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 Designer of Fatherhood: How God’s Character Shapes Earthly Dads – Fatherhood is one of the most impactful titles a man can hold. It is a divinely appointed ability in which men are given the chance to humbly walk in the guidance of their Heavenly Father as they themselves raise up new generations. Yet, in our broken world permeated with people determined to rescript God's original design, the definition of "fatherhood" has become skewed. Fortunately, God isn't a detached celestial being reining in Heaven. He is an up-close and personal Father, calling His children to follow His example of fatherhood modeled by patience, discipline, grace, forgiveness, and, most symbolic of our Heavenly Father, love. God's character molds earthly fathers to reflect His original design, encouraging them to root their parenting in the divine example set by the Creator Himself.
https://www.realclearreligion.org/articles/2025/06/13/the_designer_of_fatherhood_how_gods_character_shapes_earthly_dads_1116422.html

[BBC] Social media now main source of news in US, research suggests – Social media and video networks have become the main source of news in the US, overtaking traditional TV channels and news websites, research suggests. More than half (54%) of people get news from networks like Facebook, X and YouTube - overtaking TV (50%) and news sites and apps (48%), according to the Reuters Institute. "The rise of social media and personality-based news is not unique to the United States, but changes seem to be happening faster – and with more impact – than in other countries," a report found.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c93lzyxkklpo

The Awe-Inspiring Heavenly Fires of the Northern Lights Point to God – Once you’ve seen the Northern or Southern lights — aka the Aurora Borealis — you should ask yourself where all of the natural elements that come together to create this awesome display came from and why they came about. Scripture is clear that the natural world speaks brilliantly and accurately about God. Psalm 19:1, for example, tells us “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” And consider Romans 1:20, which tells us: “For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” Video (7:39)
https://www.hillfaith.org/miracles-by-design/miracles-by-design-the-awe-inspiring-heavenly-fires-of-the-northern-lights-point-to-god/

[How] space wrecks the human body – In this week’s episode of Space Minds, we explore how microgravity accelerates aging. [video]
https://spacenews.com/why-space-wrecks-the-human-body/

Putin’s Attempts to Ban ‘Satanism’ – In April, a special three-hour session was held in the lower house of the Russian parliament, the Duma, exposing Satanism as a form of Western-backed “hybrid warfare” against the Russian State. MP Andrei Kartapolov, who heads the Duma’s Defense Committee, called Satanism “a direct threat to Russian statehood,” arguing that devil-worshippers in his otherwise saintly Orthodox Christian country were directly funded by the Western taxpayer. “Where are their books and posters printed, who pays for their concerts, shows, performances, the renting of halls, bars, clubs?” he asked. Uncle Sam does, apparently. Supposedly, there were 800,000 Satanist secret agents now active across Russia, compared to a mere 40,000 Orthodox priests – but only if you classed magicians, fortune-tellers, psychics and tarot-card readers as being ‘Satanists’. Fewer MPs joined the meeting than expected, but Kartapolov explained this was only because politicians were “wary of signing up as open enemies of Lucifer” lest they end up being attacked by demons.
https://providencemag.com/2025/06/putins-attempts-to-ban-russian-satanism-are-just-another-means-of-crushing-internal-dissent/

[Church of England] Lord's Prayer is better known than Star Wars, research finds – Those concerned that popular culture is eclipsing the gospel of Christ [is there any doubt of that!], can rest somewhat easy, after it emerged that the Lord’s Prayer is marginally more well known than a greeting from the Star Wars universe. The Church of England asked 2,000 people if they could match famous lines from film, literature and history with their source. The test also included lines from the Lord’s Prayer, such as “Give us this day our daily bread”. The Lord’s Prayer came out on top as the most recognisable line, with 80.3 per cent of respondents correctly identifying the line from the famous prayer. Just below this, was the phrase, “May the Force be with you”, from the Star Wars films, recognised by 79.9 per cent of people.
https://christiantoday.com/news/lord-s-prayer-is-better-known-than-star-wars-research-finds

Supreme Court reverses ruling that forced religious groups in New York to cover abortion costs – In a victory for pro-lifers, the Supreme Court on Monday [6/16] tossed a New York lower court ruling that upheld the state’s abortion coverage mandate for religious groups.
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/supreme-court-reverses-ruling-that-forced-religious-groups-in-new-york-to-cover-abortion-costs/

Louisville residents trade in their guns to be turned into garden tools, art – LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A local organization is working to reduce gun violence in Louisville, one weapon at a time. On Sunday [6/8], Guns to Gardens hosted a safe-surrender event at the All Peoples Unitarian Church on Brownsboro Road. "We're taking weapons and instruments of death and destruction and transforming them into something beautiful and creative and useful and good for the world," said Eva Stimson, a board member for Guns to Gardens Louisville. As of Sunday evening, at least 18 guns had been surrendered. [such activity- by civilians - may violate federal gun control laws]
https://www.wlky.com/article/louisville-guns-garden-tools-art-surrender/65004376

A Forgotten Cancer Is Surging in Young People, And Experts Are Puzzled – Appendix cancer is a condition that, until recently, was so rare that most people never gave it a second thought. But now a surprising and concerning trend is emerging: appendix cancer is being diagnosed more often, and it's increasingly affecting people in their 30s, 40s and even younger. This shift has left many experts puzzled and searching for answers.
https://www.sciencealert.com/a-forgotten-cancer-is-surging-in-young-people-and-experts-are-puzzled