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

The Real Problem with AI Prayers – Recent developments in artificial intelligence have raised unsettling questions about our own humanity; indeed, each new advance in AI technology might seem to erode a once-secure realm of human uniqueness. Formerly situated in the vast expanse between beasts and the gods, our territory is now threatened by the rising capacities of our creations, raising the specter of our obsolescence. What remains to set human beings apart? As AI leaves a wave of redundancies in its wake, will it make humanity itself redundant? These questions about human distinctiveness are important. People are made in the image of God; code is not.
https://www.christianitytoday.com/2025/06/the-real-problem-with-ai-prayers/

Historic AI Crime Wave Is Underway – Global cybercrime is expected to cost more than $10 trillion this year. Scams and online criminal activity have exploded through the use of artificial intelligence. AI-enabled crimes are already up 456% since last year. Artificial intelligence has become the tool of choice for online criminals because it is erasing the line between the real and the fake. Google’s newly announced video generator is about to flood the internet with AI-created clips that have the look of expensive films.
https://charismanews.com/culture/a-historic-ai-crime-wave-is-underway-heres-how-you-can-protect-yourself/

Education's Impact on Church Attendance in Europe and the U.S. – Well, the understanding that American churches, synagogues and mosques are filled with people who barely managed to finish high school is just empirically, demonstrably FALSE. There’s no simpler way to say it than that. 
https://religionunplugged.com/news/2025/5/22/does-education-have-the-same-impact-on-church-attendance-in-europe-and-the-us

The Sacred Insult That Could Save a Civilization – Let’s not sentimentalize or sanitize this. Let’s not mistake it for a clever quip or a throwaway insult. No, in the unflinching light of Matthew 23, Christ— the Author of all goodness, truth, and beauty — looks the most religious men of His day in the eye and calls them μωροί (moroi). Fools. Morons. He does this not to demean but to awaken; not to shame but to judge rightly. The Greek word moros doesn’t mean “uninformed.” It means “dull,” “insipid,” “without savor.” It’s the same root Christ uses to describe salt that has lost its saltiness (Matthew 5:13)— once potent, now worthless. In Matthew 7:26, He warns against the man who hears truth but refuses to live it, calling him moros, a fool building on sand. The word points not to mental deficiency but to moral decay.
https://crisismagazine.com/opinion/jesus-called-people-morons-the-sacred-insult-that-could-save-a-civilization

1,000 Christian Leaders Unite to Evangelize Europe with a Spiritual Wake-Up Call – Berlin is a city once divided by walls. This week, it became a symbol of unity as more than 1,000 pastors and ministry leaders assembled for the European Congress on Evangelism. Held at the JW Marriott and hosted by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, the event brought together participants from 56 countries... At the center of it all, a single cross illuminated the room—marking a return to the city where Billy Graham launched his global mission in 1966. "The Gospel has power— if we're going to reach Europe, we're going to need an army [Revelation 6:2?]," said Franklin Graham, president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. "An army of evangelists unafraid, unashamed, unapologetic, uncompromised."
https://cbn.com/news/world/1000-christian-leaders-unite-evangelize-europe-spiritual-wake-call

Egypt nationalizes ancient monastery's grounds – As news filtered out of Egypt on Thursday (May 29) that a court ruling had called for nationalizing an ancient Orthodox Christian Monastery in the Sinai Desert and the eviction of its monks to make way for a museum, disbelief turned to outrage, from the Middle East to Greece, where politicians blasted the decision. St. Catherine’s Monastery, which is inhabited by Greek Orthodox monks in Egypt, is considered to be the world’s oldest continuously operating Christian monastery. Established in the 6th century by order of Byzantine emperor Justinian I, St. Catherine’s lies at the foot of the mountain Christians identify as the biblical Mount Sinai and hosts a vast library that harbors priceless manuscripts and icons. Initial reports that the centuries-old St. Catherine's Monastery would be closed were denied, but Orthodox leaders remain concerned that the monastery's new status will interfere with the monks' lives.
https://religionnews.com/2025/05/30/egyptian-nationalizes-ancient-monasterys-grounds-fraying-ties-between-athens-and-cairo/

Supreme Court lets punishment stand after kid wore ‘only 2 genders’ shirt to school – The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal in the case of a Massachusetts public school student punished for wearing a shirt stating, "There are only 2 genders." As a result, an earlier ruling from the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals against the minor student and his parents is allowed to stand. Justice Samuel Alito authored a dissenting opinion to the denial of the petition. "This case presents an issue of great importance for our Nation's youth: whether public schools may suppress student speech either because it expresses a viewpoint that the school disfavors or because of vague concerns about the likely effect of the speech on the school atmosphere or on students who find the speech offensive," wrote Alito.
https://www.christianpost.com/news/supreme-court-wont-help-kid-punished-for-only-2-genders-shirt.html

Nearly 1 in 4 Americans Now ‘Functionally Unemployed’ – According to a report that was recently released by the Ludwig Institute for Shared Economic Prosperity, the true rate of unemployment in the U.S. was 24.3% [in April, 2025]. In recent years, the cost of living has been rising much faster than paychecks have, and so now a substantial percentage of the population is living in a state of constant financial stress. The middle class has been collapsing all around us, and we are witnessing an extraordinary amount of economic suffering all over the country right now.
https://charismanews.com/culture/the-middle-class-is-collapsing-nearly-1-in-4-americans-now-functionally-unemployed/

U.S. Households With an Addicted Parent Impact 19 Million Children – According to a new study based on data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 19 million U.S. children live in a household with at least one parent with a substance use disorder (JAMA Pediatrics). This figure represents nearly ONE-QUARTER of all children in the United States.
https://sanfordbehavioralhealth.com/2025/05/29/u-s-households-with-an-addicted-parent-impact-19-million-children/

Marijuana users issued warning by new study – New research finds that regular marijuana use, including both smoking and THC-laced edibles, is linked to early warning signs of cardiovascular disease.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/marijuana-users-issued-warning-by-new-study/ar-AA1FFs76