Free Republic

Striping away the nuance of public discourse and gazing at the underlying foundation of competing belief systems seems to reveal two general camps into which people fall. There are those who believe, for whatever reason and to varying degrees, that human beings have evolved from lower animal or social forms and are continuing to evolve toward some future perfection or apotheosis. Conversely, there are those who believe man is inherently flawed, limited, and in a very literal way retarded. I believe the latter self-evident, and wish to ask those who believe the former to present me with an answer to...

[snip long aside about Joe Wilson] Whether he knows it or not, Chambliss should be grateful that the dust-up over Wilson's outburst overshadowed the senator's own remarks about Obama. In a Tuesday interview on Fox News, Chambliss was talking about Republican expectations for the president's address when he said, "I think what you're looking at is folks on my side anxious to see what the president has to say (Wednesday) night. I think he's going to have to express some humility based on what we've seen around the country during August, and that's not his inclination." Take a closer look...

Here is video of Sen. Saxby Chambliss talking to Stuart Varney yesterday where he said Republicans will be looking for Obama to show some "humility" in his speech tonight, based on the outcry from Americans this past month against a Government take over of Health Care. Chambliss added that "humility" is "against his inclination." He makes the comment at around the 2:30 mark of the video. The whole segment contains a discussion of what Obama and the Democrats may try to do to pass a Health Care bill. . . (VIDEO)

Watch video poem at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53cwvVDP7bk Talk about hope and dignity. Try to look beyond the decay I see. More than a word to set me "free." Help me see real meaning. Make me what I ought to be. When I tell you: "No, I don't really care." When your invitation meets a vacant stare. Please, give me a needed kick in the ass. Please, make me fight for the things that last. When a lonely stranger needs your hope and joy. When a starving mother cannot feed her boy. When a dying patient cries out in pain. Will I stop...

MOSCOW, May 22 (RIA Novosti) - The leader of the Russian Orthodox Church spoke of the importance of meekness during a service on Friday in central Moscow's Christ the Savior Cathedral to commemorate St. Nicholas' Day. St. Nicholas is the patron saint of sailors, fishermen, children, travelers, the falsely accused and the sick, as well as of the cities of Bari, Amsterdam and Liverpool. He is also the archetype for the British and U.S. version of Santa Claus. He is especially venerated in Russia. On Friday, the Russian Orthodox Church marks the day when the relics of St. Nicholas the...

1 Peter 1:3-9 (King James Version) 3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, 5Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: 7That the trial of your...

The Galileo affair: history or heroic hagiography? by Thomas Schirrmacher Summary The 17th century controversy between Galileo and the Vatican is examined. Fifteen theses are advanced, with supporting evidence, to show that the Galileo affair cannot serve as an argument for any position on the relation of religion and science. Contrary to legend, both Galileo and the Copernican system were well regarded by church officials. Galileo was the victim of his own arrogance, the envy of his colleagues and the politics of Pope Urban VIII. He was not accused of criticising the Bible, but disobeying a papal decree...

EXCLUSIVE: For much of the past seven years, President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney have waged a clandestine operation inside the White House. It has involved thousands of military personnel, private presidential letters and meetings that were kept off their public calendars or sometimes left the news media in the dark. Their mission: to comfort the families of soldiers who died fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and to lift the spirits of those wounded in the service of their country. On Monday, the president is set to make a more common public trip...

“And, insomuch as we know that, by His divine law, nations like individuals are subjected to punishments and chastisements in this world, may we not justly fear that the awful calamity of civil war, which now desolates the land, may be but a punishment, inflicted upon us, for our presumptuous sins, to the needful end of our national reformation as a whole People?We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven. We have been preserved, these many years, in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth, and power, as no other nation has ever grown. But...

WASHINGTON -- On Wednesday, I was an unwilling eyewitness to a dramatic political event, and it made me wonder where we are headed as a nation. More on that in a moment. First, a little background. There is no doubt that leadership matters. The study of human history provides evidence that empires -- even entire civilizations -- rise and fall on the ideas, virtues and skills (or lack thereof) of great leaders. From Mesopotamia to Europe, those who chronicled the triumphs and failures of great leaders in the Western world measured success based on military prowess and territory conquered. Herodotus...

Pardon a vanity, but I'd like to have a discussion on McCain's plain talk. Humility and being humble are traits not shown by politicians except in rare cases.

2 Kings 5 1 Now Naaman, captain of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man with his master, and highly respected, because by him the LORD had given victory to Aram. The man was also a valiant warrior, but he was a leper. 2 Now the Arameans had gone out in bands and had taken captive a little girl from the land of Israel; and she waited on Naaman's wife. 3 She said to her mistress, "I wish that my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! Then he would cure him of his...

