SocietyWatch
Supreme Court sides with churches
The United States Supreme Court temporarily barred New York from enforcing certain attendance limits at houses of worship in areas hit by the coronavirus. This 5-4 decision on Nov. 25, 2020, granted requests made by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn and two Orthodox Jewish congregations to overturn a decision by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo that included places of worship in his shutdown of “nonessential businesses.”
New Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett joined the court’s four conservative justices in the majority opinion, and Chief Justice John Roberts joined the court’s three liberal justices in the dissent.
In an article titled “Is America’s Supreme Court in Bible Prophecy?,” Gerald Flurry explained that a prophecy in Amos 7 indicates the Supreme Court and much of the federal government will favor President Donald Trump and the conservative movement in America in the end time. This gives Americans one last chance to repent.
Murder rate increases in major U.S. cities
The homicide rate in 21 major cities jumped 34 percent in 2020 compared to 2019. That is the finding of a Nov. 30, 2020, report by the National Commission on COVID-19 and Criminal Justice. Criminologists and other experts are looking for a reason for the surge of killings. Since the death of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, the nation has been plagued by anti-police protests and powerful Democrats accusing police of racism and promoting slogans like “defund the police.” This antagonistic environment has surely deterred police officers from doing their jobs, emboldening violent criminals.
Isaiah prophesied, “Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward. Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint” (Isaiah 1:4-5). This is a prophecy of the modern descendants of ancient Israelites, which include the Americans. The entire power structure is sick, and its leaders lack the will and the strength to root out even the most violent types of lawlessness.
U.S. students falling behind in math
Most American students are falling short in math, and COVID-19 lockdowns are making the problem worse. That is the finding of a Dec. 1, 2020, Northwest Evaluation Association analysis of 4.4 million United States students in grades three through eight. When most U.S. schools closed in the spring, students were thrown into new and unfamiliar ways of learning. The result is that the average student scored 5 to 10 percentile points behind students who took the same test last year.
COVID-19 lockdowns will presumably end at some point, but what will be their long-term effect? In “The Cure Is Killing Us” Trumpet executive editor Stephen Flurry shows how government-imposed measures to combat COVID-19 are actually destroying America.
Illegal border crossings surge
In October 2020, border crossing arrests in the United States hit their highest number in 15 years. Statistics released by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection on Nov. 19, 2020, reported arrests of more than 69,000 people crossing the southern border, a 21 percent increase over September. Acting Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Mark Morgan told Fox News that anticipation of more lenient immigration enforcement policies under a Joe Biden administration is contributing to a surge in illegal border crossings.
Almost 3,500 years ago, Moses recorded God’s promise to bless Israel for obedience and curse it for disobedience. One of the curses God said would come from disobedience was a flood of foreigners. “And he shall besiege thee in all thy gates, until thy high and fenced walls come down, wherein thou trustedst, throughout all thy land: and he shall besiege thee in all thy gates throughout all thy land, which the Lord thy God hath given thee” (Deuteronomy 28:52).
