http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/ac/ en-us Wed, 4 Nov 2009 21:01:38 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2378611/posts "Is Anderson Cooper gay?" That's the big question once again circulating around the Web ... only this time it's not so much is he, but who is he dating and why hasn't he come out yet. Last week, Gawker, Page Six and Perez Hilton started buzzing about supposedly closeted Cooper's rumored new beau, and the glut of attention was accompanied by an almost crushing sense of déjà vu. Why? Because Cooper's sexuality is hardly a fresh topic. As Gawker's Brian Moylan said in an October 29th post on the subject: "Saying Cooper is gay is no longer a scoop. It's... popeater http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2378611/posts#comment Wed, 4 Nov 2009 21:01:38 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2269633/posts You might recall back in 2008 when Diantha Harris, a teacher from a North Carolina grade school, made a YouTube splash for having verbally berated a soldier's young daughter that said in class she was for John McCain instead of Barack Obama for president. Of course the righty blogs immediately went wild for the story, but eventually the Old Media came to the teacher's rescue and reported that the teacher never meant any harm. The story appeared on cable and local TV for several days last November. Well, last month another teacher found himself making news -- or not making... Newsbusters.org http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2269633/posts#comment Thu, 11 Jun 2009 16:20:25 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2266427/posts We're increasingly uncomfortable with religion these days. As a society, we tolerate pastors, priests, rabbis and other religious folks, so long as they confine their message to a vanilla "God is love" theme and bless babies, brides and caskets. But when religious leaders speak out on the issues of the day -- especially using morally tinged language -- the elite gatekeepers of public opinion in the media, government and academia warn shrilly that a new Dark Age is upon us. More and more, we see outright hostility to religion -- particularly to Christianity. Consider the wild popularity of a recent... Minneapolis Star Tribune http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2266427/posts#comment Sun, 7 Jun 2009 01:35:47 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2266286/posts You can always tell on campus who the conservative professors are. They’re the ones not attempting to indoctrinate their students. When I had the opportunity to teach several courses at a local college a few years back, I became a conspicuous example of this phenomenon. I stuck to the facts but could not prevent students from occasionally politicizing discussions as established practices are not easily abandoned. Their interjections always unnerved me. On one occasion, a young lady replied, in response to a mundane comment from a peer, “Well, I’m not surprised. We’re all Democrats in here with the exception of... Pajamas Media http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2266286/posts#comment Sat, 6 Jun 2009 18:35:24 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2256055/posts A Democratic Strategist memo, written by James Vega, entitled, What is ‘Right Wing Extremism?’ is another example of the lies and distortions aimed at defaming Christian conservatives. In the fallout of the discredited department of Homeland Security report on “Right Wing Extremism,” that labeled virtually anyone with an opposing view to the Obama administration as a potential domestic terrorist, this “strategy paper” is supposed to be a thoughtful response. But it only shows the left’s hypocrisy and paranoia. Vega makes slanderous generalizations in an attempt to demonize Christians and conservatives all the while proclaiming that liberals are the potential victims... ChristianADC http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2256055/posts#comment Fri, 22 May 2009 03:38:28 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2215331/posts Catholics and Catholicism are at the receiving end of a great deal of startling vituperation in contemporary America, although generally those responsible never think of themselves as bigots.” With these words, the historian Philip Jenkins opened his 2003 study entitled The New Anti-Catholicism: The Last Acceptable Prejudice. Mr. Jenkins might well consider it time to produce an updated edition. In it, he might ponder whether the recent renewal of anti-Catholic politicking is only an opening salvo in an unprecedented campaign to curb religious liberties in the United States. In which case, all of us — not just Catholics — stand... National Review Online http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2215331/posts#comment Thu, 26 Mar 2009 16:42:39 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2211393/posts A federal judge banned Bible trailers from an area school district, granting a request by a woman who claimed the religious education program violated her child’s civil rights. In a ruling issued Thursday, U.S. District Senior Judge James T. Moody agreed with the findings of Magistrate Judge Roger Cosbey and granted a preliminary injunction prohibiting Huntington County Community Schools from continuing to allow a religious education program to operate on school grounds. In November, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit against the school district on behalf of a parent, identified only by her initials, of a child at... The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2211393/posts#comment Sat, 21 Mar 2009 12:34:35 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2185582/posts The complete intolerance of many on the left for diversity of opinion often goes beyond the mere wish to stifle the expression of opposing political viewpoints via the so-called "Fairness Doctrine" or by other means. Most recently there has been a disturbing new trend, voiced by those like Mike Malloy who called Republicans "domestic terrorists" and wants to prosecute them. So what was the reaction to Malloy's intolerance by his fellow leftwingers? Unfortunately, it was met by strong approval as one can see in this Democratic Underground thread titled, "Mike