Free Republic

Today is born of the Virgin him who holds all creation in the hollow of his hand. He whose essence is untouchable is wrapped in swaddling clothes as a babe. The God who from of old established the heavens lies in a manger. He who showered the people with manna in the wilderness, feeds on milk from the breasts. And the bridegroom of the Church calls the Magi. And the Son of the Virgin accepts gifts from them. We venerate thy Nativity, O Christ. —Verses from the Royal Hours, Christmas Eve, Eastern Orthodox Church

(ChinaAid Association —Nov. 18, 2020) During an interview with William McKenzie, Bush Institute Senior Editorial Advisor, Bob Fu, PhD, founder, and president of ChinaAid, shares how his current situation has affected him, his family, and his ongoing work for freedom through ChinaAid. As Dr. Fu recounts the "very real" issue of freedom from an undisclosed location, he confirms: "The Chinese Communist Party hates me and China Aid for our freedom work." Highlights from Dr. Fu's conversation with McKenzie include: McKenzie: Nonprofit organization China Aid supports rule of law, religious freedom, and human rights. Bob Fu, its founder, has in turn...

Editor’s Note: This article is the second in an ongoing series about controversial South Korean religious leader David Jang and a business empire that includes Olivet University and The Christian Post newspaper. To read Part 1 in this series, click here. It examines the money-laundering scheme to which former Christian Post CEO William Anderson pled guilty. Part 2 examined The Christian Post’s influence in the Christian world, and its coverage of the misdeeds of its current and former leaders. This article examines the “hear-no-evil, see-no-evil approach” embraced by many evangelical leaders who bask in the glow of Jang’s influential...

The Christian Post Failed To Cover Guilty Plea of Former CEO Editor’s Note: This article is the second in an ongoing series about controversial South Korean religious leader David Jang and a business empire that includes Olivet University and The Christian Post newspaper. To read Part 1 in this series, click here. It examines the money-laundering scheme to which former Christian Post CEO William Anderson pled guilty. Future articles in the series will examine the hear-no-evil, see-no-evil approach embraced by many evangelical leaders who bask in the glow of Jang’s influential empire. During the time Les Moonves was investigated and finally...

Within a week, countries around the world have gone from: “This coronavirus thing is not a big deal” to declaring the state of emergency. Yet many countries are still not doing much. Why? Every country is asking the same question: How should we respond? The answer is not obvious to them. Some countries, like France, Spain or Philippines, have since ordered heavy lockdowns. Others, like the US, UK, Switzerland or Netherlands, have dragged their feet, hesitantly venturing into social distancing measures. Here’s what we’re going to cover today, again with lots of charts, data and models with plenty of sources:...

First in a Series David Jang’s Un-“Righteous Media” Editor’s Note: Media have been an important part of controversial South Korean religious leader David Jang’s strategy for building the kingdom of heaven on earth. His followers would create “righteous media to spread the words of God in this era,” he said in 2002. But the means and methods Jang’s disciples have used to keep The Christian Post, the UK’s Christian Today, and their other media properties afloat over the last five years were often unethical and illegal, as a string of recent guilty pleas by key executives has made clear. MinistryWatch...

“Didn’t the Council of Nicaea just arbitrarily pick the books for the Bible that they agreed with and suppress all the rest with political power?” This idea is a very popular one. Most people who believe it have no idea that it has its origins in a conspiracy theory worthy of the History Channel that was popularized in a work of fiction: Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code. WHAT REALLY HAPPENED AT NICAEA? Donald Williams August 26, 2019 “Didn’t the Council of Nicaea just arbitrarily pick the books for the Bible that they agreed with and suppress all the rest...

I spent much of this week reading and trying to absorb the new and devastating book by one Frédéric Martel on the gayness of the hierarchy at the top of the Catholic Church, In the Closet of the Vatican: Power, Homosexuality, Hypocrisy. It’s a bewildering and vast piece of reporting — Martel interviewed no fewer than “41 cardinals, 52 bishops and monsignori, 45 apostolic nuncios, secretaries of nunciatures or foreign ambassadors, 11 Swiss Guards and over 200 Catholic priests and seminarians.” He conducted more than 1,500 interviews over four years, is quite clear about his sources, and helps the reader...

Tax reform is now the order of the day. Congressional Republicans have been eager all year to rewrite the tax code. Slashing and simplifying taxes is, they believe, the straw that stirs our economic drink. Get this right, they say, and America will enter a new golden age of fast growth. This might well be true. But the details of their tax proposal will pose many political problems for the GOP. Too many provisions give the impression that the party cares more about helping the well-off than about aiding average Americans and their families. This is because the plan’s immediate...

The Christian world is alarmed over the possibility ventilated in local media that Turkish Islamic Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan could convert Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia basilica, a symbol of Orthodox Christianity that is currently a museum, into a mosque in the coming months. Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I reiterated his firm opposition to such a plan, Radikal newspaper and other media reported. ”We will oppose this, as will all Christians be they Orthodox, Catholic or Protestant”, he said at meeting with scholars on the eve of the Sinaxis, a summit of Orthodox churches kicking off Istanbul on Thursday. ”The Hagia Sophia basilica...

