Below are this week's Articles of Interest as compiled by Mr. Van Baker. This collection of articles is cultivated by Mr. Baker with the goal of highlighting some of the trends, upheavals, and things to watch for in our society. These articles are not necessarily the express views of the United Church of God, Mr. Baker, or me as the pastor, but they are informative of what is occurring in our nation and culture. In accordance with Christ's warning to correctly discern the times (Matthew 16:1-4), it is wise to be aware of what is going on around us.
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Survey: Two-Thirds of Americans Believe Jesus Physically Rose from the Dead – Two-thirds of Americans say they believe Jesus physically rose from the dead, with nearly half of Americans saying they “strongly” believe in the historical event that forms the core of Easter, according to a Lifeway Research survey. Among Americans who attend a religious service at least once or twice a month, 90 percent agree. But many Americans don’t agree with the statement, with 23 percent saying they either somewhat or strongly disagree with it.
https://www.christianheadlines.com/contributors/michael-foust/two-thirds-of-americans-believe-jesus-physically-rose-from-the-dead-survey.html

CNN Refers To Christians As ‘Easter Worshippers’ – Mainstream media outlets, including CNN and NBC News, have once again [referred] to Christians as “Easter worshippers” as their most sacred day approaches. The reference was made in response to a tragic accident in South Africa, where 45 people were killed after a bus plunged off a cliff in the nation’s Limpopo province on Thursday. The victims were headed to an Easter conference when the accident occurred, leaving just one critically injured survivor. Social media users took issue with the bizarre usage of the term “Easter worshippers” rather than "Christians," however.
https://trendingpoliticsnews.com/cnn-easter-worshippers-cmc/

Atheists for Christianity? Evolutionary biologist and renowned atheist Richard Dawkins, author of the 2006 book The God Delusion, came out as a “cultural Christian” this past weekend on British radio. “I do think that we are culturally a Christian country,” Dawkins told Leading Britain’s Conversation, a British talk-radio station. “I call myself a cultural Christian,” Dawkins continued, “I’m not a believer. But there is a distinction between being a believing Christian and being a cultural Christian. And so you know I love hymns and Christmas carols and I sort of feel at home in the Christian ethos. I feel that we are a Christian country in that sense.” [from another article: Before we start preparing the baptismal font, it’s worth noting that Dawkins says he remains “happy” with the UK’s declining Christian faith, and that those beliefs are “nonsense”]
https://www.realclearreligion.org/2024/04/02/atheists_for_christianity_1022368.html

Over half of US clergy contemplate leaving ministry – A wave of discontentment is surging through the American pastorate, with a new study revealing that more than half of all postoral leaders have seriously considered leaving ministry since the pandemic began in 2020. This alarming trend, driven by a complex web of factors, paints a stark picture of a profession in crisis.
https://www.christianitydaily.com/news/over-half-of-us-clergy-contemplate-leaving-ministry-study-finds.html

Who was Caiaphas? Caiaphas, an important official in the city of Jerusalem, is mentioned nine times by name in the New Testament (Mt. 26:3,57; Lk. 3:2; Jn. 11:49; 18:13,14,24,28; Acts 4:6). Next to Pilate, the Roman governor, Caiaphas was the most powerful dignitary in Judea. He served for eighteen years (A.D. 18-36) as an appointee of the Roman government. This unusually long administration reveals that he was a skillful politician. There are several significant matters to be considered in connection with this man.
https://christiancourier.com/articles/who-was-caiaphas-the-official-at-the-trial-of-jesus

Remembering Joanna, the forgotten witness to Christ’s resurrection – Recent years have seen a renewed appreciation in theological and scriptural studies of Mary Magdalene, whom early Christian writers recognized as the “Apostle to the Apostles” and the “first witness to the resurrection.” Strangely, she had fallen into disrepute over the centuries as she came to be portrayed as a prostitute. But whatever happened to her friend Joanna? Who ever talks about her? Who even knows about her? History has ignored Joanna, as it has most of the other women who followed Jesus from Galilee to Jerusalem and provided for him and the Twelve “from their resources” (Lk 8:2-3). We know more about Joanna than about some of the Apostles. Yet, while we celebrate their feasts every year, we neglect her completely.
https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2024/03/28/joanna-apostle-easter-maloney-247567

Christians debate hot cross bun with 'tick' [check mark] – The decision by a supermarket chain to trial new hot cross buns that display a 'tick' instead of the traditional Christian cross has prompted debate. For centuries, the sticky sweet buns have been eaten in Britain in the run-up to Easter. David Lennox, the head of development for Iceland Foods, told The Sun: "According to the research, it seems some people want to do away with the cross design and move to a tick instead. "The results surprised us, but in true British fashion, we're putting it to the test by trialling ticks on some of our buns."
https://www.christiantoday.com/article/christians.debate.hot.cross.bun.with.tick/141540.htm

The beautiful complexity of the human eye – Evolutionists have attacked the eye as ‘badly designed’, but the facts show precisely the opposite.
https://creation.com/complex-human-eye

"Surprising" Truths on What Scripture Says about Swearing, Cursing, and Crude Language – Don’t smoke, don’t cuss, don’t drink, don’t chew, don’t run around with women who do... That was the old joke in Sunday School when I was a kid; we shouldn’t do these things if we were a Christian. Cussing makes the list, but what does the Bible say about profanity?
https://www.christianity.com/wiki/christian-life/surprising-truths-on-what-scripture-says-about-swearing-cursing-and-crude-language.html

Diaper Maker Won’t Make Them for Japan’s Babies Anymore – With births at a record low for modern times in Japan, a diaper manufacturer will transition from producing diapers for little ones to those for adults. Call it a late response to the market: Japan’s elderly have used more diapers than the nation’s infants for more than a decade.
https://www.newser.com/story/348270/new-symbol-of-japans-demographic-crisis-diapers.html

Gay Couples Soon To Have Children As Scientists Create Human Embryos – Scientists at a prominent American university are getting closer to “creating” human embryos without women enabling gay couples to have children of their own. The Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) in Portland said they were making human embryos using the DNA of only two men. That raised “the possibility of men in same-sex relationships having children who are genetically related to both parents,” the OHSU added in comments seen by Worthy News on Monday. The OHSO said the process of “in vitro gametogenesis (IVG)” involves creating a fake egg using skin cells and fertilizing it with sperm.
https://www.worthynews.com/94200-gay-couples-soon-to-have-children-as-scientists-create-human-embryos