Free Republic

In the United States, in the autumn of 2008, the Presidential election was decided on the hoopla of hope and change drenched in hyperbolic rhetoric which effectively drowned journalistic decorum to maintain any pretence at integrity. It put the Oval Office decisively lurching into a monopoly of power without any effective constraints in place. In short, the seeds of tyranny were safely and decisively planted. The jury is still out whether or not the 1986 Philippine Spring succeeded in vanquishing tyranny to nurture expanding liberty. The leading indicators point to a political governance being still in the clutches of a...

Darwin’s bulldog—Thomas H. Huxley --snip-- Huxley, although an unbeliever, was thoroughly familiar with the gospel, and had little time for Christians who compromised their position by supporting the anti-biblical belief of evolutionary naturalism. He wrote: ...

Venezuelan president revokes licenses of 34, says those who share socialist vision will get back on the air

A lay Catholic organization founded in 2002 in the wake of the clerical abuse scandal is facing financial collapse. “I think a lot of people were energized by the crisis and wanted to do something, and Voice of the Faithful was there at the right time,” Philip Lawler, founder and editor of Catholic World News, told the Associated Press. “Now, with the crisis having passed, the organization's agenda is not so popular.” The organization “has used the current crisis in the Church as a springboard for presenting an agenda that is anti-Church and, ultimately, anti-Catholic,” Archbishop John Myers of Newark...

Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Lord: It is on my heart to front money to feed children in the name of Christ, and I wanted your recommendations on some excellent places I could trust with the money the Lord has entrusted to me. Is "World Vision" at $35 a month the only and best way to go? Who else is in this ministry/mission that you trust?

It has been said by a president that america would only be defeated from within but I cant remember his name. The Bible I read says let GOD be true and every man a liar sometimes we as human, homosapien, or what ever you call yourself, because some people say they come from pluto when you ask them about GOD or when you invite them to come to church. Im gonna tell you a little about myself I go to church a lot im not religious im a spiritual man. The bible tells us GOD is a spirit and where...

"Will the Baptist conventions come back together?" my father-in-law asked over Sunday lunch.Not in his lifetime.Most likely, not in my lifetime.And probably not until the Consummation of Time.Good question My father-in-law had a solid reason for his question. He had read my editorial about this year's Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting. It describes the generation gap within the SBC and tells how the youngish leadership walloped the old guard.This is significant because the old guard comprises the remnants of the hard-line fundamentalist leadership that wrested control of the SBC from so-called moderates in a struggle that lasted from the late 1970s...

Special: the Higher Purpose of Freedom, 7/4/95; Jer 80; PPG 3,8 6/19/84; Eph 287, 325 7/8/86 A. Principle of Human Freedom. 1. Freedom is the status of human volition as the uncaused cause of human function. Live and let live is the principle of freedom. Freedom is legitimate self-determination. It is exemption from necessity apart from human consent. Freedom is self-fulfillment. Freedom is exemption from arbitrary control and exploitation. Freedom is related to privacy, property, and authority. Therefore, it emphasizes the need for the laws of divine establishment which define legitimate authority, designed for the protection of freedom. 2. The...

Latter-day Saints love the Bible and believe it as scripture. Indeed, Joseph Smith went so far as to say that we are the only people who truly believe it as it is written. Modern, sectarian Christians hang Bible verses like ornaments on an artificial tree constructed of man-made creeds, ignoring the passages which conflict with or contradict their doctrines. In the process, they have allowed a number of myths about the Bible to be promulgated because it serves their own ends. The following eight myths are summarized from "Here We Stand" by Joseph Fielding McConkie (1995, Deseret Book) McConkie is...

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. -- A man was shot and killed outside a home near Altamonte Springs early Friday morning. Deputies say he was trying to break into a home on S. Magnolia Avenue when someone inside shot him. Investigators say at approximately 4:00am on Friday, a woman was awakened by a loud, pounding sound coming from the front door of her home. She woke up her husband to let him know what she heard and asked him to go check on what was happening. "Yes someone's just tried to break down my front door," said the caller to the 911...

As you probably know, this is our third installment in a series of five sessions that we are spending together discussing how to answer common objections, questions regarding key tenets that are distinctive to the Catholic Church. We have focused upon the Pope and yesterday we looked at purgatory. This morning we want to focus on Mary and the Marian doctrines and devotions of the Catholic Church to see where in scripture do we see, not necessarily logical demonstrations that are brought forth from proof texts that kind of force the mind against the will to give in and...

