Free Republic

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...

Contrary to what you learned at college, America from its inception has been a religious country, and was designed to be one. As the greatest foreign observer of America, the Frenchman Alexis de Tocqueville, noted in his "Democracy in America," "Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power." Or, as the great British historian Paul Johnson has just written: "In [George] Washington's eyes, at least, America was in no sense a secular state," and "the American Revolution was in essence the political...

There's a passion for history at William and Mary-- and pride. King William III and Queen Mary II chartered the school in 1693. Their purpose: to train ministers in the Gospel and spread the faith among the Indians. Now, critics say the public school has turned its back on its Christian heritage. "What is convenient and comfortable has now taken precedence over what has been the core values and the core heritage of the institution," said Dr. Dave Gyertson, former Christian college president. "The logic of the decision means you can't have a sacred space at William and Mary," said...

Don't Speak About Religion And Politics?Over the past couple of years there has been much debate over the civil display of religious inscriptions, like the Ten Commandments (also called the Decalogue). I was shocked to read this past week Bob Unruh's exclusives on WND about how the U.S. Supreme Court is even now silencing the truths about the Commandments in its own building. People often say to stay clear of discussing religion and politics. True patriots don't do that. That is why I will address both in this article. Revolutionary Thought about the DecalogueI've learned some things recently about the...

Over the last 40-50 years, the liberal push in America to create from whole cloth the fabrication of a “Constitutional separation of Church and State” has taken many forms, and has even at times successfully inveigled the collusion of the United States Supreme Court. None of which, however, could ever transform this deception into truth. Nor does it correctly infer or interpret the intent of our Founding Fathers. For while these brilliant men indeed wanted Government to keep its nose out of religious affairs, they also knew that religion must play an important role in the proper governance of our...

Europe's "Christian values" should be enshrined in a new version of the EU constitution, the German chancellor declared yesterday after meeting the Pope. In remarks which will reopen the debate on religion in the EU, Angela Merkel threw her weight behind Pope Benedict's campaign to recognise Europe's Christian heritage. "We spoke about freedom of religion," she said after talks at the Pope's summer residence near Rome. "We spoke about the role of Europe and I emphasised the need for a constitution and that it should refer to our Christian values." Mrs Merkel will take charge of efforts to revive the...

The Preambles of all 50 States Of The United States: 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. Alask a 1956, Preamble. We, the people of Alaska, grateful to God and to those who founded our nation and pioneered this great land. Arizona 1911, Preamble. We, the people of the State of Arizona, grateful to Almighty God for our liberties, do ordain this Constitution... Arkansas 1874, Preamble . We, the people of the State of Arkansas, grateful to Almighty God for the...

In 1639 representatives from the Puritan towns of Windsor, Hartford, and Wethersfield in the Connecticut River Valley assembled in Hartford to create the world’s first written constitution that established a functioning government. It was the progenitor of the Constitution of the United States. Students are not told anything about this aspect of our history. Instead they are taught that Puritanism was a theocratic, and therefore wholly repressive and undemocratic, mode of society. Thus, in the left-wing liberal construction, to form the United States, Americans had to reject Judeo-Christianity and the Puritanism on which New England was founded. What progressive historians...

The nature of theocracy in the New England colonies is widely misunderstood. Few recognize that the New England town meeting, the prototype of American institutions of democratic self-government, was nothing more than the governing process of each Congregational (Puritan) church community. Theocracy is a broad term encompassing many different degrees of religious influence in civil government. Critics of New England Puritanism focus on two aspects: exclusion of non-church members from civil government, and reprobation of moral laxity. Looking back at Puritanism only through the lens of present-day cultural standards leads most people to conclude that Puritans were repressive and anti-democratic....

"The highest story of the American Revolution is this: it connected in one indissoluble bond the principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity." "The general principles, on which the Fathers achieved independence, were . . . the general principles of Christianity." So said (and thought) Founder and President John Adams. There must be absolute separation of church and state. The portrait of Jesus near the principal's office in a West Virginia public high school, the Mount Soledad Cross on public property in California and the Ten Commandments monument on the Texas capitol grounds must be removed immediately. Nondenominational...

