Free Republic

'In God We Trust' conspicuously absent at launch of Capitol Visitor Center,Yesterday, individuals across the country who were willing to stand up on behalf of our nation's religious heritage saw a major victory," announced U.S. Rep. Randy Forbes, R-Va., in a website statement this week. Last year, WND reported Forbes responded to concerns the Christian heritage of the United States had been scrubbed from the 580,000-square-foot facility. He worked with other members of Congress until the Committee on House Administration and the Senate Rules and Administration Committee agreed to include references to the nation's

Polling data has revealed a trend indicating that “America is not a Christian nation.”[1] Although a large majority of Americans outwardly claim to be Christian, their inward beliefs are actually non-Christian. Why is this so? Classic Christianity is based on certain fundamental doctrines that are clearly taught in the Bible, such as the universality of sin, the universality of access to the Savior, and the exclusivity of that Savior.[2] But apparently, many of those who call themselves Christians deny that Jesus Christ is the only Savior. Newsweek reported, “According to a 2008 Pew Forum survey, 65 percent of us believe...

An Idaho community had secured an Air Force flyover for its local festival every year for more than 40 years, organizers say, but this year, the Air Force turned the request down over the festival's religious focus. The God and Country Family Festival in Nampa, Idaho, applied to the Pentagon for the flyover but was denied in an e-mail, board member Patti Syme told KTBV. Syme said the e-mail from a defense official informed her the Pentagon prohibited support of special interest groups. "I called him immediately and just said, you know hey we've been doing this for 42 years,...

Watch David Barton on the Huckabee show this weekend! WallBuilders' founder, David Barton, will be featured on the Huckabee show on Fox News TV (cable) on Saturday night and Sunday. David will be discussing the Christian influence behind many of the significant events during our founding and will be showing a number of original documents from the WallBuilders' library (including the first English-language Bible printed in America -- a Bible printed by Congress in 1782). The program will air Saturday at 8pm EDT, as well as Sunday at 2am EDT, 8pm EDT and 11pm EDT.WallBuilders continues to reacquaint Americans...

I'm a fighter for the freedoms of speech and religion. They are our constitutional rights -- what the First Amendment is all about. But those freedoms don't give atheists the entitlement to eliminate or revise America's religious heritage in the new $621 million taxpayer-provided Capitol Visitor Center in Washington. This month, the House and Senate passed identical resolutions approving the engravings of the national motto ("In God We Trust") and the Pledge of Allegiance in prominent places in the Capitol Visitor Center -- a 580,000-square-foot facility under the Capitol -- where 15,500 guests visit each day. Spearheading the measures were...

On July 10, six days after our own Independence Day, the world will celebrate the birthday of John Calvin, the man most responsible for our American system of liberty based on Republican principles of representative government. It was Founding Father and the second President of the United States, John Adams, who described Calvin as "a vast genius," a man of "singular eloquence, vast erudition, and polished taste, [who] embraced the cause of Reformation," adding: "Let not Geneva be forgotten or despised. Religious liberty owes it much respect." Calvin, a humble scholar and convert to Reformation Christianity from Noyon, France, is...

David Barton is the founder of Wallbuilders. He is a brilliant scholar on the true founding of the United States and how ingrained Christianity was in our founders. This is the best video I have EVER seen. He is so detailed and yet succinct, on how we were really founded and who's responsible. The level of black participation in our liberty is astounding and yet, you hear none of it. I speculate that the Al Sharpton's/Jesse Jackson's of this country do not want anyone to hear these truths because it could insite pride in the country from our black population....

In this year of John Calvin's 500th birthday, I don't know of a better place to read about his impact on America than Abraham Kuyper's Lectures on Calvinism given at Princeton Seminary in October 1898. Kuyper was a pastor, a journalist, the founder of the Free University of Amsterdam, and prime minister of the Netherlands. John Calvin and Martin Luther were the twin pillars of the Protestant Reformation. Why do fewer people speak of Luther's culture-shaping impact on America, but for centuries Calvin has been seen in this light? Kuyper argues, Luther's starting-point was the . . . principle of...

President Barack Obama said in Turkey : "We do not consider ourselves a Christian nation or a Jewish nation or a Muslim nation. We consider ourselves a nation of citizens who are bound by ideals and a set of values." Do you know the Preamble for your state? Alabama 1901, Preamble We the people of the State of Alabama , invoking the favor and guidance of Almighty God, do ordain and establish the following Constitution. Alaska 1956, Preamble We, the people of Alaska , grateful to God and to those who founded our nation and pioneered this great land......

