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Saturday, July 1
Religious Liberty Violations, and a Bible Video Game
It's Saturday, July 1, 2023.
Today’s edition covers a new report that says 62% of people live in countries where religious liberty is violated, a new video game that will allow players to experience digital recreations of biblical locations and events, and much more.
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Of Christian Concern
REPORT: 62% OF HUMANS LIVE IN COUNTRIES THAT VIOLATE RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Screenshot from acninternational.org.
A papal charity called Aid to the Church In Need (ACN) released a new report detailing that 4.9 billion people (62% of humans) live in 61 countries where there are serious or very serious violations of religious freedom. This includes 28 countries (home to 4.03 billion people, or 51.6% of the global population) with the existence of persecution, and 33 countries (home to nearly 853 million) where there is discrimination.
A total of 23 other countries are “under observation,” meaning “newly emerging factors” that may “cause a fundamental breakdown in freedom of religion” have been observed. All other countries are labeled “unclassified,” which does not necessarily indicate a perfect situation regarding religious freedom.
In this 16th edition of ACN’s report, which is released every two years, the religious freedom situation has gotten worse since 2021 in 47 of the 196 categorized countries. Only 19 countries have seen improvement.
A NEW BIBLE VIDEO GAME WILL ALLOW PLAYERS TO EXPLORE ANCIENT ISRAEL
Screenshot from gatezero.game.
A group of game developers called Bible X is creating a crowdfunded video game called Gate Zero, in which the player travels back in time to explore ancient Israel and witness events of Jesus’ life.
The story begins in a dystopian future, year 2072, when the main character and his cousin decide to use a time machine called Gate Zero to solve a mystery that will earn them their grandmother’s inheritance. Players will be able to “freely roam the streets of Jerusalem, Capernaum, and surrounding areas” as the character interacts with biblical figures and witnesses biblical events. The official game trailer teases a number of the missions players will face, including helping Mary and Joseph find the lost boy Jesus.
The game’s crowdfunding campaign has already surpassed its goal, and as of today has four days remaining.
Also Noteworthy
→ A report circulated among UK policymakers by parliamentarian Fiona Bruce claims the recent violence in Manipur, India has a “clear religious dimension.” | Related, read the harrowing story released this week of a Christian family that narrowly escaped the violence in Manipur.
→ Radical Islamists in Uganda attacked a school last weekend, killing 42, including many Christians.
→ Muslims in Indonesia blocked two Christian churches from holding worship services, claiming they must have a license.
→ The U.S. Supreme Court, among other important rulings this week, ruled in favor of a Christian postal worker who claimed he experienced discrimination over his refusal to work on Sundays. The decision strengthens the rights of religious workers to receive accommodation from employers for religious beliefs.
→ Michigan’s House of Representatives passed HB 4474, a bill that would make refusing to use a person’s preferred pronouns punishable by up to 5 years prison time and/or a $10,000 fine.
→ Allie Beth Stuckey sparked controversy when she tweeted that the Democratic Party is an “evil party” and that “Christians have no excuse to ever support these people.” She later stated that this doesn’t mean Christians must vote Republican.
→ An apparently drunk Jewish man who vandalized the traditional location of the Last Supper has been barred from entering Old Jerusalem for 30 days. The vandalism occurs amidst an uptick in Jewish attacks and desecration targeting Christians and Christian buildings in Israel, a phenomenon which prompted a recent conference titled "Why do certain Jews spit on Gentiles.”
→ Disney has lost nearly $900 million on recent films, several of which feature “woke” storylines and themes. Even so, the media behemoth has now cast the first-ever transgender actor for their newest Star Wars series.
→ The Biden Administration has designated nearly $50K to promote transgender ideology to corporate workers in India.
→ A new Vatican document calls for the “radical inclusion” of the LGBTQ+ community and the promotion of women to decision-making roles.
→ Gallup reports that church attendance in the U.S. remains lower than prior to the pandemic.
