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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Most American Christians don't believe in the Trinity: Survey – An overwhelming majority of Christians reject the "basic" Christian teaching of the Trinity, prompting new concerns that Americans are living without the influence of “the truths and life principles of God.” Slightly more than 1 in 10 respondents (11%) believe in the Trinity, that the God of the Bible is “three distinct but inseparable and equal persons in one infinite Being.”
https://www.christianpost.com/news/most-american-christians-dont-believe-in-the-trinity-survey.html

Gold rises to a new record as anxiety grips markets – On Monday [3/31], the going price for New York spot gold hit a record $3,122.80 per troy ounce — the standard for measuring precious metals, which is equivalent to 31 grams. That’s about $886, or 40%, higher than a year ago.
https://apnews.com/article/investing-gold-record-high-tariffs-0a90a91c132ecd0c8bc1a8f4e1dfc29e

Around the World, Many People Are Leaving Their Childhood Religions – Surveys in 36 countries find that Christianity and Buddhism have the biggest losses from ‘religious switching’ [Jerusalem Post: Nearly 1/4 of Americans Raised Jewish have Left the Religion]
https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2025/03/26/around-the-world-many-people-are-leaving-their-childhood-religions/

Atheists in secular countries show intuitive preferences for religious belief – New research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals that atheists in some of the world's most secular countries show an intuitive preference for religious belief over atheism. The study offers new insights into the evolving landscape of religious and secular belief, challenging the assumption that cultural shifts away from religion necessarily erase pro-religious intuitions.
https://phys.org/news/2025-03-atheists-secular-countries-intuitive-religious.html

The Book That Built Us: Why Biblical Literacy Belongs in Schools – The question of biblical literacy in schools stirs fierce debate, yet it demands a fresh lens: not one of dogma or exclusion, but of heritage, human need, and honest inquiry.
https://www.realclearreligion.org/articles/2025/03/28/the_book_that_built_us_why_biblical_literacy_belongs_in_schools_1100533.html

Three Of The Most Common Mistakes Bible Skeptics Make – Skeptics of the divine origin of the Old and New Testaments that make up the Bible, the most widely read and bought book in human history, share a number of characteristics in addition to their skepticism. 1.) Failure to Understand the Context 2.) Assuming Divergent Accounts Are False 3.) Assuming the Bible is Guilty of Error Unless Proven Innocent
https://www.hillfaith.org/contradictions/contradictions-three-of-the-most-common-mistakes-bible-skeptics-make/

Looking back at a decade of discoveries in Biblical Jerusalem – Jerusalem is one of the most excavated places in the world. For the Spring 2025 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review, three prominent Israeli archaeologists summarize and put into context the most consequential archaeological finds of the past decade.
https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/archaeology-today/whats-new-in-biblical-jerusalem/

Excavations under Church of the Holy Sepulchre reveal evidence of ancient garden, supporting Gospel of John – Archaeologists excavating beneath the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem’s Old City have uncovered evidence of an ancient garden. The findings, revealed through a landmark excavation conducted as part of renovations in the church, showed evidence of the presence of olive trees and grapevines from around 2,000 years ago. This evidence aligns with the Gospel of John’s description of the site where Jesus was crucified and buried. “Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid.” (John 19:41) 
https://www.christianpost.com/news/findings-under-jerusalem-church-support-gospel-of-john.html

Cancer’s “Master Switch” Blocked for Good in Landmark Study – For the first time, scientists have identified promising drug candidates that irreversibly bind to a notoriously “undruggable” cancer protein, effectively and permanently disabling it.
https://scitechdaily.com/cancers-master-switch-blocked-for-good-in-landmark-study/

Once Secret CIA Doc Claims Ark of the Covenant Has Been 'Found' – In something straight out of an 'Indiana Jones' movie, reports are that the CIA has files on the location of the Ark of the Covenant. [having files on something is not the same as "found"] The CIA conducted experiments in the 1980s with individuals who claimed they could perceive information about distant objects, events or other people. The report details one of these tests where "Remote Viewer No. 032" was given coordinates to locate a target, and they described the Ark of the Covenant hiding in the Middle East.
https://twitchy.com/amy-curtis/2025/03/26/cia-doc-says-ark-of-the-covenant-has-been-found-n2410495