It’s Thursday, August 17th, A.D. 2023. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard at www.TheWorldview.com. I’m Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com)
By Jonathan Clark
Pakistani Muslims tortured Christians and burnt down church
A Muslim mob attacked a Christian community in eastern Pakistan yesterday.
Locals accused two Christians of desecrating the Quran. The crowd then went on a rampage, burning multiple churches and the homes of Christians.
Pakistani Bishop Azad Marshall posted online, “A church building is being burnt as I type this message. Bibles have been desecrated and Christians have been tortured and harassed, having been falsely accused.”
Such accusations and attacks are common in the South Asian nation. Besides this, believers in the country are treated like second-class citizens, facing discrimination in all areas of life. Pakistan is ranked seventh on the Open Doors World Watch List of nations where it is most difficult to be a Christian.
Russian ruble drops in value
The Russian ruble has lost about a quarter of its value against the U.S. dollar since the invasion of Ukraine last year.
In response, Russia’s central bank raised interest rates by 3.5 percentage points to 12% on Tuesday. Russia’s inflation stands at 4.4% this month. The bank hopes to bring it down to 4%.
Russia’s weakening currency is related to its trade deficit—exporting less goods (especially oil and natural gas) while importing more goods. Western sanctions on the country have hampered its ability to trade abroad since it started the war in Ukraine.
Russia’s changing religiosity
Speaking of Russia, the All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center released religious data on the country.
Currently, 57% of Russians identify as Orthodox Christians, down from 63% in 2019. However, the number of young people identifying as Orthodox has grown from 23% to 29% over the same time period.
In terms of other religious affiliations, 5% of Russians identify as Muslim, 19% as non-believers, 7% as fluctuating between faith and disbelief, and 6% as Roman Catholic or Evangelical.
Fewer Americans confident that God exists
Here in the United States, Lifeway Research shared data from the latest General Social Survey last week.
The survey found that half of Americans say they believe God exists and have no doubts, down from 65% in 1993.
Over the same time period, the percentage of those who say they do not believe in God rose from 3% to 7%; agnosticism, which means they‘re not sure if there is a God, rose from 4% to 7%; belief in a higher power rose from 8% to 14%; and those who believe in God sometimes rose from 3% to 6%.
Decline in belief in God was notable among younger people, middle-class people, and never-married people.
Hebrews 10:23 says, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.”
5th Circuit restores restrictions on Abortion Kill Pill
Great news! Yesterday, a federal appeals court restored restrictions on the Abortion Kill Pill.
53% of women who choose to abort, use this Abortion Kill Pill, which blocks the hormone called progesterone which God created to stabilize the lining of the uterus. This, in turn, cuts off blood and nourishment to the baby which then dies inside the mother’s womb.
In 2020, out of the 500,000 women who killed their babies with this Abortion Kill Pill, 20,000 of them had such physical problems in expelling their dead baby at home, that they were rushed to the hospital and needed surgical intervention.
The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals condemned the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval process for the abortion pill mifepristone.
The court also halted telemedicine prescriptions and mail delivery of the pill which had been allowed under the Biden administration.
Erin Hawley with Alliance Defending Freedom told LifeNews, “The FDA’s unprecedented and unlawful actions did not reflect scientific judgment, but rather revealed politically-driven decisions to push a dangerous drug regimen without regard to women’s health or the rule of law. This is a significant victory for the doctors and medical associations we represent and, more importantly, the health and safety of women.”
Texas woman’s secret to turning 114
And finally, a Texas woman turned 114 last week. Elizabeth Francis is the oldest person in the Lone Star state, the second oldest in the United States, and the seventh oldest in the world.
Five generations of her family gathered to celebrate with her. Francis has three grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, and four great-great grandchildren.
When asked how she’s lived so long, Francis told ABC 13 it has been the Lord’s blessing.
Listen.
REPORTER: “Why do you think you’ve lived so long?”
FRANCIS: “His blessing. The Lord’s blessing.”
REPORTER: “That’s something I heard from all three women we introduced you to this week–the importance of their faith. Their church is really adding to their social life that that doctor was talking about. Another major part of living long and happy lives.”
1 Peter 3:10-12 says, “He who would love life and see good days … let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers.”
Close
And that’s The Worldview in 5 Minutes on this Thursday, August 17th in the year of our Lord 2023. 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.
The post 5th Circuit restores restrictions on Abortion Kill Pill, Pakistani Muslims tortured Christians and burned down church, Texas woman’s secret to turning 114 appeared first on The World View in 5 Minutes.