It’s still very early in the Obama administration, but a pattern is beginning to emerge in how the president deals with foreign nations. And it isn’t a very pretty one. Thus far, it seems that the guiding principle of this administration is summed up in a single, concise phrase: “Treat your enemies like friends, and your friends like enemies.” It’s doubtful the plan was envisioned as such, but that is the impression they’re giving so far. Others here have already discussed at length how the Obama administration is dealing with Israel, so no recap is necessary — but the statements...

“Pure Doctrine and Love for People” (1 John 4:1-11) Sometimes we who insist on pure doctrine are accused of not caring for people: “You black-shirt round-collar types, all you care about is getting things right! You don’t care about people.” Pure doctrine--pure doctrine is seen as an outmoded concern. Doctrine is assumed and taken for granted. We’re even told that insistence on pure doctrine is an impediment to being “missional”: “We’ve got to stop this incessant internal purification and get ablaze with mission! Mission is Job One!” All of this talk puts forward a false dichotomy between doctrine and mission,...

The King Follett Sermon By Joseph Smith, Jr. (1805–1844)First President, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Joseph Smith Jr., “The King Follett Sermon,” Ensign, May 1971, 13This is the conclusion of the King Follett Sermon, delivered by the Prophet Joseph Smith at the April 7, 1844, conference of the Church in Nauvoo, Illinois. The first part of this classic was reprinted in the April Ensign (page 12). Readers should be reminded that the account of the talk was reconstructed from longhand notes taken by four brethren. It is also important to know that the Prophet’s enemies were...

The atheists and humanists must have been eyeing the benefits of Christian congregations because they now want a piece of the action. To accomplish this, they are establishing God-free, um, church-type places. They want all the benefits of a Christian church without the Christian part. I can save them a great deal of trouble in starting this God-free denomination. All they need to do is find their local mainline Protestant church. Why reinvent the wheel? These atheists, agnostics and humanists will feel right at home on Evolution Sunday, listening to lectures about the glories of man, and they can have...

Many cradle Catholics I know look at the moral conflicts tearing apart the mainline denominations with sadness, but as a convert from one of them (the Episcopal Church, the most notoriously divided one of them all), I think this is not quite the right response.We will feel sad at the sight of beloved Christian friends suffering as their churches divide, but we might be heartened to see that because these conflicts express flaws in the original design, they will encourage some to greater friendship, if not full reconciliation, with the Catholic Church.The sadness we feel will be like the sadness...

Join Leland on Saturday 3/21 12p-2p in the plaza of the Robert F. Stevens Courthouse to peacefully demonstrate what a waste our tax dollars have become and to hold our elected officials accountable! Let's show our leaders that we're done with the "Stimulus" plan that only stimulates Government and the props up the unproductive, while stealing from the successful and punishing the achievers. Be a part of the New American Tea Movement that is growing in strength across the country! Bring you tea bags and your creative signs. We're calling for real tax cuts and expanding liberty. Let's send a...

Just got this in from a fellow patriot... Cannot get confirmation... Nothing on Drudge, yet.

I probably should have just listened to Paul Harvey. Though it wasn’t actually Paul Harvey. It was Ron Chapman. And that’s probably the problem. I understand Ron Chapman is a radio legend somewhere, but I don’t live there. So, to me, he’s just an insufferable bore. But I should have been listening anyway. Instead I got an idea. An idea that had been kind of simmering in my head for a week or so. I was trying to think of a way to show that I wasn’t happy. That I was tired of bailouts. That I didn’t want to pay...

President Obama opposes any move to bring back the so-called Fairness Doctrine, a spokesman told FOXNews.com Wednesday. The statement is the first definitive stance the administration has taken since an aide told an industry publication last summer that Obama opposes the doctrine -- a long-abolished policy that would require broadcasters to provide opposing viewpoints on controversial issues.

With the mega-pork, er, stimulus bill done, Democrats will now turn to regulating political speech they don't like. That is, they're revving up to resurrect the so-called Fairness Doctrine. Created in 1949, the doctrine required broadcast radio and TV outlets (then relatively few in number) to present balanced viewpoints on issues. The FCC repealed it in 1987, noting the dramatically expanded media landscape of the intervening four decades allowed sufficient competition of ideas.