Last week Obama told the planet on his Dixie Chick America Sucks Euro-Tour that ol’ bigheaded America is not and has never been a Christian nation. I believe he said that right after he bowed and curtsied to the Saudi King and told the French that the US has been stuck-up meanies to their jealous and ungrateful Euro-socialist cousins. Damn you, Yankee doodle dandies. America’s not a Christian nation? Well, it’s not a Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim (yet) or Tai Chi nation. I know Barack is auguring for the USA to become an Obamanation, but heretofore from what I’ve read regarding...

Last week Obama told the planet on his Dixie Chick America Sucks Euro-Tour that ol’ bigheaded America is not and has never been a Christian nation. I believe he said that right after he bowed and curtsied to the Saudi King and told the French that the US has been stuck-up meanies to their jealous and ungrateful Euro-socialist cousins. Damn you, Yankee doodle dandies. America’s not a Christian nation? Well, it’s not a Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim (yet) or Tai Chi nation. I know Barack is auguring for the USA to become an Obamanation, but heretofore from what I’ve read regarding...

President Barack Obama said in Turkey: "We do not consider ourselves a Christian nation or a Jewish nation or a Muslim nation. We consider ourselves a nation of citizens who are bound by ideals and a set of values." Well, I don't know what "we" consider "ourselves," but I do think we ought to examine that statement and why Obama felt compelled to make it a part of his world apology tour. Can you imagine the Saudi king coming to America and bragging that his nation is not Muslim? I assure you that he's not ashamed of the Islamic character...

According to a new national survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, 11 percent of Americans still believe President Barack Obama is a Muslim. Seven percent of Democrats believe it. And nearly 20 percent of evangelicals do. What I find fascinating is that the same study shows only 55 percent of Democrats know or believe Obama is a Christian, even after Obama spent nearly two years on the presidential campaign trail spouting his views and beliefs on everything under the sun. Moreover, about 1 in 3 people don't have any idea what his religious convictions...

When the head of Georgia's Orthodox Church offered to become godfather to every third child born to a family last year, the response was nothing short of miraculous. Birth rates among Georgian families soared by nearly 20 percent and within a year the patriarch, Ilia II, had presided over enough mass baptisms to become godfather to more than 2,000 children. Nearly two decades after Georgia split from the staunchly atheist Soviet Union, such is the influence of the country's Orthodox Church, which has undergone a remarkable resurgence to become one of the most trusted and powerful institutions in Georgia. From...

Jan. 23) - Not everyone was happy with President Barack Obama's nod to nonbelievers and non-Christians in his inaugural address. And some of the stiff criticism about Obama’s religious inclusiveness is coming from African-American Christians who maintain that no, all faiths were actually not created equal. "For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness," the new president said. "We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this earth," he also said. Nothing too controversial, proclaiming that America's strength lies in its diversity. But between those two statements, the new president...

Congressional committees have agreed to include references to "In God We Trust" and the Pledge of Allegiance to the newly opened Capitol Visitor Center thanks in part to efforts from the Congressional Prayer Caucus and Virginian Senator J. Randy Forbes...

Later on Tuesday, U.S. Senator Jim DeMint (R – S.C.) criticized the CVC design in a press release, charging “it fails to appropriately honor our religious heritage that has been critical to America’s success.”

The founding fathers (signers of the Declaration of Independence) were reliogious, God fearing men. of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were current or former full-time preachers, and many more were the sons of clergymen. They established this country on moral principles. In fact, the Declaration of Independence recognizes God as the source of the rights enumerated by the document. Below is a list of the founding fathers, and thier religions: (See Website) [Photo]The signers of our constitution were also very religious men: (See Website) What happened? Why has our country gotten off the path set by the founding...

MADISON, Wis. — The nation's largest group of atheists and agnostics is suing President Bush, the governor of Wisconsin and other officials over the federal law designating a National Day of Prayer.

How the New Capitol Visitor Center Distorts American History by Gina L. DiorioWhile the media trains its cameras on the bailout proceedings on Capitol Hill, another fierce battle is being waged just a few feet away. A battle over our nation’s past, it has profound ramifications for our future. Yet, thanks to the mainstream media’s overwhelming lack of interest in telling the story – or perhaps overwhelming interest that the story not be told – most Americans will never hear it. The clash is over the glaring historical omissions of the soon-to-be-opened Capitol Visitor Center (CVC). The largest undertaking in...