Malloy: The Republican Party Needs to be Eliminated." The posts... NewsBusters http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2185582/posts#comment Sat, 14 Feb 2009 15:13:22 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2182357/posts President Obama's stimulus bill discriminates against Christians and people of faith. The stimulus bans universities and colleges from using funds to renovate buildings where students engage in "religious worship." U.S. Senator Jim DeMint made the following statement after Democrats voted 43-54 against his amendment to strike from the economic stimulus bill language that discriminates against people of faith. Senator DeMint's amendment would have eliminated a provision that bans any university or college receiving restoration funds, from allowing "sectarian instruction" or "religious worship" within the facility. This would in effect bar use of campus buildings for groups like Fellowship of Christian... American Family Association http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2182357/posts#comment Tue, 10 Feb 2009 15:48:27 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2132637/posts On his November 10 Huffington Post, Nicholas Graham and nearly every commenter thereafter, purposefully distorted what Governor Palin said about prayer and the 2012 presidential race. The universal misconstruction of Palin's comments was that she was "praying to become president" in 2012 and that somehow God was speaking directly to her. But reality is she did not say that at all. Graham offhandedly claimed that Palin said that she was waiting "for a sign from God" as to whether she would run in 2012. Further distorting her comments, he claimed she was "confident God would show the way to the... Publius' Forum http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2132637/posts#comment Sat, 15 Nov 2008 15:55:14 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2130705/posts The national advocacy group In God We Trust today blasted the atheist American Humanist Association for its ad campaign mocking the Christmas holiday and American's who believe in God. The ad campaign asks, "Why believe in a god? Just be good for goodness sake," and will be targeted at New York and Washington commuters. "These ads are a deliberate attack on American traditions, beliefs and customs by a United Nation's affiliated group that espouses a radical anti-American agenda and is funded by an zealot who believes that the U.S. is a backwards nation full of imbeciles," says In God We... In God We Trust http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2130705/posts#comment Wed, 12 Nov 2008 14:35:41 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2117246/posts Her Excuse? "Oh, We Always Do That" Confirmed: Max Donor to Obama Ace Of Spades HQ http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2117246/posts#comment Tue, 28 Oct 2008 09:33:12 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2065460/posts Aug. 21, 2008 | When I moved into my apartment, in May, the first thing I did was tear out the air conditioners. I don't need air conditioning: My front window is 50 yards from Lake Michigan, and, as any Chicago weatherperson will tell you, "It's cooler by the lake." I can't afford it, either: Three window units can add serious dollars to one's monthly electric bill. But those aren't the real reasons I got rid of the A/C. Air conditioning offends my sense of Northern pride. They have a saying in Maine: "If you can't stand the winters, you... Salon.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2065460/posts#comment Thu, 21 Aug 2008 13:30:46 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2056885/posts AFTER a lecture to the Marine Memorial Association last week, a reporter thrust a mike toward me and asked if I thought I should be tried for war crimes for my columns in The Post supporting our military. The reporter - who avoided revealing what outlet he was with - thought he was being wonderfully clever, but what fascinated me about the silly encounter (it was in San Francisco, after all) was how unintentionally revealing it was about the shameless hypocrisy of the left. Think about it: For expressing my views to readers like you on these pages, hardcore leftists... nypost.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2056885/posts#comment Tue, 5 Aug 2008 16:45:53 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2054900/posts Gay rights vs. faithful Christians' suits cite bias on job Pete Vere, THE WASHINGTON TIMES Thursday, July 31, 2008 The clash between gay rights laws and religious freedom has acquired two new fronts in recent weeks, both involving Christians who say they were punished on their jobs for actions that reflect religious disapproval of homosexuality. The Washington Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2054900/posts#comment Fri, 1 Aug 2008 15:05:17 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051634/posts A pamphlet set to be distributed by the California secretary of state warns voters that if they do not pass Proposition 8 in November to constitutionally define marriage between one man and one woman, thay will face an unexpected consequence: children as young as kindergarten will be subject to mandatory teaching on the virtues of homosexual marriage. Opponents of Proposition 8 are calling the education argument a smokescreen, a scare tactic and a fabrication. Supporters, however, are saying it addresses a reality Californians will face if voters don't stand up and insist on a constitutional, traditional definition of marriage. Randy... WorldNetDaily.