Free Republic

[Catholic Caucus] The Good Thief, The Bad Thief, and Hell’s ThiefWithout the opportunity to defend Jesus from the Bad Thief’s insults, perhaps the Good Thief might have remained silent, without turning to Our Lord for mercy. Then, as now, God uses the wickedness of others to bring about the salvation of those who make use of His mercy. The Gospel of St. Luke relates the story of the Good Thief, which should be dear to all of us sinners in great need of God’s mercy:“And the soldiers also mocked Him, coming to Him, and offering Him vinegar, And saying: If...

One of the most common questions in Christianity is, did Judas go to Heaven or Hell? There are clear indications from Scripture that Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus is burning in Hell right now. He was never saved and even though he was remorseful before he committed suicide he never repented. God didn’t make Judas Iscariot betray Jesus, but he knew he was going to do it. Remember there are some Christians who aren’t really Christians and there are pastors who just use God’s name for money and I believe Judas used God’s name for money. Once you become a...

More and more young people in Germany say they often feel lonely. That poses significant health risks, but researchers say there's also a link between loneliness and anti-democratic attitudes. Loneliness is often described as a silent pandemic in Germany. The latest figures from the Federal Statistical Office indicate that one in six people over the age of 10 often feel lonely — that's around 12.2 million people. Loneliness is defined by psychologists as a perceived discrepancy between desired and actual social relationships, and is different from social isolation. Statistics show that in Germany young people are the worst affected: A...

Today I received a letter from a good friend who just lost a loved one. Let me predicate all this by stating my friend knows that her loved one is with our Lord, because my friend's loved one was a follower of Christ Jesus like herself. All who put their faith in Jesus know the promise that to be absent from the body means we are Present with our Lord. (2Corinthians 5:-10) I do understand her mourning, because she misses her loved one dearly. For those confronted with the loss of a loved one, I often times use the following...

The “Bolivarian Revolution” of Venezuela is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its rise to power. On February 2, 1999 — 25 years ago — I was a naive 11-year-old, devoid of any political thought. Today, just as the socialists celebrate a quarter of a century in power, I am barely starting anew, having been finally able to flee from socialism with my brother, who is under my care due to his mental condition. As they celebrate, cheer, rejoice — I am here, having left everything behind: my home, remaining family, neighbors, and friends, carrying nothing but three pieces of luggage;...

"Yoko actually helped a lot with the lyrics, but I wasn't man enough to let her have credit for it," Lennon confessed to reporter David Sheff during a series of interviews for Playboy magazine published just two days before Lennon was shot dead on December 8, 1980. In early 1971, Lennon finished the lyrics (and Ono's input was officially credited in 2017) and in June that year, he recorded takes at the purpose-built studio at his Tittenhurst Park mansion home — sound engineer Eddie Veale, who helped construct the studio, called it "the first professional home studio in the...

What Is the Occupancy of Hell?COMMENTARY: The Pope’s recent off-the-cuff remarks have provided a teaching moment on universalism and reality.Pope Francis stirred up controversy with an informal remark concerning hell that he made Jan. 14 in an hourlong live interview with a popular Italian television program. While acknowledging that this is only his personal view, not “a dogma of faith,” the Holy Father speculated that hell may be empty and expressed the hope that it is the case: “What I am going to say is not a dogma of faith, but my own personal view: I like to think of...

[Catholic Caucus] Francis and Today’s Missionaries for Hell: True Satans of the Earth“What I am going to say is not a dogma of faith but my own personal view: I like to think of hell as empty; I hope it is.” (Francis, January 14, 2024 interview) In his Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma, Dr. Ludwig Ott included the following truths of the Catholic Faith regarding Hell:“The souls of those who die in the condition of personal grievous sin enter Hell.” (De fide.; p. 479)“The punishment of Hell lasts for all eternity.” (De fide.; p. 481)Based on these two truths, all reasonable...

[Catholic Caucus] Pope Francis: ‘I like to think of an empty hell’Pope Francis said that although 'it's not dogma,' he likes to think hell is 'empty.' Our Lord Jesus Christ and Our Lady of Fatima very clearly attest to the reality of hell, where the devil, his angels, and 'many' souls have gone.In a Sunday interview on Italian television, Pope Francis said that he likes to think hell is empty. The statement reflects what Francis has said in numerous interviews previously on the subject, with famous atheist author Eugenio Scalfari in the left-wing newspaper La Repubblica.In March 2015 Scalfari asked...

Is there a Satan? Is there Hell? Is man’s inhumanity toward his fellow man, just part of his “animal nature”? Or is there something greater? Is there a higher power and a lower power that are battling each other? It says in the Bible that our fight is not against flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, and spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Man’s inhumanity to his fellow man started when Cain murdered his brother Abel and the hatred and murder have not ceased. You would think...

