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

U.S. deficit projected to hit $2 trillion, double fiscal target – The projections come from Treasury’s quarterly refunding presentation to the Treasury Borrowing Advisory Committee, a panel of bond market participants that advises the department on debt management, making them among the most closely watched fiscal disclosures in financial markets. ["unsustainable"]
https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_60eb9e46-cbe9-445b-baba-af56062e83fd.html

Almost one in three were raised Christian [in England] but lost their religion – Did you go to church with your parents and believe in God as a child, but found that by adolescence or adulthood you had lost your faith? In Britain, it is a familiar pattern. Almost a third of the UK population can be classed as someone who was raised as Christian during childhood but went on to lose their religious belief, a landmark analysis has found. Almost half of those who were brought up as Protestant (45 per cent) or Catholic (44 per cent) in Britain had lost their faith by adulthood, according to a report by the Pew Research Centre, a think tank that specialises in religious trends.
https://www.thetimes.com/uk/religion/article/third-britons-raised-christian-lost-religion-kjk0mbnrn

Why being "spiritual but not religious" eventually face plants – Although there are reports of more spirituality than ever with greater access to spiritual teachings and experiences, it’s been accompanied by less commitment and clarity. The result has been a faith that is deeply personal, but superficial; a spirituality that seems empowering, but doesn’t transform; a search that is always moving, but never resolving. The disaster of doing what’s right in our own eyes...
https://www.christianpost.com/news/why-being-spiritual-but-not-religious-eventually-face-plants.html

LGBTQ ‘lavender graduations’ set to take place at major Christian colleges – Some of the country's most prominent Catholic colleges and universities are holding separate LGBTQ-affirming graduation ceremonies this spring, including one that also plans to include a drag performance.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/lgbtq-lavender-graduations-set-take-place-major-christian-colleges-including-one-drag-show

Xi Jinping's CCP is re-writing the Bible – The Chinese Communist Party is rewriting the Bible. As part of Xi Jinping’s “Sinicization of Christianity” campaign, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) plans to ensure Christianity in China is instilled with “core socialist values.” Pursuant to that effort, the CCP is currently working on its own translation of what it calls the “Chinese Christian Bible.” While it has yet to complete the project, the CCP has already given Christians a glimpse of what the world’s first communist Bible might look like. In China, the Ten Commandments became nine, then six, then zero.
https://www.christianpost.com/voices/xi-jinpings-ccp-is-re-writing-the-bible.html

Who Is the Pope? The early history of the Roman papacy – With the election of Pope Leo XIV, the Catholic Church has had 267 widely acknowledged popes in its nearly 2,000-year history. The head of the Roman Catholic Church, the pope leads one of the largest religious groups in the world. But who is the pope, and how did this position gain such prominence within early Christianity?
https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-topics/who-is-the-pope/

Tech is turning increasingly to religion in a quest to create "ethical AI" – As concerns mount over artificial intelligence and its rapid integration into society, tech companies are increasingly turning to faith leaders for guidance on how to shape the technology, a surprising about-face on Silicon Valley’s longstanding skepticism of organized religion.
https://apnews.com/article/ai-artificial-intelligence-ethics-religion-roundtable-053a44133c64703f83fd50c9ee6124ea