When our middle son was in preschool, his teacher asked him to explain to the (overwhelmingly non-Jewish) class what the Jewish New Year was all about. Four-year-old David told them that on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, Jews go to a big building and "forgive God." Well, something like that. This week, Jews all over the world are gathering to observe the "Ten Days of Awe," the period that begins with Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, and culminates with Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Like other Jewish holidays (Passover, Sukkot), Rosh Hashanah is celebrated for two days in...

        Shunning Over- Familiarity - Imitation of Christ DO NOT open your heart to every man, but discuss your affairs with one who is wise and who fears God. Do not keep company with young people and strangers. Do not fawn upon the rich, and do not be fond of mingling with the great. Associate with the humble and the simple, with the devout and virtuous, and with them speak of edifying things. Be not intimate with any woman, but generally commend all good women to God. Seek only the intimacy of God and of His...

  Having A Humble Opinion of Self - Imitation of Christ EVERY man naturally desires knowledge; but what good is knowledge without fear of God? Indeed a humble rustic who serves God is better than a proud intellectual who neglects his soul to study the course of the stars. He who knows himself well becomes mean in his own eyes and is not happy when praised by men. If I knew all things in the world and had not charity, what would it profit me before God Who will judge me by my deeds? Shun too great a desire...

Pres. Faust knew who comes first By Jerry Johnston Deseret Morning News Published: August 18, 2007 If you took everything said and written about President James E. Faust over the past week and counted how often certain words were used, words like "kindness," "sweet" and "loving" would be near the top of the list. But the most-used word, I think, would be "humility." James E. Faust was a humble man. And I think all those other words — kind, sweet, loving — flow from the word "humility." I think that because I'm convinced most Bible stories, lessons and commandments flow...

"Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honor is humility."—Proverbs 18:12. ALMOST every event has its prophetic prelude. It is an old and common saying, that "coming events cast their shadows before them;" the wise man teaches us the same lesson in the verse before us. When destruction walks through the land, it casts its shadow; it is in the shape of pride. When honor visits a man's house, it casts its shadow before it; it is in the fashion of humility. "Before destruction the heart of man is haughty;" pride is as surely the sign of...

Ted Sorensen’s service to John F. Kennedy (as both US Senator and President) earned him legendary status as the most celebrated speechwriter in US history. Sorensen crafted the famous “Ask not…” phrase in the inaugural address, and wrote JFK’s stirring “New Frontier” acceptance speech when he won the Democratic nomination in 1960. Last week, Sorensen (now 79) wrote another speech intended to inspire the Democratic hordes who scent victory in another watershed election. He wrote a proposed “Acceptance Speech” which he means to offer to whichever candidate prevails in the nomination fight. Some of the carefully crafted language reads like...

Sunday, May 6 “Growth Is Intentional” 2 Peter 1:1-11 Webster’s defines “growth” as “progressive development: evolution; increase, expansion.” In the first half of chapter one, Peter profiled spiritual maturity, a kind of growth that does not “just” happen. Verses 5-7 itemize seven character traits, the greatest one being “love” (v. 7; see also 1 Cor. 12:31-13:13). Two factors promote their development: [a] God’s Initiative and [b]Individual Involvement.

1 Peter 4 ends with a prepositional phrase, “in doing what is right.” The “therefore” in 5:1 connects that prepositional phrase to final instructions (5:1-10). A doxology (5:11) precedes the conclusion (5:12-14) of the letter. 1. Leaders of the Church: Do What Is Right. In verses 1-5, Greek adjectives, translated “elder” or “fellow elder,” occur three times. In the Early Church, according to the New Testament, “elder” was a title of authority (e.g., Acts 14:23; 1 Tim. 5:17; Jas. 5:14). The Apostle Paul twice used “elder” and “overseer” — another title — interchangeably. For example, he had charged the elders...

I would like to thank the Anchoress for pointing out this photo from the Daily Mail of President Bush aiding Robert Byrd to his seat at the ceremony for the awarding of a congressional Gold Medal to the Tuskegee airmen who served our country so nobly during WWII. George W Bush is the President of the United States, not an usher. Robert Byrd is a former Ku Klux Klan member-turned elder statesman of the US Senate, a Democrat who has said that the President lied about the reasons for invading Iraq. “Eventually, the truth will emerge. And when it does,...

Ladies and Gentlemen. Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, the start of the season of Lent. A season where we are called to reflect on the death and resurrection of Christ, and the reason He had to die in the first place. A time to repent, and to realize just how fallen and sinful we are, and that our sins are why Jesus had to be nailed to the cross. Lately, here in the FR Religion forum, there have been a lot of articles attacking other Christians. Now, there is a place for doctrinal discussions, and they are often fruitful. However the...

