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.

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Clancy mistrial reveals how much America devalues life – The pro-abortion movement has done immense harm to America's respect for human life... The heartbreaking trial of Lindsay Clancy, which sparked debates about women's health and the judicial system, has ended in a mistrial, starting what will likely be a running conversation about what happens next. The entire story is heartbreaking, but unfortunately, not everyone seems to be sad for the right reasons. Social media has been flooded with posts from supporters of Clancy’s, who either claim she needed help, that this is somehow her now ex-husband’s fault or merely the crowds of supporters cheering for her as she arrives at the courthouse. This type of rhetoric wasn’t unforeseeable. America has been succumbing to a culture devaluing life for quite some time, and the fact that the lives lost in this tragedy often amount to a footnote in discussions is just more evidence of that fact.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2026/09/06/lindsay-clancy-mistrial-children-forgotten/91592504007/

U.S. Supreme Court to rule on home Bible studies, as local officials weaponize against gatherings – The American Center for Law and Justice has fought this battle several times: Can a government forbid a home-based Bible study because it is in a home, or because of the number of people attending, or another reason? And when a government successfully defeats a plan to have in-home worship, can it escape liability simply by claiming it never, really, finally, issued a rejection notice? That's the question pending now before the U.S. Supreme Court.
https://www.wnd.com/2026/09/u-s-supreme-court-rule-home-bible-studies/

The "hidden" Jewish law woven into your clothes – During the High Holidays, many observant Jews purchase new clothing and seek out testers to search for ‘shatnez’ — the forbidden mixture of sheep’s wool and linen in a single garment. The prohibition against wearing shatnez is one of the Torah’s 613 commandments, along with observing the Sabbath, honoring one’s parents and worshipping one God, but it is not widely known outside Orthodox Jewish circles. Unlike commandments with more readily apparent ethical purposes, shatnez belongs to a category of commandments (“mitzvot” in Hebrew) whose reasons aren’t obvious.
https://religionnews.com/2026/09/08/the-hidden-jewish-law-woven-into-your-clothes/

UK Lawmaker Warns It Is ‘Open Season’ on Christians as Persecution Spreads Across the West – Christian persecution is no longer confined to distant corners of the world. Across the West, we increasingly face legal battles, arrests and professional consequences for publicly affirming biblical truth. Lord Jackson of Peterborough, vice chair of a parliamentary group focused on religious freedom, warned that Christians in the United Kingdom are now experiencing “two-tier justice.”
https://mycharisma.com/news/uk-lawmaker-warns-it-is-open-season-on-christians-as-persecution-spreads-across-the-west/

Air Force Base's Religious Greetings Cease After Complaints – A U.S. Air Force base has ceased extending religious greetings at its gates to uniformed members following the reported intervention of an anti-discrimination organization. The Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF), which has more than 100,000 members including both active-duty and veteran service members from different services and myriad ranks, said Thursday [9/3] that it intervened following nearly three dozen received complaints about religious-oriented greetings at Kirtland [Albuquerque, NM] Air Force Base's front gates.
https://www.military.com/air-force-base-religious-greetings-cease-after-complaints-from-34-airmen

Should Hollywood "Embrace" Religion? – Could Hollywood entice younger audiences by having a little faith? A surprising new Future of Faith study from The Center for Scholars & Storytellers (CSS) at UCLA suggests that both Gen Z and Gen Alpha crave realistic and complex depictions of religion and spirituality in their entertainment that go beyond stereotypes. The group surveyed over 2,000 people, ages 14-24, and a majority cited a sensitivity to how their beliefs were portrayed on-screen.
https://variety.com/2026/film/features/hollywood-religion-young-people-spiritual-content-1236849362/

Study Bibles are Not Enough – There’s a Study Bible for almost everyone. But could all those helpful notes actually distract us from the most important words on the page?
https://breakpoint.org/study-bibles-are-not-enough/

Humans Are Surprisingly Good at Predicting When They Will Die – With One Big Bias – A study that tracked older adults in Japan for up to 28 years suggests people have a surprisingly accurate sense of their own longevity. Those who expected to live longer generally did. But their predictions showed one striking bias: many underestimated how much time they had left. Among participants whose outcomes could be determined, the researchers report that approximately 59 percent outlived their expected lifespan.
https://www.sciencealert.com/humans-are-surprisingly-good-at-predicting-when-they-will-die-with-one-big-bias

On the Origins of Peanut Allergy – Before 1980, peanut allergy was so rare that the idea of someone dying from it was preposterous. So what changed?
https://stephenskolnick.substack.com/p/on-the-origins-of-peanut-allergy