Free Republic

Moscow (AsiaNews) - The Russian Ministry for Justice has proposed amendments to the law on "Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations" that, if adopted, will introduce stronger restrictions on the activities of Evangelicals in the country. The community is on alert: If the proposal becomes law, among other things the evangelicals can no longer pray freely without a permit and people with a “criminal record” will not be allowed become members of their communities. The latter condition, which also concerns other religious groups because it would clear the path for state interference in the individual freedom of conscience. The document...

A New Grassroots Political Organization Makes Its Mark by Deal W. Hudson    11/06/09 The election results of November 2 were not merely the spontaneous reaction of Republicans to the bad economy and liberal excesses of the Obama administration. The four pro-life, conservative GOP candidates in Virginia and New Jersey were elected in a groundswell of religious and social conservatives, many of them independent voters who had voted for Obama only a year ago. A new grassroots organization played a major role in getting these voters to the polls -- the Faith & Freedom Coalition was founded by Ralph...

Growing up in evangelicalism, I was one of those kids who felt mediocre at meetings where ex-drug addicts gave their "testimony" of suddenly losing their craving for LSD. My grandmother used to speak of two groups of Christians: those who were "saved" and those who were "gloriously saved." Everything a good, clean Baptist youth is supposed to be, I didn't "dance, drink, smoke or chew, or go with girls who do." So unimpressive was my testimony that I did not even remember the day I was "saved." That, of course, was a problem...a big one. From time to time, I...

PROVO — Mormons are a peculiar people — not only in their religious beliefs, but in the political arena as well... SNIP BYU assistant political science Chris Karpowitz...unique findings were...Mormons are still peculiar... The study surveyed 35,000 Americans, including 250 Latter-day Saints, and the rough data showed that Mormons are more conservative than self-proclaimed, born-again Christians in some areas and less conservative in other areas. "The finding is … Mormons and evangelicals may appear to be politically sympathetic, but it's wrong to infer that these two groups are always in sync," Karpowitz said. For example, it's evangelicals, not Mormons, who...

Concerned evangelicals gathered last week to search the soul of their movement and find a new way forward. Among evangelicals, who account for a quarter of the U.S. population, the idea that they must focus their attention on shaping authentic disciples of Jesus has always had broad support. But how to do that in a consumerist society with little appetite for self-denial is fueling internal debate. About 500 people attended a conference at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary on "renewing the evangelical mission." Leading thinkers called fellow believers to repent for a host of sins, from reducing the Gospel to a right-wing...

One of the largest evangelical churches in the country recently received permission to build a bridge from its campus to a major highway to help ease the flow of traffic on Sundays. North Point Community Church in Alpharetta, Ga., will begin construction on the $5 million bridge in December. The bridge, the senior pastor said, will help draw more unchurched people who would otherwise find it difficult to attend because of the usual parking lot jam. "Those of you who are regular attendees have learned to navigate the congestion without losing your faith in the process," Pastor Andy Stanley wrote...

Why We Are Going to Hell – Part 3,995 Conservative Protestants Condone Law-Breaking Has the Christian Church Gone Crazy??? byPaul L. Williams, Ph.D. thelastcrusade.org Evangelical Christians this week offered the Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) and members of the U.S. Senate Immigration Reform Committee their ringing endorsement of full amnesty for the 20 to 30 million illegal aliens within the country. Open borders and high immigration, the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) proclaimed, increases membership in evangelical churches and is good for the economy. Rev. Leith Anderson, president of the NAE, said there was no dissent among the members of...

LANDOVER, Md. – The evangelical movement is at a “head-snapping” generational change with younger evangelicals “revolting” against the tone of the Christian Right, says a prominent religious scholar. Across the nation, young evangelicals are naming Rick Warren or Bono as their role model for social engagement, rather than a Christian Right leader, says Michael Gerson, senior research fellow in the Center on Faith & International Affairs at the Institute for Global Engagement. Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forrest, Calif., is known for mobilizing evangelical churches in the battle against HIV/AID in Africa, while U2 frontman Bono is one...