American taxpayers have spent more than $600 million on a new visitors' center at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., and it will have acres of marble floors and walls, photographs of Earth Day, information about an AIDS rally and details about the nation's industrial sector. What it will not include is America's Christian heritage, raising objections from members of Congress and drawing an inquiry from Chuck Norris about whether he can help fix it. The new 580,000-square-foot center, mostly built underneath the grounds just east of the U.S. Capitol to protect the scenic views of the historic building, is about...

Tory warning on multiculturalism British multiculturalism has left a "terrible" legacy which has allowed extremists to flourish, shadow home secretary Dominic Grieve has warned. A type of "cultural despair" has led "long-term inhabitants" and newer arrivals to feel alienated and unsure of UK values, he told the Guardian. Mr Grieve, speaking on the eve of the Conservative Party conference, argued this had led to support for extremism. He also warned against downplaying Britain's Christian heritage. Mr Grieve told the Guardian: "We've actually done something terrible to ourselves in Britain.

(VIDEO) Newt Gingrich, Ph.d., a brilliant student and teacher of history, puts Sarah Palins's answer to ABC's Charley Gibson's condescending and smug "gotcha" question in historical context. The liberal MSM should see Gingrich's video and learn something about America and the role faith plays among great wartime leaders.

"You are the light of the world.... let your good deeds shine before men, that they may see your deeds and praise your father in heaven." Matthew 5:14,16 (NIV) Sarah Palin's pick as John McCain's running mate has provoked predictable paroxysms from the Left about her religion. Crack investigative reporters have leveled a slew of accusations that Governor Palin's faith is a dangerous influence on her politics. The Chicago Tribune breathlessly reports that she has "labeled the U.S. mission in Iraq a 'task that is from God,'" and that she (gasp!) "argued that public school students should engage in a...

Brad Johnson with his patriotic banners San Diego, Sep 10, 2008 / 07:51 am (CNA).- A federal judge ruled on Friday that a San Diego high school teacher has a free speech right to display patriotic banners in his classroom with messages such as “God Bless America,” “In God We Trust,” and “One Nation Under God.” School officials had ordered the banners removed on the grounds they promoted a “Judeo-Christian” viewpoint.Brad Johnson, a high school math teacher, had displayed such red, white and blue banners in his Poway Unified School District high school for twenty-five years before they were...

It's often said that America was founded on "Judeo-Christian" values.

"Statesmen my dear Sir, may plan and speculate for Liberty, but it is Religion and Morality alone, which can establish the Principles upon which Freedom can securely stand....The only foundation of a free Constitution, is pure Virtue, and if this cannot be inspired into our People, in a great Measure, than they have it now, They may change their Rulers, and the forms of Government, but they will not obtain a lasting Liberty." John Adams 1776 - letter to Zabdiel Adams "Religion and good morals are the only solid foundation of public liberty and happiness." Samuel Adams 1778 - letter...

Religious faith has long been valued as an essential contributor to our national greatness. Thomas Jefferson, in his second inaugural address, declared: “I shall need, too, the favor of that Being in whose hands we are, who led our fathers, as Israel of old, from their native land and planted them in a country flowing with all the necessaries and comforts of life, who has covered our infancy with His Providence and our riper years with His wisdom and power.” Jefferson believed that God had led “our fathers” and blessed the nation’s birth and growth. President George Washington, in his...

The Federalist Papers: The Key to Restoring Our Constitutional Republic By John Eidsmoe, Professor of Constitutional Law Summary: In the long standing debate on how the Constitution should be interpreted, Dr. Eidsmoe makes a strong case for following the original intent of the founders as the only way to avoid bizarre and disastrous results. "It's the only anchor that prevents judges from roaming at large in the trackless fields of their own imaginations," he states. To those who argue against following "original intent" because it cannot be known, Dr. Eidsmoe suggests that a sufficient exposition of the ideas of...

<p>Several factors have caused the United States to deny its Christian heritage. First, after World War II, many immigrants moved to the United States. Many of these immigrants brought with them their non-Christian religious beliefs and their undemocratic political ideologies. Also, as decades and centuries have passed, the number of people who belong to non-Christian religions has increased tremendously. Therefore, these non-Christian religions are giving Christianity some serious competition. As a result of this religious competition, Christianity is gradually losing its recognition as being America’s most favored religion.</p>

The Confluence of Religion & Freedom by Nancy Salvato, Senior EditorApril 28, 2008   “Textbooks today are trapped in an ideological straitjacket that, in contrast to the surrounding popular culture, restricts content and sterilizes social realities.” – The Mad, Mad World of Textbook Adoption I’ve always enjoyed learning about history. When I look back on my history classes, it wasn’t because I was interested in reading the textbooks, it was the teacher who made history come alive, by inserting anecdotes that made it “real,” showing footage of actual events, or by connecting what happened in the past to the present....