Snip.... In June of 2007, Podesta's Center for American Progress released a report titled "The Structural Imbalance of Political Talk Radio," detailing the conservative viewpoint's dominance on the airwaves and proposing steps for leveling the playing field. "Our conclusion is that the gap between conservative and progressive talk radio is the result of multiple structural problems in the U.S. regulatory system," the report reads, "particularly the complete breakdown of the public trustee concept of broadcast, the elimination of clear public interest requirements for broadcasting, and the relaxation of ownership rules including the requirement of local participation in management." The report...

WASHINGTON – Another Democratic U.S. senator has gone on record as supporting the reinstatement of the so-called "Fairness Doctrine," adding, "I feel like that's gonna happen." Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., told radio host and WND columnist Bill Press yesterday when asked about whether it was time to bring back the so-called "Fairness Doctrine": "I think it's absolutely time to pass a standard. Now, whether it's called the Fairness Standard, whether it's called something else – I absolutely think it's time to be bringing accountability to the airwaves. I mean, our new president has talked rightly about accountability and transparency. You...

PORT OF LA GUAIRA, November 27 (Itar-Tass) -- Russia will continue military cooperation with Venezuela in order to preserve stability in the Caribbean, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Thursday. “We are grateful for the friendly attitude to the Russian Fleet and the Russian Armed Forces,” Medvedev told Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez during a visit to the Russian naval ship The Admiral Chabanenko. “The Russian-Venezuelan naval exercise is a measure that enhances stability in the region and the world over.”

Will Dems Try To Revive Fairness Doctrine?Monday November 17, 7:18 pm ET David Hogberg Proponents call it the "Fairness Doctrine," while opponents dismiss it as the "Censorship Doctrine." Either way, the potential return of broad regulation of broadcasters' programming could be a volatile fight on Capitol Hill. Under the Fairness Doctrine, the Federal Communications Commission required companies that held a broadcast license to devote some of their air time to controversial public affairs. It required broadcasters to present contrasting views on those matters, although not equal time. **SNIP** With Democrats holding the White House and Capitol Hill, they have the...

There are so many scary topics popping out at us from the blogosphere that I couldn’t just pick one to cover for today. Every post I read on the new administration makes me lose my appetite. Its like repeatedly having a bad meal and getting food poisoning over and over. If you thought a low-carb diet worked well then you won’t believe what the Obama Diet can do for you. So here is my list from over the weekend and today of the scariest stories from the conservative blogosphere.

President-elect Obama, The campaign is over. It is now time to focus on where our nation will go from here. We disagree on many things, but if we are to take you at your word, we agree in the fundamental importance of encouraging open and honest debate in a Democratic society. There are those in Congress, who do not seem to feel this way. We believe this to be the case due to the recent calls for reinstating the so-called 'Fairness Doctrine'. The Fairness Doctrine, is far from fair, it lies a great distance from liberty. It will be used...

My first vanity, but I do not care. The first battle to take back the country from liberal thought and rebuild the conservative coalition is THE FAIRNESS DOCTRINE. Somehow, someway TWENTY PERCENT of so called conservatives voted FOR Obama. NOTHING explains 20 percent of "conservatives" voting for Obama. Stay home? Maybe. But what in the HELL is a real conservative doing voting for the most liberal person in the Senate, and the most Liberal candidate ever? We conservatives have let the liberals take over the media, the schools and the cultural agenda. Now they have the media and the treasury....

For non-Christians, this may be a non-issue. I post these for Christians and our Jewish brothers and sisters who may find the information useful about Obama's definition of "christianity". This brother in Christ has much good to say. I will post the links to all 7 videos.

“In Step with the Truth of the Gospel” (Galatians 2:11-21)Was the Reformation about doctrine or about practice? Think about that for a moment. The Reformation of the church started by Martin Luther 491 years ago this week--was the Reformation about doctrine or was it about practice? The short answer: Yes. Both. Both doctrine and practice, that’s what the Reformation was about. That’s what the ongoing Reformation of the church is always about--doctrine and practice as they are intertwined and interrelated. You cannot separate the two. And that’s the way it always has been, going back to the earliest days of...

For a military accustomed to quick, easy victories, the trials and tribulations of the Iraq War have come as a rude awakening. To its credit, the officer corps has responded not with excuses but with introspection. One result, especially evident within the U.S. Army, has been the beginning of a Great Debate of sorts. Anyone who cares about the Army’s health should take considerable encouragement from this intellectual ferment. Yet anyone who cares about future U.S. national-security strategy should view the debate with considerable concern: it threatens to encroach upon matters that civilian policy makers, not soldiers, should decide. What...

