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 Kubik Report) Stories of Faith: Joanna Bradford and Her Father, Bob Fahey – In this episode of The Kubik Report, Victor Kubik speaks with Joanna (Fahey) Bradford about the life and legacy of her father, Bob Fahey— a respected minister who served congregations across the United States, South Africa, Canada, and Australia.
https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-e3xaj-1a859c9

SCOTUS To Hear Birthright Citizenship Case: What’s At Stake – SCOTUS is set to hear Trump v. Barbara, but the case regarding who is entitled to birthright citizenship is going to be a difficult one to untangle.
https://victorygirlsblog.com/scotus-to-hear-birthright-citizenship-case-whats-at-stake/

Supreme Court rules against Colorado ban on ‘conversion therapy’ for LGBTQ+ kids – The Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled against a law banning “conversion therapy” for LGBTQ+ kids in Colorado, one of about two dozen states that ban the discredited practice. An 8-1 high court majority sided with a Christian counselor who argues the law banning talk therapy violates the First Amendment. The justices agreed that the law raises free speech concerns and sent it back to a lower court to decide if it meets a legal standard that few laws pass.
https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-conversion-therapy-colorado-92b34295f9ef497a4a1cbeb56c9b74c6

Christians [in Canada] warned to expect increased hostility, persecution after bill passes – MPs from the Liberal Party and the Bloc Québécois passed Bill C-9, known as the “Combatting Hate Act,” on Wednesday [3/25] in a 186–137 vote. Many Conservative Party of Canada MPs blasted the bill’s passage... noting it was a “dark day” for Canada. Jack Fonseca, CLC’s director of political operations, said Catholics and all Christians must be prepared to battle for their religious rights. [The bill now moves to the Canadian Senate] The removal of [a] religious exemption prompted condemnation from the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, who issued an open letter criticizing the proposed amendment and calling for its repeal.
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/christians-warned-to-expected-increased-hostility-persecution-after-bill-passes-in-canada/

Herod Antipas in the Bible and Beyond – Who was Herod Antipas? This son and successor of Herod the Great ruled Galilee when Jesus lived, and he participated in the trial of Jesus. In Biblical Archaeological Review, Morten Hørning Jensen examines what archaeology can tell us about this not-so-"great" Herod.
https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/people-cultures-in-the-bible/people-in-the-bible/herod-antipas-in-the-bible-and-beyond/

Archeological Finds Confirm Bible’s Description of Pontius Pilate – “In the annals of German Higher Criticism, few figures stirred as much controversy as [Bruno] Bauer, who brazenly denied not only the historicity of Jesus of Nazareth, but also anyone who intersected with him in the Gospels.” Among the individuals who intersected with Jesus in the Gospels, of course, is the Roman Procurator Pontius Pilate. “Bauer even went so far as to argue that Pontius Pilate himself — a figure featured in all four canonical Gospels as the Roman Prefect who sentenced Jesus to death — was merely a fictional construct,” [author Jeremiah] Johnston explains. Bauer is still relevant 186 years later because the argument that Jesus never actually existed is still around, along with claims His disciples made up the resurrection account and similar related claims made by contemporary skeptics. Neither Bauer nor Karl Marx [Bauer's tutor] lived long enough to hear about two hugely important archeological discoveries in the 20th century that confirm, entirely apart from biblical sourcing, the real existence of Pontius Pilate.
https://www.hillfaith.org/easter-issues/easter-issues-three-archeological-finds-confirm-bibles-description-of-pontius-pilate/

Republicans help Oklahoma House pass ‘human composting’ bill – The Oklahoma House of Representatives, with the help of Republican votes, passed a bill legalizing “human composting” as an option instead of burial or cremation. The bill now heads to the state Senate. "Our dead deserve better than to be turned into human compost and scattered in our herb gardens," Rep. Jim Shaw told LifeSiteNews.
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/republicans-help-oklahoma-house-pass-human-composting-bill/

WEF Promotes 'Eat the Bugs Agenda' in New Nature Economy Report – The agenda to eat bugs is alive and well with the World Economic Forum (WEF) in a recently released report on “50 Investible Opportunities for a New Nature Economy.” The latest WEF insight report promotes the idea that opportunities in the “new nature economy” — which they say has a $10.1 trillion business value — are “ripe for banks, investors, and insurers to support with capital.” The authors argue that alternative proteins like insects require less land than traditional livestock farming, and that there is a high-growth market for alternative protein manufacturers. Behind the push for insects and fake meat is the narrative that animal protein is harmful to both people and planet. The unelected globalist solution to flatulent cows — and land use that they believe would be better suited for AI data centers and endless fields of solar panels — is to drastically reduce livestock farming in favor of insect and lab-grown, genetically modified “food products” that take up less space.
https://www.sociable.co/government-and-policy/wef-promotes-eat-bugs-agenda-nature-economy-report/