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051634/posts#comment Sat, 26 Jul 2008 10:50:26 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051638/posts In 2008, Sao Paulo, Brazil hosted the largest homosexual pride parade ever. A bill, already approved in Brazil’s Chamber of Deputies and currently being debated in the Senate, demonstrates the type of dictatorship the homosexual movement would like to impose on the Christian world. If this bill were to become law it would punish with imprisonment, anyone who criticizes homosexual ideology or practice. This would empower the homosexual movement worldwide, thus reinforcing their plans here in America. Similarly, it uncovers the true goals of the homosexual movement, and, is thus of pivotal importance to freedom-loving people aroung the globe. Religious... TFP http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051638/posts#comment Sat, 26 Jul 2008 11:07:38 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051715/posts A total of 24 states allow voters to change laws on their own by collecting signatures and putting initiatives on the ballot. It's healthy that the entrenched political class should face some real legislative competition from initiative-toting citizens. Unfortunately, some special interests have declared war on the initiative process, using tactics ranging from restrictive laws to outright thuggery. - Snip - The initiative is a reform born out of the Progressive Era, when there was general agreement that powerful interests had too much influence over legislators. It was adopted by most states in the Midwest and West, including Ohio and... Wall Street Journal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051715/posts#comment Sat, 26 Jul 2008 15:29:58 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2045582/posts The conventional wisdom is that Hollywood has never before been so gaga over any candidate as she is now for Democratic Sen. Barack Obama. In addition to raking in Oprah-level campaign cash, Mr. Obama is making Sen. John McCain, despite the Republican's comedic turns on "Saturday Night Live" and in "The Wedding Crashers," look like an out-of-it grandfather. While it is true that the ratio of Obama-to-McCain bumper stickers in West L.A. is about 250-to-1, there are untold closet Republicans in the entertainment industry who dare not advertise their beliefs in movie studio parking lots. (Unfortunately, car keying is a... The Washington Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2045582/posts#comment Tue, 15 Jul 2008 03:41:16 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2042753/posts Christian publisher Zondervan is facing a $60 million federal lawsuit filed by a man who claims he and other homosexuals have suffered based on what the suit claims is a misinterpretation of the Bible. WOOD TV Grand Rapids, MI. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2042753/posts#comment Wed, 9 Jul 2008 03:27:57 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2036179/posts Pelosi: I Want to Bring Back 'Fairness Doctrine' Photo of Ken Shepherd. By Ken Shepherd | June 25, 2008 - 10:38 ET Over at HumanEvents.com, John Gizzi has House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on the record saying that the Democratic caucus, far from being agnostic on the so-called Fairness Doctrine, is actually interested in resurrecting it. What's more, Pelosi herself wants to bring back the policy that could literally silence conservative talk radio. From his June 25 article: At a breakfast hosted by the Christian Science Monitor yesterday, I asked Pelosi if Pence failed to get the required signatures on... Newsbusters http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2036179/posts#comment Wed, 25 Jun 2008 15:24:42 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2034349/posts Blogs bring out the base in us. The medium is primarily anonymous and the people who post or comment feel freer to tell others what they think. For a good example of what academics think about Christians, the Volokh Conspiracy has demonstrated that much of the academic world is inhabited by people who are the mirror image of Fred Phelps, right down to bigoted rants. It’s very revealing, yet the participants on that website keep on exposing the rotten underbelly of academia without any apparent self-consciousness. Theophobia Academics and Hostility to Religion Academia and Religion More on Academics and Hostility... The Virginian http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2034349/posts#comment Sat, 21 Jun 2008 14:41:56 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2032261/posts - Snip- Evidence from previous and pending cases indicates that the court tends to take an extremely narrow view of people's "free exercise and enjoyment of religion" when they clash with another group's need for equal protection. This would seem particularly true following the In re Marriage Cases ruling, in which the majority equated the ban on same-sex marriage to the now discredited (and unconstitutional) ban on interracial marriages. Religious liberty claims rarely, if ever, have prevailed in the face of complaints about racial discrimination. Conflicts about the rights of gays and those of religious believers demonstrate that these are... Los Angeles Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2032261/posts#comment Tue, 17 Jun 2008 14:15:03 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2029776/posts VANCOUVER, British Columbia — A couple of years ago, a Canadian magazine published an article arguing that the rise of Islam threatened Western values. The article’s tone was mocking and biting, but it said nothing that conservative magazines and blogs in the United States do not say every day without fear of legal reprisal. Things are different here. The magazine is on trial. Two members of the Canadian Islamic Congress say the magazine, Maclean’s, Canada’s leading newsweekly, violated a provincial hate speech law by stirring up hatred against Muslims. They say the magazine should be forbidden from saying similar things,... NYT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2029776/posts#comment Thu, 12 Jun 2008 01:01:20 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2029780/posts Usually, when a journalist is censored in a Western nation, American news organizations respond with collective outrage. But as a major attack on press freedom unfolds in Canada, America’s mainstream media are silent. Neither the TV networks nor the major newspapers have reported on hearings last week at what amounts to a Stalinesque show trial in Vancouver, British Columbia. Mark Steyn, a Canadian journalist who now lives in New Hampshire and whose column appears in National Review magazine as well as several U.S. and Canadian newspapers, is facing charges before British Columbia’s Human Rights Tribunal. His crime? Spreading “hatred.” The... townhall.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2029780/posts#comment Thu, 12 Jun 2008 01:06:41 GMT