Each Sunday morning where my wife and I worship we admit that we are public sinners. Upon an invitation from the pastor, we join in what is called the General Confession. The words are incisive and solemn. We admit that we have sinned against God, in “thought, word and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have failed to do.” It is a general statement, and we are not called upon to stand up and say publicly what particular sins we have committed. Now and then I worship in churches that offer written forms of confession that...

Maths genius declines top prize Photos of the reclusive genius are rare Grigory Perelman, the Russian who seems to have solved one of the hardest problems in mathematics, has declined one of the discipline's top awards. Dr Perelman was to have been presented with the prestigious Fields Medal by King Juan Carlos of Spain, at a ceremony in Madrid on Tuesday. In 2002, the mathematician claimed to have solved a century-old problem called the Poincare Conjecture. So far, experts working to verify his proof have found no significant flaws. There had been considerable speculation that Grigory "Grisha" Perelman would...

The True Lover Of God Mary Lindow Jun 25 2006 06:04PM THE TRUE LOVER OF GOD DOES NOT NEED TO BE LAVISHED UPON BY MAN THE PRESENT EVILS AND PRESSURES OF OUR TIME ARE NOT NEW TO GOD OR......TO THE PRINCE OF THIS WORLD! The Bride of Christ has been either over stroked with false platitudes or has been allowed to be spoiled with a gluttony of self-love, self-analysis, and self-promotion. All members of the Lord’s Body, leaders and simple followers, have all had the virus of “I WANNA BE SOMEBODY” attempt to sidetrack and infect the human nature side...

VIRGINIA BEACH-Religious broadcaster Pat Robertson is warning that, according to God, storms and possibly a tidal wave will pound America's coastline this year.

The gift had to be right, something she would never forget. After all, Adaline Davis had reared her grandson like he was her own, making him everything that he had become. He even called her "Ma." So on her birthday two years ago, Vernon Davis did what only a college freshman would do. He had her name tattooed to the inside of his left arm. Then he raced home with his surprise.

Have you ever observed someone making a fool of himself? Even if you are a detached bystander, such a scene can be excruciatingly hard to watch. When I see a person embarrassing himself on television – such as a singer singing the national anthem off key or an actor forgetting a line in a live performance – I find myself flipping the channel, as if that will somehow help end the awkward situation. Clearly, we all have a keen sensitivity to “shame� and “humiliation�, making it truly painful to observe, let alone experience. We commonly hear the word “humility� associated...

Experienced a recent bout of arrogance and want to feel small? Then, come on down to Florida and immerse yourself in Hurricane Wilma. Having flown down with my wife and children to Miami Beach to spend the Jewish festival of Sukkoth, which mandates sitting outside in makeshift huts for a 7-day duration, with my mother and siblings, the most severe damage we thought we'd experience is cooking out in the Florida heat. Little did I expect that a most unlady-like Wilma would huff and puff, and blow all the Sukkos down. I am writing these lines in my brother's dining...

WASHINGTON, May 5 /U.S. Newswire/ -- House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) today delivered remarks on the importance of humility in public service and asked for continued prayers for the U.S. Congress at the annual National Day of Prayer service. Below are excerpts from his remarks. "No man or woman of any faith or of no faith can truly love, truly serve, truly persevere, truly dare mighty deeds, truly hope for the future or truly honor the past, without a humble heart. "So it is for humility, then, that, on behalf of the legislative branch -- both houses, both parties...

Humility Is A Weapon Carla Rickard March 16 2005 Live Word as Recorded. There has been and is going on now a shift. thank you Lord. there is coming a shift ... we are in it. More power is being made available More Authority. You can't see it, but you can feel it There is oh the lack of words ... Help me Jesus The fight is heavy for some now, light for others but nevertheless... there is an increase. The war that is increasing is not against flesh but one that will require the flesh to lay down and...

William "Bill" Crawford certainly was an unimpressive figure, one you could easily overlook during a hectic day at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Mr. Crawford, as most of us referred to him back in the late 1970s, was our squadron janitor. While we cadets busied ourselves preparing for academic exams, athletic events, Saturday morning parades and room inspections, or never-ending leadership classes, Bill quietly moved about the squadron mopping and buffing floors, emptying trash cans, cleaning toilets, or just tidying up the mess 100 college-age kids can leave in a dormitory. Sadly, and for many years, few of us gave...

On Wednesday something very special happened at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. For the first time in US history – for the first time in all of history for that matter – a sitting president of the United States led a delegation from the US to The Vatican to pay their last respects to a great spiritual leader and honor the legacy of a visionary whose calling lead him to the reverence and preservation of human dignity. The US delegation, led by the president, included First Lady Laura Bush, the president’s father President George H.W. Bush, President Bill Clinton, Secretary...