California Christians Worship In A Big Way The state has more megachurches than anywhere else in the country, with the majority in the suburbs between Los Angeles and San Diego. Their upbeat approach is luring thousands each weekend. A worshiper gets caught up in the music at Shepherd of the Hills in Porter Ranch, which attracts 8,000 people to its six weekend services. California has 193 megachurches, defined as those with at least 2,000 congregants. By Duke Helfand October 11, 2009 Once again, the Sunday faithful have packed the cavernous sanctuary at Shepherd of the Hills Church in the San...

Leaders of most of the nation's evangelical Christians made a shocking endorsement of illegal-alien amnesty today in Senate testimony. Their spokesman -- the head of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) -- said high immigration is increasing membership in evangelical churches and is good for the economy.

Thousands who travelled to see Mr Hinn perform at a London rally have been were left disappointed after officials at Stansted airport would not let him in the country. Border Agency officials turned back Mr Hinn, who landed by private jet, because he had failed to bring a valid sponsorship certificate from his church, required under rules introduced last November. The Pentecostal preacher, who was due to perform at a three day rally in a Docklands exhibition centre this weekend, flew on to Paris, and attempted – and failed – to regain entry to Britain via Luton. Thousands of evangelical...

The evangelical movement's eye-popping numbers (new megachurches are opening as mainline churches shrink), cultural power (think The Purpose Driven Life or crossover hits from Christian radio), and political success (George W. Bush, Mike Huckabee, Tim Pawlenty, etc.) makes it easy to forget that evangelical Christianity is very much a countercultural phenomenon. Even as it adapts to the contemporary American cultural landscape—look at Rick Warren's Hawaiian shirts or the number of megachurches that now boast coffee shops—the American evangelical movement nonetheless defines itself as separate from the rest of the country. "Religions that grow are the ones that are hard-core in...

Sarah Palin's most consequential choice since leaving the Alaska governor's mansion may be her co-author - a staunch conservative, devoted evangelical Christian, and intensely partisan Republican from far, far outside the Beltway. Lynn Vincent spent the summer working with Palin on a closely-guarded 400 page memoir, "Going Rogue: An American Life." The book is due out from HarperCollins November 17 - but it shot to the top of the Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble bestseller lists Wednesday as word of its publication spread. Vincent's past projects include co-writing the memoir of General William Boykin, who blasted the media and President...

.....But what began to radicalize American anti-slavery activists? First, it was Evangelical Christianity. Some of the radicalism they took from their faith. They took from the so-called Second Great Awakening. They took from this idea that somehow, it was their duty, it was their place in the world--many of them were the sons and daughters of ministers--to save souls. And if you'd been inspired by Charles Grandison Finney out in Oberlin, Ohio, or--as Theodore Weld had--or a number of other ministers across the North, that it was your duty to go save souls, it was only one step further--and Finney...

Just days after posting this item about Brazil's most popular priest, I found this little nugget, which shows just what the Church is up against down there. Want to know what's luring a new generation of Brazilians away from the Church? Evangelical churches offering, among other things, fight nights and tattoo parlors. From the New York Times: The atmosphere was electric at Reborn in Christ Church on “Extreme Fight� night. Churchgoers dressed in jeans and sneakers, many with ball caps turned backward, lined a makeshift boxing ring to cheer on bare-chested jujitsu fighters. They screamed when a fan favorite, Fábio...

Cultural Christians. Captive Christians. American Jews. Pantheists. Muslims. Spiritual Skeptics. Mormons. The U.S. can be broken down into seven main faith groups, according to the pollster George Barna in his latest book — “The Seven Faith Tribes” — which is at least his 40th. Even he may have lost count. “These have more to do with lifestyles and values and draws parallels with faith inclinations,” Barna said in a recent phone interview from his office in California, where he oversees The Barna Group, a research organization. The faith groups are not the nation’s seven largest but are rather clusters of...

