Major Protestant denominations of Christendom are in the throes of controversy, some to the point of dissolution. Millions of members of the Southern Baptist Convention, the United Methodist Church, the Presbyterian Churches of America, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Pentecostal World Fellowship, the Anglican Communion in the United States, and many smaller denominations are in a state of angst.
Tattoos seem to be everywhere today. Have you ever felt left out because you do not have one? According to the World Health Organization, the highest prevalence of tattoos is among Europeans and Americans, with 30 to 40 percent of the populations having at least one tattoo (WHO, retrieved May 31, 2024). In 2018 a Berlin-based market research company surveyed people in 18 countries.
In a recent article, “6 Lame Ducks and Giorgia Meloni: Meet the G7 Class of 2024,” Politico highlighted how leaders of six of the seven nations could soon be replaced. These leaders include Emmanuel Macron of France, Olaf Scholz of Germany, Joe Biden of the United States, Justin Trudeau of Canada, Fumio Kishida of Japan, and Rishi Sunak of the United Kingdom.
Few people in the world have not heard of the Belt and Road Initiative. This is the massive trading partnership initiated by China in 2013, which has now grown, beyond any initial expectations, to become a major economic challenger to the G7 group of nations. This initiative offers our Western nations an opportunity to examine themselves and do a reality check on how we are doing in comparison.