Free Republic

Growing Pains actor Kirk Cameron thinks that America is off track. He’s concerned about our country’s future and he believes that we have to look to history to find “the secret sauce” that made our nation so great in the first place. With that in mind, his new documentary Monumental focuses on Cameron’s attempt to retrace our Pilgrim’s journey in order to better understand how our nation came into being. I recently had a chance to talk to Cameron about his new movie and the reasons he made it. Cameron’s reason for making the film is evident even in the...

Australian history books will no longer use Jesus' birth as a reference point for dates, to the outrage of some religious and political leaders. Under new government curriculum, the terms BC, translated "Before Christ," and AD, translated "The Year of Our Lord," will be replaced with neutral, non-religious language. The land down under will now use the politically correct BCE and CE, meaning "Before Common Era" and "Common Era" respectively. The terms are popular in academic and scientific publications. Archbishop of Sydney Peter Jensen has condemned the move, calling it an "intellectually absurd attempt to write Christ out of human...

I was just channel surfing and came across a show where a bunch of 25-35 somethings were talking about the royal wedding. They were particularly laughing at the part where everyone sang Guide Me Oh Thou Great Jehovah - maybe one of the most recognizable hymn tunes I can think of. http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/g/u/guideme.htm To them it was some mysterious "obscure" ritual song. And they projected this attitude on the audience saying nobody knows the words, look at Elton John trying to sing this thing. I watched the same scene and thought how nice all these diverse people were enjoying something they...

Shhh. I am about to say is something so radical that it will jangle every politically correct nerve in your body. And yet...it is true. The founding and traditional culture of the United States, its Judeo-Christian heritage and boots-on-the-ground decency is superior to all other cultures this world has produced. And it certainly beats the radical worldview (part Marxist, part Islamic, and all thug) that our political and media elites -- led by the president of the United States -- are imposing upon us. Scream if you must -- but then think. Think about what former Godfathers Pizza CEO Herman...

Join Us In Celebrating America's Christian Heritage Dear Friends in Christ and Believers in our inalienable rights given to us by our Creator: This is an invitation to all to the opening day ceremony for the historic Third Annual Springfield (Illinois) Nativity Scene on Tuesday, November 30th, 2010 from 12 Noon until 1 P.M. in the Illinois state Capitol Rotunda building. If you plan to attend, please come early, as we are expecting an even larger crowd than last year who wish to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and take part in exercising our Constitutional right to hold the...

Pastors go on a tour of the United States Capitol with history expert David Barton

In 2002 a group of tourists from the United States visited the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing to hear a talk by a Chinese academic who prefers to remain anonymous. Speaking in the plural for unnamed fellow thinkers, he described their search for what accounted for the pre-eminence, the success of the West all over the world. Their studies ranged widely. Originally they thought the main reason was more powerful guns; then it was Western political systems, before considering the claims of the Western economic system. Finally, and I quote "in the past twenty years, we have realized...

Ahead of the National Day of Prayer, Franklin Graham expressed dismay at how Islam is receiving preferential treatment by the Obama administration. The evangelist, who was recently disinvited from a Pentagon prayer event over past comments he made about Islam, pointed to the violence against Muslim women. “It’s just horrific,” Graham said to Newsmax.TV this week. “If you just take women alone … I just don’t understand why the president would be giving Islam a pass.” Graham wants the president to speak up for women and minorities living in Muslim countries instead of one-sidedly praising Islam. As a result of...

Virginia’s Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell is catching flak from the ACLU because it does not like the fact that he has lifted the ban on police chaplains praying in Jesus’ name. Virginia’s former Democratic Gov. Tim Kaine had issued the ruling in 2008, and the ACLU gang charges that McDonnell is giving in to conservatives and Christians in revoking the Jesus ban. Well, maybe another former Virginia governor influenced McDonnell—Thomas Jefferson. The author of Virginia’s famed Statute for Religious Freedom, Jefferson never tried to suppress Virginians’ or Americans’ free exercise of religion. In fact, as president in 1802, Jefferson invited...

The White House, in the midst of an intense charm offensive aimed at the Jewish and pro-Israel communities, has dropped an archaic phrase that has, in the past, rankled Jewish groups. The use of the proclamation boilerplate "in the year of our Lord" for a celebration of Jewish Heritage Month had struck a slightly off-key note for Jewish groups in Obama's last proclamation, as in those of Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.

Is America a Christian nation? Sarah Palin said on Friday that it's "mind-boggling" to suggest otherwise. But two groups dedicated to the separation of church and state are now speaking out against her, arguing that she is misreading the founders' intent. "It's incredibly hypocritical that Sarah Palin, who disapproves of government involvement in just about anything, now suddenly wants the government to help people be religious," Barry Lynn, the executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, told ABC News. "It is wildly inconsistent with her views on limited government to get the government involved in matters...

Americans have historically taken a great deal of pride in their tradition of the protection of individual rights enshrined in the U.S. Constitution. What is less well known is that the constitutional protection of individual rights represents the legal codification of principles that developed over a period of 180 years. That was the period of time between the first Pilgrim settlers and the establishment of the U.S. Constitution. During that time the "Puritans" set up Churches, schools, a university system, charitable institutions and pretty much created an American Civilization defined by a distinct worldview regarding human nature and the relationship...

How Christian Were the Founders? By RUSSELL SHORTO February 11, 2010 LAST MONTH, A WEEK before the Senate seat of the liberal icon Edward M. Kennedy fell into Republican hands, his legacy suffered another blow that was perhaps just as damaging, if less noticed. It happened during what has become an annual spectacle in the culture wars. Over two days, more than a hundred people — Christians, Jews, housewives, naval officers, professors; people outfitted in everything from business suits to military fatigues to turbans to baseball caps — streamed through the halls of the William B. Travis Building in Austin,...

For the past 6 years, WallBuilders has brought ministers from across the nation to Washington, D. C., for exclusive briefing sessions with some of the top Christian Senators and Representatives now serving in Congress. The Members brief pastors on a variety of issues related to Biblical values and share their hearts regarding their personal faith and its application in public office. Additionally, the Members impart practical information for pastors to carry home and implement in their communities and congregations. In conjunction with the Briefings, participants enjoy a private, evening Spiritual Heritage Tour of the United States Capitol with David...

NO MUSLIMS FOUNDED AMERICA BUT PRESIDENT OBAMA THINKS THEY WERE THERE! by Lee S. Gliddon, Jr. Nov 14th, 2009 Dear Mr. Obama, OBAMA said, in his Cairo speech: “I know, too, that Islam has always been a part of America ’s story. Dear Mr. Obama: Were those Muslims that were in America when the Pilgrims first landed? Funny, I thought they were Native American Indians. Were those Muslims that celebrated the first Thanksgiving day? Sorry again, …those were Pilgrims and Native American Indians. Can you show me one Muslim signature on the United States Constitution? Declaration of Independence ? Bill...

'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...