One can see a grassroots revolution in America in three places: The "tea parties" in the public square, the noisy "town hall" meetings between congressmen, senators and their constituents, and the abandonment of evangelical churches by the teens. These three represent most extraordinary developments, the like of which I have never seen during my lifetime. One might see an obvious connection between the tea parties and town halls but what has that to do with the teen walk-out? Many think there is no connection. I think there is a connection. This may be the most daring leap of pattern recognition...

Mike Huckabee, most widely known as a former Republican presidential candidate, said recently that evangelicals are more supportive of Israel than even American Jews. In an interview with CBN News, Huckabee, who was wrapping up a trip to Israel, called evangelicals the “best friends” of Israeli Jews. While American Jews are divided on the level of support for Israel in terms of its borders, the politician-turned-political commentator said in general he doesn’t see that “dichotomy” among the evangelical community. He says that “it’s pretty adamant” among evangelicals that “there ought to be one city (Jerusalem). There ought to be a...

Former US presidential nominee Mike Huckabee says Israel is much better favored by the American evangelicals than by the American Jewish community. "Maybe one of the hard things is to convince some of our Jewish friends that Evangelicals are the best friends they've got - because I think generally, that's the case," Huckabee said in the epilogue to a three-day visit to Israel. "Evangelicals are so much more supportive of Israel than the American Jewish community," he added in an interview with the CBN News. He said that the evangelical Christians were, unlike Jews, consistently supportive of the Israeli territorial...

A prominent American Jewish leader recently told me that the passionate standing ovation he received after addressing 4,000 participants at John Hagee’s Christians United for Israel rally in Washington was reminiscent of the fervent Zionist gatherings he attended as a youngster. The two-day Evangelical Christian parley was designed to express support for Israel, receive updates on the current challenges facing the Jewish state and lobby congressmen in support of Israel. They heard addresses from Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu via satellite, Sen. Joe Lieberman, Ambassador Michael Oren, Malcolm Hoenlein of the Presidents’ Conference and others. At a time when much of...

It's striking that today's Associated Press profile of Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, a possible 2012 Republican presidential candidate, excludes mention of his evangelical faith and strong ties to the evangelical world. I was struck by the same absence in a recent New York Times Pawlenty profile. How solid are Pawlently's evangelical bona fides? The pastor of his home church is president of the National Association of Evangelicals, the nation's largest evangelical interest. Last year, as John McCain struggled to win over evangelical leaders, Pawlently quietly tried to arrange a meeting between the Republican presidential nominee and National Association of Evangelical...

There are many things Evangelical Christians are good at, such as bake sales and talking to me on planes. They're less adept at other things, such as comedy and fighting lions. Christians aren't funny because they tend to be literal-minded. Also because they're sad about having had sex with only one person. So when Kevin Roose, author of the excellent new book The Unlikely Disciple, told me that Rick Warren's giant Saddleback Church has its own improv group, for the first time in my life, I felt my calling. I may not be the Woody Allen or Jon Stewart of...

Evangelical leaders chastised former president Jimmy Carter this week for comments he made regarding the alleged faith-based discrimination of women. “It is true that some have abused Scripture in pursuing oppressive agendas, like arguments for slavery, apartheid, and the denial of rights to women and minorities. But these abuses cannot be supported by an appeal to God’s word, especially when Scripture is interpreted according to the grand tradition of the Church,” said Chuck Colson, founder of Prison Fellowship Ministries. Last week, Carter submitted an op-ed to newspapers including the U.K.-based Guardian and Australia-based The Age to draw greater attention to...

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, trying to garner support against the pressures of the Obama administration, spoke to the group on Wednesday via satellite after a conversation earlier in the day with leaders of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. He told the Christians for Israel, "For centuries, the relationship between Christians and Jews was marked by conflict rather than partnership and friendship. But this is changing…. Today millions of Christians stand with Israel because they stand for freedom; millions of Christians stand with Israel because they stand for truth; and millions of Christians stand with Israel because...

