Course Content
After Christ returns, people everywhere will learn and follow true religion—leading at last to world peace. But today religion seriously divides the planet. And whatever goes by the name of Christianity continues to be relentlessly persecuted in many parts of the world—especially in some Middle Eastern countries and particularly in the wake of the Arab Spring.
Writing in The World in 2013, The Economist's international editor Edward Lucas predicts: "The greatest trouble for Christians is in the places that feature in the Bible: 2013 will be one of the worst years ever for Christians in the Middle East. The exodus of Christians from Palestine and Iraq will slow—but only because so many have already left. Instead, Christians will be fleeing Syria and Egypt. Do not expect the Muslim Brotherhood rulers of Egypt to mourn their going. For an Islamist party, there are few votes in religious tolerance" ("Christianity at Bay").
The Anglican Church in Britain remains deeply divided over issues such as women bishops and same-sex marriage. Lucas further stated: "There will be more splintering in 2013. Anglicans in Africa will go their own way, in partnership with like-minded conservatives from America. They are appalled by the theological liberalism of the [Archbishop] Williams era, especially on issues of sexual morality. So too are the parishes in Britain that hew to Bible-centred Christianity, rather than the diluted and trendy version beloved by the church leadership."
It appears that even in America secularism will remain on the rise in 2013, and atheists will emerge from the closet in greater numbers than before. Americans with no religious identity have already risen to nearly 20 percent of adults ("Meet the 'Nones': An Emerging Force" and "Protestants Lose Majority Status in U.S."—both by Cathy Grossman, USA Today, Oct. 9, 2012).
If you would like to know more about the genuine Christianity of Christ, read the online Bible study aid The Church Jesus Built. (Sources: Daily Mail, The Economist, Financial Times, The Jewish Chronicle, The New York Times, The Sunday Telegraph, The Tablet, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The World in 2013.)
John died on March 8, 2014, in Oxford, England, four days after suffering cardiac arrest while returning home from a press event in London. John was 77 and still going strong.
Some of John's work for The Good News appeared under his byline, but much didn't. He wrote more than a thousand articles over the years, but also wrote the Questions and Answers section of the magazine, compiled our Letters From Our Readers, and wrote many of the items in the Current Events and Trends section. He also contributed greatly to a number of our study guides and Bible Study Course lessons. His writing has touched the lives of literally millions of people over the years.
John traveled widely over the years as an accredited journalist, especially in Europe. His knowledge of European and Middle East history added a great deal to his articles on history and Bible prophecy.
In his later years he also pastored congregations in Northern Ireland and East Sussex, and that experience added another dimension to his writing. He and his wife Jan were an effective team in our British Isles office near their home.
John was a humble servant who dedicated his life to sharing the gospel—the good news—of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God to all the world, and his work was known to readers in nearly every country of the world.
