South African police rescue kidnapped missionary, Australian judge protects boy from being “transitioned,” 27% of American adults say God does not exist

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It’s Thursday, April 17th, A.D. 2025. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 125 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com. I’m Adam McManus. ([email protected])

By Jonathan Clark

South African police rescue kidnapped missionary

Praise God! Police in South Africa rescued a U.S. missionary from his kidnappers on Monday.

Pastor Josh Sullivan, age 34, was preaching at Fellowship Baptist Church in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province last Thursday. That’s when four masked gunmen broke into the church, dragged him out of the pulpit, and took him hostage in front of his wife and children. They demanded a ransom.

Providentially, police were able to locate him and engaged in a shootout with the kidnappers, killing three of them. Sullivan was found inside the same car that the kidnappers were in, but he was “miraculously unharmed.”

Before Sullivan had been rescued WBIR, Channel 10 in Knoxville, Tennessee interviewed Sullivan’s father-in-law, David Witt.

He knew that Sullivan would rely on Christ in the midst of his captivity.

WITT: “There’s no way I can imagine going through this without Jesus, Christ.”

Remarkably, he was convinced that his son-in-law would share the Good News with his kidnappers.

WITT: “Giving them the Gospel. The greatest thing that could ever happen is for one of those kidnappers to get saved.”

The missionary’s father-in-law explained that all Christians should emulate the heart of Christ on the cross.

WITT: “He said, ‘Forgive them, for they know not what they do.’ And we have to forgive the people that kidnapped our son-in-law because they don’t know either.”

Please keep Pastor Josh Sullivan, his family, and church in your prayers.

Psalm 146:7 says it is God “who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets the prisoners free.”

U.K. Supreme Court affirms two biological sexes

Yesterday, the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom ruled that a person’s sex is based on biology.

The case began in 2018 when the Scottish government allowed the definition of “woman” to include men pretending to be women. Women’s rights groups challenged the decision, going all the way to the U.K. Supreme Court.

The high court’s ruling keeps men, pretending to be women, out of spaces intended for women. This includes women-only changing rooms, homeless shelters, swimming areas, and medical or counseling services.

Australian judge protects boy from being “transitioned”

In Australia, a family court judge has ruled to protect a child from transgender drugs.

Judge Andrew Strum recently awarded custody of a 12-year-old boy to his father. The father opposed attempts by the mother to put the boy on puberty blockers. She had been grooming him to pretend to be a girl since age 6. The judge noted, “I do not accept that the child, at this age . . . can properly understand the implications and potential risks of puberty blockers.”

The ruling is the first of its kind against transgenderism in the country.

Appearing on Sky News, Chris Merritt, the Legal Affairs Contributor for The Australian, was grateful that the judge protected this 12-year-old boy from puberty blockers.

MERRITT: “Had the father believed the misdiagnosis his former wife had received that their son had suffered from gender dysphoria, there would be no role for the federal circuit and Family Court. There’s a precedent that makes it clear that if both parents agree about a course of gender blocking treatment, it will go ahead without any further involvement of the court. But in this particular case, because the father objected, it found its way into court.”

The legal analyst was especially appalled by the dramatic lack of evidence presented by the medical experts which would warrant attempting to feminize this boy through puberty blockers and estrogen supplements.

MERRITT: “When the medical experts were subjected to a bit of cross examination and their evidence was tested quite rigorously, over a long period, huge flaws emerged. Some obvious causes of the boy’s gender confusion were not pursued. If we’ve got a misdiagnosis in this case, based on what the judge said was evidence infected with ideology rather than facts, there could be other cases like this.”

Arkansas protects kids from being placed with homosexual couples

Arkansas Republican Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed the Keep Kids First Act into law last Thursday.

The law protects Christian adoption agencies from having to place children in homes that go against their religious beliefs. In essence, they can bypass homes featuring homosexual couples. The measures also protect such agencies from being targeted by the government for their beliefs.

Greg Chafuen with Alliance Defending Freedom celebrated the new law. He said, “Arkansas has taken the critical step to pass . . . the Keep Kids First Act, which prioritizes the well-being of kids by prohibiting state and local government officials from discriminating against adoption and foster care providers and parents simply because of their religious beliefs and moral convictions.”

71^st Sanctuary City for the Unborn

Last Tuesday, Mullin, Texas became the 71st city in the nation to declare itself a Sanctuary City for the Unborn.

The Mullin City Council passed the ordinance unanimously. The measure prohibits elective abortions in the city limits as well as mailing abortion drugs into the city.

Pastor Randy Bradley of Mullin First Baptist Church commented, “I was moved by the willingness of our city council to take such a bold stand for the lives of the unborn. I am overjoyed at being part of a community which passed this ordinance unanimously.”

27% of American adults say God does not exist

And finally, Dr. George Barna released his latest study on the worldview of Americans.

The study found that 27 percent of U.S. adults claim the God of the Bible does not exist.

However, over a third of those who dismiss God’s existence said they would be completely open to being persuaded otherwise by someone they know and trust.

Dr. Barna noted, “Having an established relationship in place with people facing a crisis goes a long way toward helping them to know God and place their trust in Him.”

1 Peter 3:15 says, “In your hearts, honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.”

Close

And that’s The Worldview on this Thursday, April 17th, in the year of our Lord 2025. Subscribe by Amazon Music or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com. Or get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I’m Adam McManus ([email protected]). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

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