WASHINGTON – A number of black evangelical leaders are rising up as a new voice in the conservative movement traditionally dominated by white Protestants. Their centerpiece agendas are abortion and same-sex “marriage” – the same two key social issues emphasized by most conservative evangelicals. But unlike the typical white evangelical Christian that is most likely part of the conservative wing of the Republican party, these African American leaders may be card-carrying Democrats but willing to switch over to the Republican side if their conservative values are addressed. Bishop Harry R. Jackson, Jr., who heads the socially conservative black pastors group...

Snip... Consider. In 45 years, no Democratic president has put a single white Protestant or Catholic man or woman on the court. Six nominees have been sent to Congress by Democrats since 1964: Thurgood Marshall, an African-American, four Jewish nominees -- Arthur Goldberg, Abe Fortas, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer -- and one wise Latina woman. Not since JFK put All-American Byron "Whizzer" White on in 1962 have Democrats elevated a white Christian.

The Political Gap That Divides Generations Susan Fikse, Issue Number 24, July 2009 Kim is a 25-year-old Christian, a nurse who graduated from Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Mich. She voted for President Bush in 2004 and characterizes herself as pro-life. With just that information, it would be easy to categorize Kim as a conservative Republican. But in November, she cast her vote for Barack Obama. She was not alone.Survey data shows that while fewer than a quarter of white evangelicals between 30 and 64 supported Obama, that number increased to a third for white evangelicals under 30. Kim’s reasons for...

Highlights of this article from the Bulletin: "The recently launched Two Futures Project is a collection of young Evangelicals who are dedicated to working toward a nuclear-weapon-free world. Although Evangelicals traditionally have supported nuclear deterrence the Two Futures Project believes that in a post-Cold War world, this stance must change. Accordingly, its members believe that nuclear weapons are morally bankrupt." Actually, nuclear weapons, like book matches, are morally neutral. It is when these things are in the hands of morally bankrupt people, arsonists, dictators, and tyrannical regimes such as North Korea and Iran, that is where the danger is.

It takes a lot of old-fashioned gumption to pick a fight in order to clear the air with loved ones. But, to have a good relationship, problems have to be addressed before they fester and become impossible to heal. In his new book, Warren Cole Smith begins a “Lover’s Quarrel with the Evangelical Church.” He makes it quite clear that he is an evangelical and that his intention is to build up rather than tear down. And, except for getting overly personal by unfairly singling out specific people for criticism and too often painting his criticism with too broad a...

Despite his having been feted in liberal bastions such as Columbia University and the UN -- over the objections of American conservatives -- when it comes time to analogize today's Iranian Presidential Elections, NPR's reporters claim that the "conservative" voting blocs supporting hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad are akin to Republican Evangelicals.

Facebook is an interesting tool/phenomena. It’s a great way to catch up with real friends, far and wide. It also provides a way to keep up with our new “friends.” We can also listen in on conversations carried on in the ether world that are not our own. In that way, Facebook can become quite voyeuristic. This morning I’ve been “eavesdropping” on a conservation between a friend and one of his so-called friends. The latter is accusing the former of being either theologically inconsistent at best or an outright liar at worst because he claims to be evangelistic. The accuser’s...

"What if church wasn't just a building, but thousands of doors?" asks a new website launched by the United Methodist Church. "Each of them opening up to a different concept or experience of church. . . . Would you come?" After watching its membership drop nearly 25 percent in recent decades, the United Methodist Church, which is still the nation's largest mainline Protestant denomination, thinks it knows the answer. So it's pouring $20 million into a new marketing campaign, including the website, television advertisements, even street teams in some cities, to rebrand the church from stale destination to "24-7 experience."...

The sudden crush of worshipers packing the small evangelical Shelter Rock Church in Manhasset, N.Y. — a Long Island hamlet of yacht clubs and hedge fund managers — forced the pastor to set up an overflow room with closed-circuit TV and 100 folding chairs, which have been filled for six Sundays straight. In Seattle, the Mars Hill Church, one of the fastest-growing evangelical churches in the country, grew to 7,000 members this fall, up 1,000 in a year. At the Life Christian Church in West Orange, N.J., prayer requests have doubled — almost all of them aimed at getting or...