America's Founding Fathers often kept their religious beliefs close to the vest, historians say, but that just won't cut it anymore. That's because, 230 years after the first Independence Day, Americans of varied political and religious stripes are determined to prove that the Founders' beliefs are similar to their own. Helped by a spate of new books this year, skeptics and believers alike have fresh intellectual gunpowder this July 4 for claiming the framers as members of their respective camps. For a nation torn over what role religion should have in the public square, the stakes are high. Both religionists...

The current use of the “wall of separation” between church and state as a legal defense for the removal of the expression of American religious culture from governmental institutions and the prohibition of the free exercise of individuals working within them goes contrary not only to the original intent of the Founders and the Framers but also to the religious, political, and legal history and traditions of the United States of America. Courts, county school boards, teachers, and individuals, unwittingly devoid of the knowledge of the substantial role religion (primarily Protestant Christianity) played in the birth and formation of the...

A common and false impression about America’s Founding Fathers is that they were deists -- that is, they believed in a "watchmaker" God who set the universe in motion and then stepped aside to let it run itself. The deist god lacks the interest, or the power, to intervene in human affairs. Michael Novak, a celebrated theologian and author, convincingly rebutted this misconception in his book, "On Two Wings: Humble Faith and Common Sense at the American Founding." In "Washington's God," Novak and his daughter Jana turn their attention to the religious beliefs of America's first and greatest President. The...

The Anti-Defamation League is at it again, rewriting history in an attempt to secularize America. The latest fight is over using “Jesus Christ” during a prayer at government meetings in Wellington, Florida. The ADL claims that such prayers are “unconstitutional.” I’m going to assume that “unconstitutional” means contrary to the United States Constitution. The Constitution of the United States declares, in words just above George Washington’s signature, that the proceedings were “DONE . . . in the Year of our Lord,” an obvious reference to Jesus Christ. What do we make of the 1774 congressional prayer offered by Jacob Duché...

For many years the issue of the relationship between church and state has been a controversial one. Should public schools allow the Pledge of Allegiance to be recited? Should public prayers be allowed at school athletic events or during legislative sessions? Should the words "In God We Trust" appear on our currency and coins? Should the Ten Commandments be displayed on public property? Do school children have the right to offer a silent prayer or keep a Bible in the classroom? The church and state issue has its roots in the very founding of our nation. What would our Founding...

The Religious Character of American Patriotism It's time to recognize our traditions and answer some hard questions (1987) Frederick Edwords In the last few years, we have witnessed a number of patriotic celebrations in the United States -- celebrations that have taken on an almost religious expression. In 1976, it was the glorious bicentennial of our independence. In 1984, American jingoistic displays associated with the opening and closing of the XXIII Summer Olympic games in Los Angeles were televised around the world. On July 4, 1986, amid hoopla and fireworks rarely equaled, the Statue of Liberty was rededicated in New...

Andy Rooney DID YOU KNOW? As you walk up the steps to the building which houses the U.S. Supreme Court you can see near the top of the building a row of the world's law givers and each one is facing one in the middle who is facing forward with a full frontal view ... it is Moses and he is holding the Ten Commandments! . DID YOU KNOW? As you enter the Supreme Court courtroom, the two huge oak doors have the Ten Commandments engraved on each lower portion of each door. DID YOU KNOW? As you sit inside...

Subject: Laus Deo Laus Deo I thought that you and others may like to see this. One detail that is not mentioned in Washington, DC, is that there can never be a building of greater height than the Washington Monument. With all the uproar about removing the ten commandments, etc... This is worth a moment or two of your time. I was not aware of this historical information. On the aluminum cap, atop the Washington Monument in Washington DC, are displayed two words: Laus Deo. No one can see these words. In fact, most visitors to the monument are totally...

Looks like it could be interesting.

When you say your prayers tonight you may wish to thank God for the bible-thumping Protestants to whom we owe much of our liberties. Our liberties were at their peak when this nation was under practically 100% authority of Protestant Christians. Today though when the influence of Christians has plummetted to new lows it is no coincidence that our liberties are rapidly deteriorating. Christianity is under assualt by those who wish to enslave the population with socialism and corporatism (both products of atheist belief systems). We are free because we are/were Protestant Christians. There is no other reason. History shows...