Pascha Greetings to all my FRiends! Please enjoy this wonderful video. Christ is Risen!! Translation: People rejoice, nations hear: Christ is risen, and brings the joy! Stars dance, mountains sing: Christ is risen, and brings the joy! Forests murmur, winds hum: Christ is risen, and brings the joy! Seas bow, animals roar: Christ is risen, and brings the joy! Bees swarm, and the birds sing: Christ is risen, and brings the joy! Angels stand, triple the song: Christ is risen, and brings the joy! Sky humble yourself, and elevate the earth: Christ is risen, and brings the joy! Bells chime,...

I came home to watch the debate on Fox News (of course) tonight. Bill O'Reilly was interviewing Dick Morris waiting for the debate to start and when it didn't start on time (so it appeared) he went on to Dennis Miller. Around 6:12 or 6:13 (West Coast) I decided to take a dew minutes to check which programs I had recorded on my Tivo (max 4 minutes) but when I went back to live TV, the debate was well underway and the Tivo had recorded all the way back to before 6 PM with Meagan Kelly and then the full...

ECONOMIC RESCUE ALTERNATIVE PLAN September 29, 2008 We believe that policymakers must act decisively and correctly. We believe that we can help Wall Street “workout” of this crisis, not force the taxpayers into a “bailout.” We believe that voluntary private capital, not involuntary taxpayer capital, will help the system recover. A Work-Out—Not a Bail-Out• Stabilizing Financial Markets: Require the Treasury Department to guarantee losses up to 100%, resulting from the failure of timely payment and interest from mortgage-backed securities (MBS) originated prior to the date of enactment. Such insurance would provide immediate value to the MBS and a foundation for...

As a result of yesterday's stunning news about Sarah Palin, the next Vice President of the United States, many Freepers have decided to contribute to the McCain campaign. TODAY is the LAST day that you can contribute to the McCain campaign. Tomorrow, public financing (ugh!) kicks in and they cannot accept donations any more. If you want to participate, do it TODAY.

It is easy to help move used, surplus, and low cost Bibles to needy people around the world. OCTOBER BIBLE DRIVE * Annual Bible Drives since 1992. * If it's Bible and not "gooey", it's ok to give, even parts of old Bibles. * English Bibles in great demand around the world. * Over 80 countries served. * Year 'round Bible ministry. * Collection centers in USA and Canada; for lists see: http://www.bf.org/bibledrive/cc.htm & http://www.bf.org/Bibledrive.northwest.htm PLEASE HELP WITH PUBLICITY Bibles freely go to many places including hospitals, nursing homes, rescue missions, homeless shelters, street ministries, remote villages around the world,...

APC SLEDGEHAMMER ACTION ALERT From the American Policy Center Tom DeWeese - President Kathy Lehman - Editor 70 Main Street, Suite 23 Warrenton, VA 20186 www.americanpolicy.org Action Alert! Action Alert! Health Freedom Crisis - FDA Fascists Want to ELIMINATE Your Health Freedom! The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) has launched another sneak-attack, trying to regulate your health freedom into oblivion. Through FDA's unholy partnerships with Big Pharma and the Codex Alimentarius Commission (an offshoot of the UN), we are very close to losing alternative health care in America. This is a crisis, and needs your immediate action. In 1994 Congress passed...

Last month I introduced you to Nikolette Harris, a twelve year old girl from my parish who is fighting leukemia for the third time. Here are some major updates: 1. GOOD NEWS: In the past two weeks, the football fans in Oregon have discovered Nikolette's case and have helped raise $25,000 for her treatment ("only" $100,000 to go). 2. GOOD NEWS: The football trend continues: from this story: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/bowls05/news/story?id=2261066 we find that several bowl games are competing to raise funds for Nikolette. 3. GOOD NEWS (after bad): After having all of her bone marrow inactivated by chemotherapy to put her...

I want to take this opportunity to share with you all, a gread need for prayer and support. A twelve year old girl from my home parish, St. Nicholas Othodox Church here in Portland Oregon, Nikolette Harris has come down with leukemia for the third time. Nikolette was in remission until recently after having battled the disease since she was three. Now that the disease has returned the only option left is a bone marrow transplant. Fortunately, she has a potential donor (more than one, actually) and the process could begin in the next few weeks. The bad news is...

For the past several months I have been in correspondence by email with an teenager who became a Christian two years ago but who is considering giving up the faith to become a Muslim. Since I am well trained in apologetics and theology I've used all my knowledge to try to convince him to keep the faith. He has expressed stong appreciation for my concern a number of times but hasn't replied very often. This week on the web site where I met him he said that he plans to "take shahada" (publiclly recite the one-line Muslim creed) and become...

July 6th, 2004 Wu's World Goli Ameri (R-Oregon), the Republican nominee for Congress in Oregon’s 1st Congressional district, today mocked David Wu’s attempts to misrepresent her positions on several issues in a poll he commissioned for his campaign. “Ronald Reagan once stated to a political opponent, ‘you are entitled to your own opinion, but you’re not entitled to your own set of facts.’ David Wu should take heed of Reagan’s words,” Ameri said. Wu’s most recent attempt to transform reality to his liking took the form of a public opinion survey conducted by his campaign. According to Ameri, “Now, it’s...