Joe Biden has been mocked after posting a photo of himself sitting alone at a dining table in The White House complete with a flaming cake to celebrate his 81st birthday. 'I turned 81 and all I got was a new social platform! Thanks for the well-wishes, folks,' Biden wrote as he made his first posting on the social media platform Threads. And to the workers at the birthday candle factory, I hope your union got you overtime,' he quipped, as the cake appeared to be engulfed in flames. But followers on other social media were quick to add fuel...

Saleh al-Arouri bragged of Hamas’ ability to capture Israeli military personnel in a Saturday interview with Al-Jazeera. “We managed to kill and capture many Israeli soldiers. The fighting is still on.” 4 dead IDF Soldiers https://twitter.com/Zagonel85/status/1710739882262319614 Woman and children carted into Gaza https://twitter.com/i/status/1710733300988313866 More horrid deeds at link...

MSNBC contributor and Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson said Tuesday on “Morning Joe” that “a whole lot of people in Iowa are going to Hell.” The panel discussed a new CBS News/YouGov poll showing that MAGA voters trust former President Donald Trump more than anyone else, including family members and clergy. Partial transcript as follows: JOE SCARBOROUGH: We’ve been hearing, Gene, for so long that Iowa voters are deeply religious, (adopts mocking voice) oh they’re truly Christian Evangelicals. Oh, if you go to Iowa, then you love Jesus so much! MIKA BRZEZINSKI: Come on! SCARBOROUGH: No, we’ve been hearing that...

Some say the road to Hel is paved with good intentions — but the bus that gets you there certainly isn’t. That’s according to some conservative Christian groups, who say the “666” bus to Hel, Poland, has devilish intentions since its route number represents Satan and it goes to a place that sounds like “hell.” The local bus operator PKS Gdynia has responded to the complaints by announcing its decision to change the route number from 666 to 669. “This year we are turning the last 6 upside down!” the local bus company wrote on social media Monday. […] While...

Wake up! White House ‘pride’ flag signals ideological takeover of the US by an occupying forceThis is all about regime change, about whose flag we are now forced to salute. The nation has been overrun if not conquered by the LGBTQIA+ political machine, rooted in woke neo-Marxism.Listen to this article0:00 / 5:55(LifeSiteNews) — The Biden administration’s horrific display of flags of the United States of America subordinated to the rainbow flag at a White House “Pride Celebration” is yet another indisputable indication that a not-so-stealth-hostile ideological takeover of the government of the U.S. — and much of American culture —...

A smiling Bill Gates and his ex-wife Melinda have shared the first photos of their baby granddaughter - a month after she was born. Billionaire Gates - who split from his ex-wife in 2021 after 27 years of marriage - wrote 'I can't wait to watch you discover the world' next to a shot of him cradling the newborn who was wearing a pink babygrow. Melinda, 58, also uploaded a photo of her with the baby - which appeared to be taken on a separate occasion - as she said 'there is nothing like holding your first grandchild.' Daughter Jennifer,...

Marxism, Progressivism, Leftism, Socialism, and Transhumanism are utopian ideological elements of Satan’s world system. Among utopianism’s most enduring modern myths are man as ape, the product of void, matter, and evolution; chosen apes will evolve into gods; and the self-refuting notion that apes of evolution are born good despite being instinct-driven apes of the void (nothingness) and its evolutionary energy supposedly working on matter.

[Catholic Caucus] Hell, No! Here he goes again. It’s Lent. Time for Bergoglio to scandalize the Church and the world once again.The Vatican’s New Age Freelancer in Chief chooses Lent and his 10th papal anniversary (10 years of our own Bergoglian hell) to announce to the world that Hell is not a place but a “state of the heart and a “posture in life.” What in the hell!In another full throated effort to destroy the teachings of the Catholic Church, Bergoglio, the humble and merciful one, boasts that “Hell is not a place— If one goes to attend the Last...

Pope Francis denies that Hell is ‘a place,’ says it is ‘a posture towards life’The pope's latest scandalous comments contradict the teachings of the Church Fathers on the existence of Hell.In an interview to mark his 10-year anniversary, Pope Francis appeared to deny the existence of Hell, saying that “is not a place” but is instead simply “a state of the heart” and “a posture towards life.”The pontiff’s comments formed part of a lengthy conversation conducted by Argentinian news site Perfil, one of a number of recent interviews the Pope granted journalists to mark his decade upon the papal throne....

Lame duck Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot got a tongue-lashing at a raucous city council meeting Wednesday, with a longtime critic telling the controversial pol to “get the hell out of my city.” Journalist William Kelly, a frequent adversary of Lightfoot, berated the outgoing mayor for her botched leadership, including her response to the COVID-19 pandemic, during a public comment portion of the meeting. “You shut down our schools, you shut down the churches, you shut down the businesses,” Kelly railed, according to a video posted by Forbes. “You did the one thing that I thought could never happen,” he said....