Taking a semester off to travel and focus on writing isn't that unusual for a student at Brown University. But instead of studying comparative literature in Europe, Kevin Roose decided to go to Lynchburg, Va., and enroll at Jerry Falwell's Liberty University. Roose passed himself off as an evangelical Christian to blend in with students at the school founded by the late Moral Majority leader. The experience led to a book, The Unlikely Disciple: A Sinner's Semester at America's Holiest University.

Fifth in a series In 1841, while the Saints lived in Illinois, a political party was formed with the intent of out-voting the Mormons, who tended to vote in bloc. They called themselves the "Anti-Mormon Party." That same year the Anti-Mormon Almanac was printed, marking the first known published adjective use of "anti-Mormon." It was written with the intent of "exposing" Mormonism. Although historical evidence suggests it was the critics who initially applied the term "anti-Mormon" to themselves, some of today's critics are vehemently opposed to the label -- claiming the term is pejorative. While not all critics are anti-Mormons,...

Kim McAllister, a Bay Area nurse for 31 years, knows she can recuse herself from a medical procedure with which she has a moral conflict. If a patient wants an abortion or if McAllister sees an end-of-life decision she might question, she can discreetly find another nurse who would help the patient in the way the patient seeks. But, like many Catholics, evangelicals and others, McAllister now worries that an Obama administration proposal to repeal "conscience" protections for health care workers will imperil her rights. "I took it for granted that my beliefs were protected," said McAllister, 51, of Hayward....

This will come as no news to most younger evangelicals, but The Tennessean [Nashville] has just taken notice of the fact that a sizable number of younger evangelical couples are saving their first kiss for their wedding ceremony. As the paper reports, "In a culture where casual sex is the norm, some Tennesseans have taken the purity pledge to a whole new level, through a practice that some teens refer to as the 'Virgin Lips Movement.'" Reporter Claudia Pinto began her article with the fact that Katy Kruger, who was married on December 13 of last year, experienced her first...

Within just a few days this month, the push for gay marriage found a wave of fresh momentum. A unanimous state Supreme Court decision legalized the practice in Iowa. The state legislature overrode a gubernatorial veto and instituted the practice in Vermont. And Democratic Gov. David A. Paterson announced plans to push legislation that would open the door to the practice in New York. Beyond the political and legal arguments on the issue, however, are demographic shifts indicating that the controversy over same-sex unions may eventually fade altogether. Younger Americans are far more supportive of civil unions and gay marriage...

Young evangelical leaders on Tuesday announced a national initiative to enlist Christians online and in schools and churches to make a moral case for nuclear disarmament. "I know when most people think of the elimination of nuclear weapons, they think of tie-dyed activists," said Tyler Wigg Stevenson, a 31-year-old Baptist pastor.

The February 2008 edition of Christianity Today ran a cover story about evangelicals looking to the ancient Roman Catholic Church in order to find beliefs and practices.1 What was shocking about the article was that both the author of the article and the senior managing editor of CT claim that this trip back to Rome is a good thing. Says Mark Galli the editor, “While the ancient church has captivated the evangelical imagination for some time, it hasn’t been until recently that it’s become an accepted fixture of the evangelical landscape. And this is for the good.”2 Chris Armstrong, the...

The religious right, which vehemently opposed Rudy Giuliani’s 2008 bid for the Republican presidential nomination, is rallying to the former New York mayor’s defense against attacks from gay rights groups. The skirmish began when Giuliani in an interview with the New York Post opposed New York Gov. David Paterson's proposed gay marriage bill and asserted it would spark a backlash against Democrats. ....[S]ocial conservatives are applauding him for his stance on an issue over which they have often been at odds with him. SNIP Even Tony Perkins, president of the influential Family Research Council and an outspoken critic of Giuliani’s...