<p>GOP presidential candidate John McCain says America is better off with a Christian President and he doesn't want a Muslim in the Oval Office.</p> <p>"I admire the Islam. There's a lot of good principles in it," he said. "But I just have to say in all candor that since this nation was founded primarily on Christian principles, personally, I prefer someone who I know who has a solid grounding in my faith."</p>

Just a question: Has anyone rfead this author's works, and is he worth my time? I watched him last night talk about history and freedom of religion being the primary reason for our nation being founded. He stirred my interest.

Exclusive Interview: Huckabee on Education and School Choice By Terence P. Jeffrey CNSNews.com Editor in Chief December 28, 2007 (CNSNews.com) - Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, the Republican presidential candidate, told Cybercast News Service that he supports tuition tax credits for parents who send their children to private schools and that public schools ought to teach children, as per the Declaration of Independence, that there is a God and that our rights come from Him. Cybercast News Service Editor in Chief Terence P. Jeffrey interviewed Huckabee via phone about his views on education and school choice on the morning of...

It is often thought that religious liberty means a strict separation of church and state, but that view is out of tune with the proper understanding of the role religion and morality play in the civic and public life of a self-governing people. A more compelling model is that of America's Founders, who advanced religious liberty in a way that would uphold religion and morality as indispensable supports of good habits, the firmest props of the duties of citizens, and the great pillars of human happiness.Origins of Religious LibertyThe story of religious liberty in America begins with religious persecution in...

Senator John McCain’s recent comments about America’s heritage as a “Christian nation” ignited an ill-tempered blast of self-righteous condemnation – a reaction that highlighted the widespread misunderstandings, distortions and downright ignorance surrounding the nation’s founders and their view of religion’s role in society. Asked a question about a recent poll that showed 55% of the public believing that “the Constitution establishes a Christian nation,” McCain responded: “I would probably have to say yes, that the Constitution established the United States of America as a Christian nation. But I say that in the broadest sense. The lady that holds her lamp...

John Jay, the first chief justice of the United States, appointed by George Washington, wrote to Jedidiah Morse Feb. 28, 1797 (the same year the Treaty of Tripoli was ratified), "Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers. And it is the duty as well as the privilege and interest of a Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers." John Adams, America's second President and the same one who signed and sent the Treaty of Tripoli to the Senate, just one year later delivered these words in a military address Oct. 11, 1798, "Our...

Most of the mainstream media is up in arms about a First Amendment Center poll showing that the majority of Americans (55%) believe that the Founding Fathers intended America to be a Christian nation. USA Today "reporter" Andrea Stone, for instance, must think she doubles as an editorialist. Her report in today's edition features loaded, biased opinions with words like "erroneous" (regarding most Americans' belief) and "scariest" regarding other numbers in the poll. christianamerica.jpg Frankly, as a Jew, I'm glad most Americans believe America was intended to be a Christian nation. And unlike Ms. Stone, I'm not so sure this...

WASHINGTON (CNS) – Washington is a city rich with powerful symbols. It is known for its monuments, memorials and corridors of power. And its big landmarks, the U.S. Capitol and the Washington Monument, will always loom large because of an 1899 law stipulating that no private structures in the city can be higher than either of them.In tourist season – early spring to late summer – visitors to the capital flock to the seats of government and monumental tributes to history with cameras always at the ready. But what they might not readily notice or capture for their photo albums...

Godly Foundation of America http://www.bibles.com/absport/news/item.php?id=206 Rev. Dr. Paul G. Irwin President American Bible Society New York, NY, July 2, 2007 The Fourth of July provides an excellent opportunity to think about the principles that were the foundation of this country. Even though a recent Gallup Poll shows that nine out of ten Americans believe in God, strangely enough there are those who are convinced that the bedrock of the creation of the United States is based solely on secular principles rather than religious ones. There is a reason why the Ten Commandments, Scripture quotations and beautiful artwork depicting biblical scenes...

In 1607, three ships – the Discovery, the Susan Constant and the Godspeed – arrived. The ships' occupants discovered a small river and named it the James, after their king. They put down roots on its shore, naming their settlement Jamestown. One of their initial acts was to erect a wooden cross on the shore at Cape Henry. At the foot of that cross, Rev. Robert Hunt led the 149 men of the Virginia Company in public prayer, praising God for His hand of safety and pledging that they would follow Him in their venture in this "new world." When...

