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

Proponents hope to make Ten Commandments next Supreme Court test of religion in schools – State laws requiring the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms keep losing in court, but that won’t matter if they win at the highest court in the land. Outside advocates believe supporters of laws in Louisiana, Arkansas and Texas are actively trying to get the cases before the Supreme Court. In the meantime, however, those supporters are consistently suffering legal losses, including in some of the most conservative courts in the country. 
https://thehill.com/homenews/education/5414315-ten-commandments-laws-supreme-court-texas-louisiana-arkansas-religion-in-schools/

The right to grieve or the right to kill? Can you imagine living in a world where the loss of one life is deeply mourned whilst the loss of another identical life is celebrated? Where one law entitles parents to paid bereavement leave for the tragic and unexpected loss of their unborn child, whilst another law protects their legal right to intentionally take the life of that same child? For the voiceless and the vulnerable, this is the dangerous reality of the UK – a place of two-tier justice, where the very value of life is dependent on whether a child is wanted or not.
https://www.conservativewoman.co.uk/the-right-to-grieve-or-the-right-to-kill/

Concerns raised about the creation of 'three parent babies' – The news that eight babies with the DNA of three people have been born in the UK has been greeted by some as a great step in the fight against genetic diseases. Others however are concerned about the ethical implications of the development, which involves the destruction of two living embryos to create a third.
https://christiantoday.com/news/concerns-raised-about-the-creation-of-three-parent-babies

The temptation now facing America’s religious institutions – The religious institutions of the United States may soon face a "sirenic" temptation. Those who follow the headlines may have noticed that the so-called Johnson Amendment — the provision in the Internal Revenue Code that prohibits religions and other charities from endorsing or opposing political candidates to maintain tax exempt status — appears to be on unstable ground. In response to a lawsuit in Texas, the Internal Revenue Service has suggested it will no longer interpret the Amendment to apply to communications that occur during religious services in houses of worship. Religious institutions have never faced a bar from speaking out on issues advocating for their rights in the public square or before lawmakers or courts, but this development represents potentially uncharted waters.
https://www.deseret.com/opinion/2025/07/20/when-religion-becomes-indistinguishable-from-politics/

As Christians, Retirement Shouldn’t Be the Finish Line – There are times for rest and relaxation, but having a life goal of working only long enough to amass enough resources to be able to withdraw from the world and engage all our waking hours in activities of no eternal impact makes little sense if we are to call ourselves Christ followers.
https://www.realclearreligion.org/articles/2025/07/23/as_christians_retirement_shouldnt_be_the_finish_line_1124462.html

Finding Sodom and Gomorrah – Then the Lord said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me. And if not, I will know.” – Genesis 18:20-21 (ESV) (Part 2 available)
https://www.patternsofevidence.com/2025/06/27/finding-sodom-and-gomorrah-with-archeologist-dr-titus-kennedy/

Extremely severe obesity is on the rise in kids— along with a barrage of health problems – Obesity rates in children have been on the rise for decades, having quadrupled from 1990 to 2022, and along with the rise in obesity, comes a rise in health risks. However, obesity can be broken down further into categories based on severity. [A new study from researchers at the University of California San Diego] highlights how the health risks of children at [higher class] levels of obesity become increasingly dangerous when compared to children in lower obesity classes or to children with healthy weights.
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-07-extremely-severe-obesity-kids-barrage.html

Mondays don’t just feel more stressful— they may actually be more stressful – New research links Monday anxiety to long-term stress hormone buildup, offering a hidden clue to heart health risks across all ages.
https://www.thebrighterside.news/post/mondays-dont-just-feel-more-stressful-they-may-actually-be-more-stressful-study-finds/

San Francisco employers are hiring etiquette coaches for Gen Z – [born 1997-2012] They want to be promoted after only a few months, treat the office like their bedroom, show up in sweats or skimpy office-siren fits, FaceTime friends from their desks, and "ghost" [abruptly end communication] with their managers. This is the gist of employer complaints about Gen Z workers, who seem to be having a uniquely hard time getting along in the office — much worse, managers say, than the generations before them. In a December 2024 survey of 1,000 employers by Intelligent.com, 12.5% said a Gen Z candidate had brought Mom or Dad to a job interview. The bosses are fed up.
https://sfstandard.com/2025/06/28/san-francisco-employers-are-hiring-etiquette-coaches-for-gen-z/