Stance about-face at issue. BY JULIA DUIN Evangelical leaders say they are bewildered and stunned by the Rev. Rick Warren's apparent turnaround on gay marriage after the famous California pastor said earlier this week that he was not a proponent of California's Proposition 8. Mr. Warren told CNN's Larry King on Monday that he "never once even gave an endorsement" of the proposition, which said marriage in the state could only involve one man and one woman. The measure won at the polls last November by a close margin, in effect negating an earlier California Supreme Court ruling allowing gay...

<p>America's religious Right has conceded that the election of US President Barack Obama has sealed its defeat in the cultural war with permissiveness and secularism.</p> <p>Leading evangelicals have admitted that their association with George W. Bush has not only hurt the cause of social conservatives but contributed to the failure of the key objectives of their 30-year struggle.</p>

The Israel Test By: David Klinghoffer The Jerusalem Post April 3, 2009 Israel stands out from other nations in many ways, not least that its survival appears to depend on powerful but geographically very distant countries. That observation should lead Jews to wonder what makes friends of Israel feel as they do. America has been the country's closet ally, while other Western countries showed less affection even before absorbing huge new Muslim populations. Why? In the American context, why do Republicans on average judge Israel more favorably than Democrats - by a significant spread of 20 percent, 84% compared to...

Disgraced ex Rev. Ted Haggard is working every angle to stay in the media, and was recently booked on FOX"s "Divorce Court." The former evangelical pastor and his wife are planning another TV appearance after their HBO documentary, "The Trials Of Ted Haggard," aired in January. The two taped an appearance on the syndicated Twentieth Television show "Divorce Court," to be broadcast nationally April 1. The show's judge, Lynn Toler, interviewed the couple about how their marriage survived after a male prostitute was found to be involved in a sex and drugs fueled-relationship with Ted Haggard in November 2006. The...

... On the last evening, a young ministerial student approached the ICR booth and listened to our description of ICR’s mission and ministry. "Oh, I really don't see it that way," he stated. "My church teaches that the Bible may be inspired, but it's not inerrant. It's all about man's description of God." I couldn't keep my jaw from dropping at this very matter-of-fact admission. This was supposed to be an "evangelical" pastors conference, sponsored by one of the largest Christian publishers in the world--a Bible publisher, no less...

Here we go again. "A long-time Conservative who opposes same-sex marriage has been appointed to the tribunal that decides whether gays get refugee status in Canada," announced a story this week. "Doug Cryer," it continued, "a former director of public policy for the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, has also publicly defended the right of churches to denounce homosexuality." Wheel out the fires now and throw poor old Doug on top because it's time for a good old burning at the stake for a public enemy. Where to start? First with a slice or two of reality. The immigration and refugee...

In a whimsical moment, Richard D. Land -- the generous Christian thinker -- said The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints could make things easier for itself by simply declaring Mormonism to be the fourth, great religion in the Abrahamic tradition. We all know the first three. The Muslims trace their history from Abraham, through Ishmael to the prophet Mohammed. The Jews come down through Abraham and Moses. Christians descend through Abraham and Moses to Jesus. And Mormons claim Abraham, Moses and Jesus, but add the prophet Joseph Smith. Mormonism pulls from all three. Mormonism, the missing link that...

Many Evangelical Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox Christians did support then candidate Obama. Some observers say that the support from the Christian community secured his election to the Presidency. I believed that Christians who bought the “abortion reduction” claims would be sorry. I feared those on the “religious left” were making the same mistake that many on the “religious right” made in years past. They were being wooed by one Party and would be used by that same Party. The outspoken support of “Catholics United” and “Catholics in Alliance” for Obama nominees such as Kathleen Sebelius is inexplicable to me. They...

We are on the verge – within 10 years – of a major collapse of evangelical Christianity. This breakdown will follow the deterioration of the mainline Protestant world and it will fundamentally alter the religious and cultural environment in the West. ....Why is this going to happen?...2. We Evangelicals have failed to pass on to our young people an orthodox form of faith that can take root and survive the secular onslaught. Ironically, the billions of dollars we've spent on youth ministers, Christian music, publishing, and media has produced a culture of young Christians who know next to nothing about...