It’s Friday, December 1st, A.D. 2023. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard at www.TheWorldview.com. I’m Adam McManus. ([email protected])

By Adam McManus

More subtle persecution against Christians in Bangladesh

In countries like Myanmar and Nigeria, acts of persecution against Christians are more likely to make news reports because of their extreme violence, reports International Christian Concern. But, in many other locations, persecution typically takes on a more subtle form.

One place where such persecution occurs is Bangladesh, a South Asian nation with an overall population of 170 million, where over 90% of the people are Muslim and most of the remaining portion are Hindu.

Thomas, a Christian in Bangladesh, says that many people “express their desire for conversion” to Christianity, but they don’t follow through with it due to “threats of killing and persecution.” 

He also said that many children in Bangladesh “grow up with a nasty mentality to hate other faiths. These children often target the Christian families to steal and destroy farms and gardens.”

In John 15:18-19, Jesus said, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated Me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.”

Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger died at 100

Henry Kissinger, the former Secretary of State for President Richard Nixon, died at the age of 100 on November 29th, reports Politico.com.

His influence was felt in three primary areas.  First, getting America out of the Vietnam War. Second, opening diplomatic relations with China. And third, reducing tensions with the Soviet Union.

For decades thereafter, Kissinger’s work with Nixon and President Gerald Ford earned him the role of the Republican Party’s elder statesman when it came to foreign policy.

In 1973, Kissinger shared a Nobel Peace Prize with Le Duc Tho, his North Vietnamese counterpart, for hammering out an agreement to end the Vietnam War. The accord, which was signed Jan. 27, 1973, had “brought a wave of joy and hope for peace over the entire world,” the Nobel committee said.

However, the war rapidly flared up again, minus the American troops.

Mostly untainted by the Watergate scandal that toppled Nixon, Kissinger continued to wield influence in the waning days of the administration. He was heard telling Nixon in an April 1973 White House tape, “You have saved this country, Mr. President. The history books will show that, when no one will know what Watergate means.”

Nixon resigned in August 1974, but Kissinger remained in office.

Is Kevin McCarthy likely to resign?

Multiple GOP lawmakers expect former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy of California to step down from his seat before the end of the year, reports Axios.

The potential exit of McCarthy could leave the House GOP with an even narrower majority.

He posted a photo on Instagram in which his district office appeared to be in the process of being packed.

California's Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom could hold McCarthy's seat open if he decides to resign in the new year.

Plus, the GOP's razor-thin majority is already on the verge of being diminished further by the potential expulsion of Republican Congressman George Santos of New York in a vote expected today.

Ohio becomes first state to report uptick in pediatric pneumonia

Ohio has become the first U.S. state to report a mysterious uptick in pediatric pneumonia as cases surge in China, according to The New York Post.

The Warren County Health District has reported 142 cases of the illness among children since August. This is above the county average and meets the Ohio Department of Health’s definition of an outbreak.

However, officials do not think it is a new respiratory disease, but “rather a large uptick in the number of pneumonia cases normally seen at one time.” The illness has spread across multiple school