News and Prophecy Staff

On September 17, 2015, Time Magazine ran an article entitled: “Pope Francis and the New Roman Empire.” The article stated, “Francis’ strategy is bold, both on the world stage and within the Vatican. First, he is injecting himself into high-level diplomacy by taking controversial positions on the biggest issues of the day… In the Middle East, the Pope has alternately pleased and disappointed all sides. His push for the Iran nuclear deal bolstered the White House but angered Israel.

“Palestinian men armed with knives and a gun killed at least three people and wounded several others in a string of attacks in Jerusalem and near Tel Aviv on Tuesday, police said, on a ‘Day of Rage’ declared by Palestinian groups.

“About 90% of seabirds have eaten plastic and are likely to retain some in their gut, a new analysis estimates. The study concludes that matters will only get worse until action is taken to stem the flow of waste to the oceans. Researcher Erik Van Sebille says the oceans are now filled with plastic and it is ‘virtually certain’ that any dead seabird found in 2050 ‘will have a bit of plastic in its stomach’” (BBC, August 31, 2015).

“As the region, which is home to over 350 million people, begins to recover from a series of deadly heatwaves…  the World Resources Institute (WRI) claims water shortages were a key factor in the 2011 Syria civil war. ‘Drought and water shortages in Syria likely contributed to the unrest that stoked the country’s 2011 civil war.

Animosity and persecution against Christians are rising again around the globe. “A persecution watchdog group is warning believers that statistics suggest a Christian is martyred for their faith every five minutes somewhere around the world” (Christian Post, September 16, 2015). Religious attacks are increasing in non-Christian nations.