Charles Gibson, foot-swinging ABC News “gotcha” merchant, looked like someone poured castor oil in his Cheerio bowl just prior to his interview with Governor Sarah Palin. He had a scowl on his kisser that would’ve made WC Fields envious, all the while masterfully balancing those professorial eyeglasses on the end of his nose like a seasoned circus performer handles the tightrope. In retrospect, he probably should have – and certainly could have - been a smidgen more specific when grilling Governor Palin about the Bush Doctrine. Still, the onus was squarely on the Governor of the great state of Alaska...

Video Series about Silencing Christians - Speechless - episode #7 - re: the Fairness Doctrine - was just on with Janet Parshall - interviewing Mike Pense, Congressman, discussing a measure before Congress NOW to ensure the resurrection of the Fairness Doctrine does not happen. Link is to episode 7 of this series - yes you have to "sign in" to be able to access these episodes - but not a big deal. Point is: Fairness doctrine likely WILL BE brought back into play in the next Congress - and/or by the President - should that person be a Dem -...

So what’s the problem? Why all the anxiety? Why don’t Republicans in the House of Representatives accept the quiet assurances of the FCC and settle down? The answer, of course, is talk radio. It is the only form of communication that conservatives have through which they can certainly and consistently connect with the general public. Most major television and print media are dominated by liberals, but conservatives are successful on talk radio.

Barack Obama's National Security Advisor recently Richard Danzig made a fool of himself by claiming that Winnie the Pooh is "fundamental text on national security." His flippancy only emphasizes the fact is that doctrinal writings influence the conduct of war. To anticipate the enemy's thinking, you have to know the foundational texts in which his mind has been marinated. Although military studies have traditionally valued and absorbed the texts of classical war doctrine -- Clausewitz's On War, Sun Tsu's The Art of War, even the exploits of Alexander the Great as recorded in Arrian and Plutarch -- Islamic war doctrine...

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., June 17, 2008 – The U.S. military now incorporates a joint-force strategy to combat enemies who practice unconventional warfare around the globe, a senior officer said today at the kickoff of the 2008 Joint Warfighting Conference. The success of Operation Desert Shield, a joint military effort that forced Saddam Hussein out of Kuwait in 1991, convinced America’s enemies that unconventional, or asymmetrical, warfare was the best way to confront U.S. forces, Army Lt. Gen. John R. Wood, deputy commander of U.S. Joint Forces Command, told conference attendees. “We have a strategy; it is joint,” Wood said. “In...

Introduction Biblical history is the history of Israel. It is different from all other histories. Secular scholars consider the movements of nations and armies to be the core of world history. Church historians, on the other hand, consider the great ecclesiastical conferences and development of denominations and institutions to be at the heart of human history. It is remarkable, but the Bible alone views history from the vantage point of Israel, especially from Genesis 12 through Acts 8. The prophet Isaiah, for instance, envisioned Israel as occupying “the center of the earth”: In that day shall Israel be … a...

Today in History - among other events, the Truman Doctrine is brought into effect, affirming that America would defend the interests of Greece and Turkey to prevent the two states from falling into Soviet control. Wiki The Truman Doctrine is typically viewed as a grand extension of Roosevelt's Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, and one of of the final bricks in transfroming the US military from a reactionary local force into the long arm of international law. The Truman Doctrine is also, historically, one of the major reasons the US was determined to win the Cold War. An Excerpt: I...

What is Mariology? Essentially, it's the theology that affords devotion to Mary. Does this mean the Catholics worship Mary? Well, yes and no. Publicly, the Roman Catholic Church does not afford Mary the same status as Jesus. However, their reverence for her goes beyond their admiration for even the saints. The Catholic Encyclopedia details a view of Mary that it admits is not Biblical. Their view of her life and her role originate in Catholic tradition - that is, the writings of the popes and theologians, rather than in the Bible. Biblically, Mary was betrothed to Joseph. Because of her...

By Sam Crabtree July 6, 1999 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is of course a trick question, though not tricky. Paul's instructions are plain that we are to pursue both unity and doctrine. Further, pursuing both at the same time will be one indication that growth is occurring. "...till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the...

