IRS: Churches can’t lose tax-exempt status if pastors endorse candidates, Irish pro-lifers upset 50,000 babies killed since 2019, Chinese Communists imprison three church leaders

It’s Wednesday, July 9th, A.D. 2025. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com. I’m Adam McManus. ([e-mail]) By Jonathan Clark Chinese Communists imprison three church leaders Communist officials in China sentenced three church leaders to prison last month for alleged fraud. Pastor Li Jie and Elder Han Xiaodong received sentences of three years and eight months. Elder Wang Qiang received a sentence of one year and 11 months. They’re from Linfen Covenant Home Church in China’s northern Shanxi Province. The case has involved years of surveillance, arrests, and court delays. A statement from the church denounced the unjust sentencing, saying their leaders are “suffering for righteousness’ sake and are willing to take up the cross with the Lord.” In Matthew 16:24-25, Jesus told His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” Irish pro-lifers upset 50,000 babies killed since 2019 Thousands of people attended a pro-life rally in Dublin, Ireland on Saturday. People held signs and flags that said “Life Will Win” and “Stop Aborting Our Future.” Since 2019, over 50,000 unborn babies have been murdered in the womb in Ireland. Sandra Parda with The Life Institute said, “This is an issue the media wants to ignore, but how can we be blind to 50,000 lives ended in just over six years. It represents more than 100 schools or thousands of classes of children. It’s part of Ireland’s future growth and development and innovation ended before birth.” President Trump to visit flood-ravaged Texas In the United States, President Donald Trump announced he will visit Texas on Friday in the wake of catastrophic flooding there. Flash floods hit central Texas last Friday, killing at least 108 people. Most of the deaths were in Kerr County where 30 children died. Many of them were from Camp Mystic, a Christian girls camp. Local officials have reportedly been dodging questions about their emergency response preparedness. If you’d like to contribute to the on-the-ground help of Samaritan’s Purse, make a donation through a special link in our transcript today at www.TheWorldview.com. U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmer saved 165 lives at Camp Mystic During the tragic flooding, a U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmer has emerged as a hero. Twenty-six-year-old Scott Ruskan and his crew were called in to help at Camp Mystic. He described his experience on ABC’s Good Morning America. RUSKAN: “I got on scene, boots on the ground, at Camp Mystic. Discovered I was the only person there as far as First Responders go. “So, yeah, I had about 200 kids. All scared, terrified, cold, having probably the worst day of their life. And I just kind of need to triage them, get them to a higher level of care.” Having only been a rescuer swimmer with the Coast Guard for six months, this was literally his first rescue mission. RUSKAN: “When I got on scene, there was 200 kids looking for someone for some sort of comfort and safety. They don't really know what my experience is or my rank or my age. They just know, hey, this guy's a professional and he's here to help us. And I kind of had to live up to that standard.” Remarkably, Ruskan is credited with saving 165 lives. However, he praised the courage of the children he rescued, calling them the real heroes. RUSKAN: “The real heroes, I think, were the kids on the ground like those guys are heroic. And, you know, they were dealing with some of the worst times their lives, and they were staying strong, and that helped inspire me to kind of get in there and help them out.” Elon Musk talks about forming The American Party On Saturday, Elon Musk announced the formation of his new political party. He wrote on X, “When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste and graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy. Today, The America Party is formed to give you back your freedom.” The tech billionaire said he will focus on the U.S. House and Senate over the next 12 months. Musk says the America Party will support free speech, the Second Amendment, reduced debt, and reduced regulations. Appearing on PBS News, Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report offered her analysis. WALTER: “Whether a third party goes anywhere and what he does with that, it feels like this is a person who's been upset by his experience within the current political system. So, he says, I'm going to take my ball, go home, and then make my own party. “The reality is he could have much more influence on politics if he took some of his millions and billions of dollars and actually focused it on a certain number of candidates or races of candidates who felt similarly to him on many of these issues. “Clearly, the fiscal issue in terms of ...