We’ve still got a year and a half to go until the 2008 presidential election—and the mudslinging and dirty tricks have been going full blast for months: Publicity over John Edwards’ $400 haircuts. Gossip about Rudy Giuliani’s multiple marriages. Internet ads that make Hillary Clinton look demonic. As someone who was once known for political dirty tricks, I know, better than most, how ugly politics can get. Does this mean Christians ought to avoid the cutthroat business of politics? The answer: an emphatic “no”! First, as I write in my new book, God & Government, Christians have the same civic...

MUSLIMS are outraged that prospective citizens will have to acknowledge the Judeo-Christian tradition as the basis of Australia's values system. Australia's peak Muslim body said the proposed citizenship question - revealed in the Herald Sun - was disturbing and potentially divisive. Australian Federation of Islamic Councils president Dr Ameer Ali said the "Abrahamic tradition" or "universal values" would be less divisive ways of describing the nation's moral base. Dr Ali said use of the term Judeo-Christian was the result of "WWII guilt", and before 1945 Australia would have been called only Christian. "That question must be rephrased," he said. Dr...

AUSTIN — The Texas House voted early today to inject a little religion into the Texas pledge. House lawmakers voted 124-5 to put the words "under God" in the Texas pledge of allegiance recited by thousands of school children every day. The change mirrors the national pledge, which has included "under God" since 1954. Under the bill, the Texas pledge would be: "Honor the Texas flag; I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas, one state under God and indivisible." The bill still needs a final vote later Friday before it is sent to the Senate. Rep. Lon Burnam, D-Fort Worth, argued...

The tragic incident at Virginia Tech that resulted in a madman taking more than 30 innocent lives has sparked a number of questions. Through the answers we have learned about the background of the gunman, the history of his firearm purchases, the emotions of students and families, and the heroic efforts of many involved. However, the deeper questions and overall trend patterns have been avoided. Escalation of violence and a number of other social ills began rising in a pivotal era and continue to grow today. In 1961 a U.S. Supreme Court case ignored 300 years of legal precedent and...

By Charles Babb For The Christian Chronicle SEARCY, ARK. — Attacks leveled at those of faith represent a great threat against America, a federal appeals court judge said at Harding University. Judge Janice Rogers Brown, a member of the Silver Spring, Md., church, spoke on “Faith and Freedom” as part of Harding’s American Studies Institute lecture series. “In my view, Christianity at its best is the foundation of reason and liberty,” said Brown, a judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. “The true American religious tradition, the one that disciplines power, subjugating it to...

Although Congress didn't pass new legislation, they did order SECNAV and SECAF to rescind their recent (illegal) policies that required "non-sectarian" prayers....so the controversial Air Force Guidelines (and Navy policy) are now TOTALLY RESCINDED, and military chaplains are free to pray "in Jesus name" in any public setting. The official Senate/House conference report language can be read here: http://www.persuade.tv/frenzy6/VictoryPolicyRescinded.pdf WASHINGTON DC, Sept. 30th /Christian Newswire/ -- 1) Navy and Air Force Chaplains free to pray "in Jesus name" again. 2) Congress orders Secretary of the Navy to rescind "non-sectarian" prayer policy. 3) Congress orders Secretary of the Air Force to...

There is an interesting, and important, debate going on within conservative circles these days over the role of religion in American conservatism and the role of Christian conservatives in the Republican Party.  In particular, the "atheist" wing of the conservative movement (largely made up of libertarians) is starting to challenge the supposedly predominant role of Christian conservatives within the movement. This conflict is summed up in the title of Ryan Sager's new book, The Elephant in the Room: Evangelicals, Libertarians, and the Battle to Control the Republican Party.  Although Sager's book has garnered some attention, what brought this conflict out...

“In America religion is the road to knowledge, and the observance of the divine laws leads man to civil freedom” Alexis de Tocqueville Democracy in AmericaIn response to the recent assault by “tolerant” atheists, I am going to explain why it is necessary to maintain our Christian heritage in order to sustain our democracy. This is for the benefit of the “scientists” who presume themselves the authorities on everything and who have penned tomes with such ostentatious titles as The God Delusion, Letter to a Christian Nation, God: The Failed Hypothesis, and other works that rehash the arguments from...

IT’S ALL ABOUT RELIGION This series of journal articles is being written while I am in Egypt. The content, therefore, certainly reflects the surroundings in which we our ministering. Looking at my own country from the outside provides some provocative points of view. It is amazing that so many Christians think it was democracy that made America great. A basic knowledge of the history and government of our nation makes it plain that it was Christianity that made this nation what it is. Or, rather, was. It is also clear that the purging of Christianity from our society is rapidly...