It is currently in vogue within American evangelicalism to play against each other the complementary realities of Christian love and unity, on the one hand; and on the other hand, the necessity for a strenuous biblical precision in formulating and contending for those points of doctrine which are secondary in importance – that is, those doctrines which, to believe one way or the other, would not per se corrupt the essential purity of the gospel. A concrete example of such secondary matters would be one's beliefs in the debate between cessationism or continuationism of the so-called "sign gifts"; or else...

I have seen many discussions on the theology of Justification and Salvation. Many Protestants, in particular, tend to believe that the soul can be saved through Faith alone, Sola fide, and doing good works plays no part is Salvation. This is reinforced in particular by the books of the New Testament like Romans and Galatians. Other denominations, such as those in the Catholic, Orthodox, and Restorationist Churches think that one must both be Faithful and do good works. This is supported in particular by the Epistle of James. here is a list of quotes supporting and opposing the Sola fide...

ELECTION "Election is God's eternal choice of PERSONS unto everlasting life -- NOT BECAUSE OF FORESEEN MERIT IN THEM, but of His mere mercy in Christ - in consequence of which choice they are called, justified, and glorified." How Important is the Doctrine of Election????? This Important IF IT WERE NOT FOR THE DOCTRINE OF ELECTION, NO ONE WOULD BE SAVED ! ! ! WHAT ELECTION IS NOT: * Not salvation, but unto salvation. 11 Thes. 2:13, 14; Eph. 1:4; Rom. 8:29, 30. * Not exclusive of means. II Thes. 2:14; Eph. 1:5, 13; II Tim. 2:10; I Pet. 1:2....

The Pasadena man who killed two suspected burglars as they left his next-door neighbor's home did not intend to kill them when he stepped outside with his 12-gauge shotgun, his lawyer said Friday. In portraying Joe Horn as a victim of circumstances, lawyer and longtime friend Tom Lambright called the 61-year-old computer consultant "a good family man" who has been devastated by the Wednesday afternoon burglary and shooting. Killed in the incident in the 7400 block of Timberline were Miguel Antonio DeJesus, 38, and Diego Ortiz, 30, both of Houston. Each had a minor previous brush with the law. Records...

With all of the attacks on conservative talk show hosts and in the aftermath of an Air America smear on the Right, it's time to make sure that the Left cannot use the government to dictate political content on broadcast networks. A group of Republicans in the House have reached the same conclusion. They announced their intention to force a floor vote on a bill that will permanently bar any attempt to reinstate the Fairness Doctrine and make government the arbiter of political speech: Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) filed a discharge petition Wednesday to force a vote on legislation to...

Hello everyone, its been an interesting few days. I had no idea my post about the family used by democrats to push for expansion of the S-CHIP program would cause such a stir. There have been many questions and comments raised about me and my simple Google research that I thought I'd deal with them all on this post if it's ok with the Mods. My interest in the S-CHIP issue came about because of the way it's portrayed in the media. President Bush's veto was of an EXPANSION of this health insurance program to include higher income families. It...

It is, as always, a great joy to be here at the Church Teaches Forum, and to be able to greet everyone who is here and participating. In a very special way, I want to greet again the many wonderful friends that, over these last several years, I have had the opportunity to meet at this Forum, and I want to salute in a particular way, Mr. Smith, whose generosity and Catholic zeal is so largely responsible for a great deal of this forum's activities. I also want to say a word of gratitude to His Excellency, the Most Reverend...

Papal Authority / Apostolic Succession / Peter as First PopeThe basis for papal authority lies in the Roman Catholic Church's interpretation of Matthew 16:18-19 -- 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed[d] in heaven. Catholics believe that Jesus was addressing Peter only in His...

Papal Authority / Apostolic Succession / Peter as First Pope The basis for papal authority lies in the Roman Catholic Church's interpretation of Matthew 16:18-19 -- 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed[d] in heaven. Catholics believe that Jesus was addressing Peter only in...

Talk shows pour fire on immigration debate August 7, 2007 BY ESTHER J. CEPEDA Staff Reporter/ecepeda@suntimes.com Depending on what side of the debate you're on, conservative talk radio shows are either to thank or to blame for the collapse of the Senate's most recent attempt at immigration reform. The backlash against the Rush Limbaughs, Laura Ingrahams and the Sean Hannitys of the broadcast world came just weeks before last Saturday's 20th anniversary of the FCC decision to abolish the Fairness Doctrine, which had required broadcasters to balance conservative and liberal views in their daily broadcasts. Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) and...