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

UN Experts Warn Anti-Christian Violence, Legal Pressure Rising Across Europe – Religious freedom advocates and diplomats speaking at the United Nations Human Rights Council warned that anti-Christian violence and legal pressure on believers are increasing across Europe. The concerns were raised during a side event titled “Standing with Persecuted Christians, Defending the Faith and Christian Values,” held in Geneva during the council’s 61st session. Anja Tang, executive director of the observatory, said her organization has recorded a growing number of incidents in which Christians face legal challenges related to the expression of their beliefs. “Several European governments have targeted individuals through criminal procedures for peacefully expressing their religious beliefs,” Tang said.
https://www.christianitydaily.com/news/un-experts-warn-anti-christian-violence-across-europe.html

What’s the Beef in Britain Over Halal Meat? Britain has seen the largest inward migration in its recorded history of more than 2,000 years, most of it from outside Europe. In 1996, the country was more than 90% indigenous English, Irish, Scottish, and Welsh. Today it is only 73%. But this is “multicultural” London, where indigenous English are barely a third of the population. Conflicts from the old country [of immigrants] are imported intact. To what degree should natives in Britain, or Western countries that take in large numbers of immigrants, concede to the religious and cultural demands of the newcomers?
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/03/18/whats-the-beef-in-britain-over-halal-meat/

A Developing Crisis: Children Are Asking AI Questions Previous Generations Brought To Parents And Pastors – Our children are not just asking machines for homework help. They are asking them about life, identity, and how to survive the darkness inside them. And the machines are answering. Artificial intelligence has moved out of research laboratories and into our living rooms with a speed that has outpaced both parental understanding and legislative response.
https://harbingersdaily.com/a-developing-crisis-children-are-asking-ai-questions-previous-generations-brought-to-parents-and-pastors/

YouVersion is temporarily discontinuing its Bible quiz robot due to insufficient AI accuracy – Bobby Gruenewald, founder and CEO of YouVersion, a digital Bible platform with over 1 billion downloads worldwide and an early adopter of artificial intelligence, recently told Christian Daily International that the organization has decided against launching a chatbot for the public that can answer theological questions. This is because, despite the enormous potential of AI, the technology is currently not accurate enough when it comes to answering questions about God and the Bible.
https://gospelherald.com/news/izu3ucliget7

The Sexual Codes of Leviticus Sow the Seeds of a Fruitful Culture – Leviticus asks the individual to constrain himself today so that mankind won't lose its way tomorrow.
https://ideas.tikvah.org/mosaic/observations/the-sexual-codes-of-leviticus-lay-the-seeds-for-a-fruitful-culture

Archaeologist Probes the Fate of the Ark of the Covenant – Fans of the 1981 classic Raiders of the Lost Ark sat captivated as Indiana Jones searched for the biblical Ark of the Covenant – but that fictional quest becomes a real-world investigation in the new documentary, Legends of the Lost Ark, which follows an archaeologist hunting for clues to the artifact’s location. Legends of the Lost Ark lands in theaters April 12, 14, and 15 and explores the history and enduring legends of the Ark of the Covenant as real-world archaeologist Chris McKinny, drawing on the latest research, investigates three ancient traditions that attempt to explain the artifact’s fate.
https://www.crosswalk.com/headlines/contributors/michael-foust/beyond-raiders-of-the-lost-ark-archaeologist-probes-the-fate-of-the-ark-of-the-covenant.html

Looters' arrest uncovers 2,000-year-old workshop near Jerusalem biblical pilgrimage path – Authorities in Israel recently conducted a sting operation against antiquities thieves — and uncovered a 2,000-year-old workshop that once supplied pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem. Officials arrived at the cave one night after carefully tracking the robbers — and caught them in the act. But what began as a theft investigation quickly turned into a major archaeological discovery. The workshop dates to the Second Temple period — the era in which Jesus lived and preached in Jerusalem. In the cave, officials found "hundreds of stone vessel fragments, production waste and unfinished items," per the release. The site was once located along a main road once used by Jewish pilgrims — particularly those traveling to and from the Jordan Valley, Jericho and the Dead Sea region.
https://www.foxnews.com/travel/looters-arrest-uncovers-2000-year-old-workshop-near-jerusalem-biblical-pilgrimage-path

10 Great Biblical Artifacts at the Bible Lands Museum (Jerusalem) – There are a number of artifacts related to Biblical archaeology in museums across the world. One of these museums is the Bible Lands Museum. Located in Jerusalem’s Givat Ram neighborhood, the Bible Lands Museum houses one of the world’s most important collections of Biblical artifacts.
https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-artifacts/artifacts-and-the-bible/10-great-biblical-artifacts-at-the-bible-lands-museum-jerusalem/

Electric Car Registrations in U.S. Plunge 41% as Gas-Powered Vehicles Gain Traction – Now that market forces are allowed to operate unimpeded by "climate cultism," car manufacturers are revising business decisions.
https://legalinsurrection.com/2026/03/electric-car-registrations-in-u-s-plunge-41-as-gas-powered-vehicles-gain-traction/

Doctor Sounds Alarm on Terrifying Studies Showing Real Impact of Marijuana Use – Dr. Raymond Wiggins, an oral surgeon and author of “Weeding Out the Lies About Marijuana,” told CBN News there have been “countless new studies” over the past two years shedding light on the dangers surrounding marijuana use. “There’s a lot of great studies about mental health, including depression and anxiety, paranoia, personality disorders, psychosis, and a lot of new studies about the devastating effects of marijuana during pregnancy,” Wiggins said. Wiggins pushed back on some of the more popular claims about marijuana — mainly that it is harmless and doesn’t lead to death. “You’re two and a half times more likely to die if you’re a marijuana user versus not being a user,” Wiggins said. “And there’s a threefold risk if you have cannabis use disorder or addiction.”
https://cbn.com/news/world/doctor-sounds-alarm-terrifying-studies-showing-real-impact-marijuana-use