Content Catch-Up
Recent, notable content by Christian creators.*
→ Confronting LGBTQ Churches: Christian YouTuber Garrett Neale recently posted footage (here and here) in which he confronts professing Christians who support LGBTQ+ lifestyles, and another video in which he reacts to a preacher crashing a drag queen story hour. (YouTube Channel)
→ Women In Parachurch Leadership: In a recent episode of his podcast Ask Pastor John, John Piper argues from 1 Timothy 2:12-14 that women should not hold spiritually authoritative positions in parachurch organizations. (Podcast)
→ Presuppositional Apologetics Basics: How do you know Christianity is true? Because of “the impossibility of the contrary.” Christian apologist and YouTuber Eli Ayala explains this concept in a video posted last week. (Video)
*Not necessarily an endorsement
The Bible, Briefly
Faith That Doesn’t Save
Scripture is clear that there’s a type of belief in Jesus that does not save.
John 2:23-25 records, “Now when [Jesus] was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man” (emphases added).
In the original Greek, the two italicized words above are actually the same word, πιστεύω (pisteuō). Biblical studies professor Dr. Robert L. Plummer explains, “The verb πιστεύω can mean ‘to believe’ or ‘to entrust,’ and here it seems that John is playing on the idea [that] they believed in Him, but Jesus did not believe in them . . . He recognized the superficiality of the crowd’s faith.”
So, these people “believed” Jesus, but He didn’t “believe” them. He knew their faith wasn’t the genuine, saving type.
There are other references elsewhere in Scripture to such non-saving faith, like when Jesus declares in Matthew 7:21, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” Also, in His explanation of the parable of the sower (Matthew 13), Jesus reveals that some who receive the gospel will fall away when hardship comes, and some who receive it will be rendered unfruitful by worldly desires. In both of these cases, the people received the gospel with some kind of belief, but turned out to be false converts.
What, then, is the practical difference between a faith in Jesus that saves, and a faith in Jesus that doesn’t? The apostle James states the answer like this: “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? . . . So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. . . . Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” (James 2:14-18).
So, the practical difference is that a saving faith results in good works commensurate with that faith. If hearing the word of God doesn’t lead to doing the word of God, James says, we deceive ourselves (1:22). For this reason, the apostle Paul urges, “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling . . .” But, lest we think we can do any such thing apart from God, he quickly adds, “for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:12-13).
Church History Tidbit
Anthony the Great and the Monastic Life
Martin Schongauer, St. Anthony Tormented by Demons (ca. 1470-1475), Engraving on laid paper
Monasticism was a movement in the early church in which people would devote themselves to solitary lives. Why? To “dominate the body and its passions, which give way to temptation,” according to historian Justo L. González. The movement arose largely as a response to the corruption of church life that occurred as Christianity became more popular in the Roman Empire.
Anthony the Great (c. 251-356) was a typical example of an early monastic, and had a great influence on the movement—so much so that he is sometimes called the Father of All Monks, although monasticism existed before him. He is credited as being one of the first monks to have found his solitude in the wilderness, but, as González points out, it is impossible to know who was really the first. Still, his story represents the monastic ideal.
Most of what we know about Anthony comes from a hagiography (a biography of a saint, often exulting and idealizing the figure) written by his contemporary Athanasius of Alexandria (c. 296-373). González relays that, according to Athanasius, Anthony was born to wealthy parents who died while he was still young. After hearing a reading in church of Jesus’ words to the rich young ruler in Matthew 19:21, Anthony sold his possessions, gave the proceeds to the poor, and devoted himself to life as a monk in the desert.
There, he was tempted to return to his former comforts, and was even accosted by demons—struggles that sometimes became physical. He would fight by fasting. On one occasion, he had a vision in which God assured him he would always have divine aid. He eventually took disciples, with whom he visited the city of Alexandria on only two occasions—once during the persecution under Diocletian and once during the Arian controversy. When he died in 356, his disciples buried him in a secret place, per his request.
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Why "18:15"? The name Project 18:15 is based on Proverbs 18:15: “An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.” The aim is for this weekly email—a Christian news briefing, a Bible study, and a Church history lesson rolled into one—to be one way you keep abreast of current events and acquire knowledge you might not acquire elsewhere.
Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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