The nation’s founders included the disestablishment clause of the First Amendment to protect and promote the church’s inculcation of public virtue, rather than to protect the federal government from the influence of religion, said Judge Michael W. McConnell at the Oct. 27 Meador Lecture on Law and Religion. McConnell, who serves on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit, delivered his speech to an overflowing audience in Caplin Pavilion. He noted that the separation of church and state often has been a provocative issue in American history. “We seem to be at one of those times again in...

WASHINGTON (AP) - Ousted Habitat for Humanity founder Millard Fuller says he and the group's current leaders have disagreed about how much Habitat should embrace its Christian heritage. The Alabama native says he's pleased that Habitat is getting news coverage for building homes for Gulf Coast hurricane victims, but is troubled that most reports seem to depict it as a secular organization. At a ceremony in Washington, where he and his wife were honored for their volunteer efforts, Fuller said, "We get our motivation from the Bible." He added, "In my opinion, you need to be faithful to who you...

The strict purpose of the establishment clause of the First Amendment was never to require a strict neutrality between religion and nonreligion. It was designed to prohibit Congress from establishing a national church, from designating a particular faith or sect above the rest. It was never intended to require a strict neutrality between religion and nonreligion. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution "affirmatively mandates accommodation, not merely tolerance of all religions, and forbids hostility towards any." Anything less than accommodation would require "callous indifference," which was never intended by the establishment clause of the First Amendment. Looking at...

In his book, “The Cube and the Cathedral,” Catholic scholar George Weigel explains why the proposed constitution for the European Union, a 70,000-word document, does not contain the word Christianity – in other words, why its framers deliberately ignored 1,000 years of European history. Weigel writes: “In the minds of many Europeans, Christianity was not simply a non-factor in the development of contemporary European public life; Christianity was (and is) an obstacle to the evolution of a Europe at peace, a Europe that champions human rights, a Europe that governs itself democratically.” This also explains the Judeo-Christophobia of the U.S....

Don Feder, President of Jews Against Anti-Christian Defamation, said Americans should be up in arms over the Supreme Court's Ten Commandments decisions. "The Court persists in its tradition of deliberately misinterpreting the First Amendment's Establishment Clause," Feder complained. "An 'establishment of religion' means a national church - not a crèche in a park at Christmas, not a moment of silent meditation at the start of the school day, and not a public display of the Ten Commandments." Feder explained," The Court has put itself in a bind - hence its often wildly inconsistent rulings on so-call separation cases, which are...

Misquoting Our Founding Fathers    TO THE SOURCE How many times have your heard that "Our founding fathers were not Christians! They were deists!"? It is an absurd assertion. It conjures up images of clandestine gatherings in Philadelphia's Independence Hall where one by one Washington and Jefferson and Adams et al swear allegiance to some obscure deist creed and pledge to set America on the course of eradicating Biblical belief from all corners of the land. Sure some of our nation's founders were deists. Consider the grumpy pamphleteer Thomas Paine in The Age of Reason: "I do not believe in...

English journalist and author G.K. Chesterton once observed, "America is the only nation in the world that is founded on a creed. That creed is set forth with dogmatic and even theological lucidity in the Declaration of Independence." Numerous scholars think the preliminary covenant for self-government, the Mayflower Compact, became the foundation of the U.S. Constitution. Let's look at the state of mind - then and now - relating to the declaration and the Constitution. The Pilgrims plainly declared they came to this land to spread Christianity. William Bradford, their leader, said, "A great hope and inward zeal they had...

Did You Know that Half the Declaration's Signers Had Divinity School Training? by Larry Schweikart No phrase has been more egregiously misapplied than Thomas Jefferson’s infamous “wall of separation between church and state,” a line he used in a letter to the Danbury Baptist Association in 1802.This line, along with references to the supposed lack of Christian faith among the Founders, has for decades fed the fires of the American leftists in their drive to excise any references to God and/or Christ from the public square. Yet how “ir-religious” were these Founders? It is worth beginning at the beginning...

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. Arizona 1911, Preamble. We, the people of the State of Arizona, grateful to Almighty God for our liberties, do ordain this Constitution... Arkansas 1874, Preamble. We, the people of the State of Arkansas, grateful to Almighty God for the privilege of choosing our own form of government... California 1879, Preamble. We, the...