News and Prophecy Staff

At the recent “Million Muslim Votes” conference, a U.S. presidential candidate made the following observation: “I wish we taught more in our schools about the Islamic faith. I wish we talked about all the great confessional faiths. It’s one of the great confessional faiths” (MSN, July 21, 2020). These comments were doubtlessly made for political reasons.

“The US and UK have accused Russia of testing a weapon-like projectile in space that could be used to target satellites in orbit” (BBC, July 23, 2020). Based on the evidence, both nations believe that Russia may have test-fired a space-based weapon that could be used to shoot down satellites from other nations. If true, this would violate a treaty signed by over 100 nations who have agreed to the peaceful exploration of space.

Long ago, Plato and others observed that governments appear to run in cycles. Monarchies have been the most prominent form of government. After the death of a king, nations are often ruled by an oligarchy or an aristocracy (rule by an elite few). When democracies (rule by the people) emerge next, they have a tendency to descend into anarchy (lawlessness), providing opportunities for “strong men” (dictators and tyrants) to gain control by promising to restore order. Whether or not this exact sequence is followed, change is certainly the rule.

Turkey and its president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, have been moving away from the EU and the West for some time. President Erdogan recently announced that the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul would revert to a mosque, to the dismay of the pope (Catholic News Service, July 14, 2020).

According to the Telegraph, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa declared a second pandemic in Africa: violence against women (June 24, 2020). Between the COVID-19 lockdown and rapidly declining national economies, sexual violence has increased throughout the world, and Africa has not been immune.