Christianity in the News: November 2023
It’s been a few month since I’ve published another edition of “Christianity in the News” series here on RVIVR. Since we are almost at the end of 2023, I thought it would be appropriate to highlight some of the important news headlines in American Christianity from last month. Without further ado, let’s dive right into the news:
1. Pope Francis removes Conservative Bishop
Last month, Pope Francis made a decision that rocked Conservative Roman Catholics to their core. To the disappointment of many Conservative Catholics, Francis removed the staunchly Conservative priest Joseph Strickland from his post as Bishop of Tyler (Texas).
This stunning move came almost a year after the Vatican removed (“defrocked”) the pro-life, pro-Trump priest Father Frank Pavone from the priesthood in December 2022.
Clearly, Francis’s papacy has not been too kind too Conservative Roman Catholics in America, and the removal of Bishop Strickland is a further escalation of the internal struggle between Leftists and Conservatives within the Roman Catholic Church.
2. The Wisconsin Satanic Temple ruins Christmas?
The Satanic Temple in Wisconsin can’t help itself. With the Christmas season approaching, the Satanic Temple decided to set up a tree at the National Railroad Museum’s Christmas Tree Festival in Green Bay, Wisconsin. According to Fox News, this Satanic tree “was adorned with red lighting and beads, pentagrams, and various ornaments, with one reading, ‘Hail Santa,’ an apparent play off the phrase, “Hail Satan.” The Gender Diversity tree included pink and blue colored trans flags, and ornaments with sayings such as, ‘Protect Trans Kids.'”
Locals and social media users alike expressed their disappointment in seeing this blasphemous Christmas tree.
The reality is that America is seeping further away from its Christian heritage each and every year in recent decades. Christians and American patriots must take a stand against these blatantly anti-Christian actions in the public square before America becomes a secular swamp like Europe.
3. Christian man shot while Street Preaching
American society is certainly not pro-Christian anymore. This story should serve as a wake-up call to American Christianity.
Last month, an Arizona Christian man named Hans Schmidt was preaching on the street corner outside of his Church’s building one evening. He was encouraging the public to come join his Church’s worship service, but the situation took a turn for the worse. People passing by apparently were screaming and cursing at him, and then someone shot Hans in the head.
Here is the local police department’s spokesman addressing the situation a few days after the shooting:
Hans is currently in critical condition and battling to stay alive. Please keep him and his family in your prayers during this trying time, and feel free to check out his Church’s website as they’re taking donations for Hans’s family.
