination That Doesn’t Ordain Women

Princeton Theological Seminary is double-minded in all its ways. (James 1:8)

First, they were going to give Manhattan pastor and author Tim Keller an award for Excellence in Reformed Theology and Public Life. And now they’re not.

Why the about-face? Princeton got pushback from the liberals associated with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)-affiliated institution.

Keller’s denomination, the growing and theologically orthodox Presbyterian Church in America, does not ordain women or persons sexually active outside of male-female marriage.

Mark Tooley, president of The Institute for Religion and Democracy, said, “The decision to not give this honor to Keller is an example of hyper political correctness prevailing over distinction and merit. Failed and dying liberal Protestantism self-defeatingly is prioritized over vibrant and socially effective orthodoxy.”

President Trump Will Speak at Commencement at Liberty University

President Donald Trump will be the commencement speaker this May at Liberty University, the prominent evangelical Christian school in Lynchburg, Virginia, according to a report yesterday morning on the Christian Broadcasting Network.

Last year, when Trump spoke at Liberty during the primary season, he mislabeled the book Second Corinthians as “Two Corinthians” and cursed twice.

Nevertheless, Liberty President Jerry Falwell Jr. endorsed Trump early, calling him “America’s blue-collar billionaire” and comparing his resolve to Winston Churchill.

Others, like Peter Wehner of the conservative Ethics and Public Policy Center, argued that Falwell was “under the dark spell of Donald Trump” and had damaged his public Christian witness.

ISIS Trains Young People to Keep Christians Out of Mosul

Christians who were driven out of their homeland of Mosul, Iraq and surrounding areas by ISIS may be prevented from returning by a new generation of ISIS fighters, reports Christian Headlines.

The terrorist group is reportedly training young jihadis, known as Caliphate Cubs in various ISIS propaganda videos, to guard the city against Christians’ return.

Christian Today reports that over 100,000 Christians have fled Mosul since ISIS fighters took control of the city in 2014.

Waterborne Diseases on the Rise in East Africa

The Disasters Emergency Committee, which is co-ordinating UK charities’ response to the East Africa crisis, has warned of a surge in the transmission of waterborne diseases across the region, reports Christian Today.

Prolonged drought, conflict and food and water shortages have left 16 million people on the brink of starvation and resulted in a spike in the number of cases of Acute Watery Diarrhoea  – a key symptom of cholera.

In Somalia alone, the UN recorded almost 12,700 cases of AWD and cholera in the first three months of 2017.

In South Sudan, the World Health Organisation has recorded 5,640 cases. One in five are children under five.

Hackers Release Anti-Christian Propaganda Broadcast Reportedly from North Korea

Internet hackers have reportedly gained a livestream of a television program from North Korea, the world’s most oppressive country for Christians, which depicts a priest terrorizing a mother and a child in a ballet performance, reports the Christian Post.

The hour-long video, which Premier said has not been verified, was apparently taken from the North Korean state television channel, and uploaded on YouTube.

One of the scenes depicted at the 13-minute mark features a Western priest wearing a giant cross around his neck, approaching the mother and child with a kind demeanor. The mother seemingly accepts the priest’s faith as he makes the sign of the cross on her. Later, when the boy is alone, the priest abuses him and eventually kills him. The scene ends with large words displayed in the back stating, “Don’t forget the brutality of U.S. Imperialism” (translated).

Ben Rogers of Christian Solidarity Worldwide said, “While we are unable to verify the source of this video, it is certainly in keeping with the North Korean regime’s horrific propaganda against Christians.”

“North Korea is the world’s worst place in which to be a Christian — there is no religious freedom whatsoever, Christians meet in secret and if they are discovered face severe punishment in the prison camps.”

Abortion Activists Claim Pro-Lifers Want to Jail Women Who Have Abortions

Abortion activists resurrected false claims that pro-lifers want to jail women who have abortions, as the Senate conducts hearings on U.S. Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch this week, reports LifeNews.

In a column for The Hill on Tuesday, abortion activists Andrea Miller and Jill Adams referred to a comment President Donald Trump made on the campaign trail about women facing some form of punishment for abortion if it becomes illegal. Trump quickly walked back his statement and said his position is that abortion practitioners should be held accountable, not the women involved.

Bruce Jenner Will Talk About His Memoir on ABC

Two year ago, Diane Sawyer interviewed former Olympian Bruce Jenner about his interest in taking estrogen and dressing like a woman.

In a special edition of ABC’s“20/20” which will air on Friday, April 21st, Jenner will talk about his misguided memoir entitled “The Secrets of My Life.”

Deuteronomy 22:5 says, “A woman must not wear men’s clothing, nor a man wear women’s clothing, for the LORD your God detests anyone who does this.”

And that’s the World View in Five Minutes.