St. Joseph's Spirit of Silence The prudence of St. Joseph had soared to the highest point possible, to the extent of seeing nothing but divine things, sola divina intueatur. It towered over the fleeting course of transitory thigns. We see him as a contemplative absorbed in God, as the man of silence and mystery who is on the earth without being of the earth and from whom nothing may, even for a moment, take away the thought of eternity. Let us also admire him as a man of silence; to know how to refrain from speaking is an outstanding part...

Humility and Virginity Just as St. Joseph took care to guard his virtues under cover of very holy humility, he was also diligent in hiding the precious pearl of his virginity. If he agreed to be married, it was so that, without anyone knowing it, he could hide his virtue under the veil of a holy marriage. On this subject, virgins and those who wish to live in chastity, are taught that it is not sufficient to be celibate. If they are not humble and do not guard their purity in the precious vase of humility, they will be like...

String Of Beads Lanna Perry 1st March 2004 Sydney Australia My children, like a necklace is joined together, so I am calling My body, My children to come together. For if one bead is missing from a necklace, is it complete and functioning fully as it was created too? Surely Not. My children, you are like a string of beads. You are called to work together. For a necklace cannot be a necklace with one bead alone. A necklace cannot function completely without all of the beads being joined together. Yes, one bead alone has much beauty, but how much...

The Gold and the Glory by Ron Wood Meri Burlingame Mar 5, 2005 [Some added paragraphing; BOLD & COLOR emphases by Quix] The Gold and the Glory by Ron Wood TOUCHED BY GRACE HERE: http://www.touchedbygrace.org I am passing along to you the following account from Chuck Pierce. It details a supernatural manifestation of God's presence among worshipping, penitent people. I say "penitent," because only when we get low and humble ourselves, does God disclose his glory. I was in a similar supernatural setting among intercessors seeking God's intervention in our nation's election in Waco, Texas, in November 2004. We prostrated...

“Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, God will honor.” Jesus (John 12:26) In July, 2002, Dallas Willard spoke at the Washington, D.C. Servant Leadership School. In conversation over lunch one day, Gordon Cosby asked Dallas, “Why do churches and ministries so often lose the essence of their founding vision, to the point that the resulting institution, years later, is quite unlike the original dream? What happens along the way?” This essay is Dallas’s response to that question. We are grateful to him for his gift of words...

Editor: I didn’t write this piece but I salute the man who did. He has said exactly what so many veterans have been thinking for so long. When I returned from Nam, my roommate in the 82d Airborne was SSGT Charles B. Morris, awarded the Medal of Honor while serving with the 173rd Airborne in Vietnam. I know firsthand it’s true that warriors like Charley are tormented in their dreams and cry out in their sleep as they re-fight their battles; yes that I know from bunking with him. But one thing I never heard him do was boast. Not...

BUSH'S MORAL COURAGE By Lt. Col. Gordon Cucullu FrontPageMagazine.com | September 3, 2004 A young military officer learns that courage comes in many forms. For example, airborne training requires that one develop the bravery needed to step out of an open aircraft door, often at night, sometimes with people shooting at you. Rangers, SEALs and Special Forces are required to develop another form of physical courage--the courage of endurance under prolonged physical and mental stress. Candidates are ground down by the discomfort of short rations, lack of sleep, intense physical challenges and demands on their leadership abilities. This is the...

As Christians, each and every one of us should strive to acquire humility, for there is no better thing in this life then to live in humility, loving one another and loving God with all our hearts. So often, though, pride gets in our way – and once the heart becomes corrupted by pride we begin to lose our love for not only our God, but also for our neighbor. So it is absolutely vital for our spiritual health that we defeat pride by humbling ourselves in love before our gracious God, and letting that love spread out to touch...

Former Vice President Al Gore was to call for the resignation of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and several other Bush administration officials in a scathing attack on the president’s foreign policy Wednesday, people familiar with the speech told The Associated Press. In a speech at New York University, Gore was to argue that several officials, including National Security Adviser Condoleeza Rice, CIA director George Tenet and a top military leader should step down because the situation in Iraq is out of control. He was expected to place blame for the Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal directly on the Bush administration officials,...

MILWAUKEE (Reuters) - Democratic challenger John Kerry (news - web sites) called on Thursday for humility and common sense on Iraq (news - web sites) and urged President Bush (news - web sites) to make a bold and honest appeal for help to end the chaos. Fierce fighting not seen since the fall of Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) a year ago has raged in Iraq over the past week, as U.S. forces battle both Sunni and Shi'ite militants. At least three dozen American soldiers have been killed since last weekend. Kerry, a decorated veteran of the Vietnam war,...

Not too long back there was a heated arguement over a thread about Border security. In the thread I accused Travis McGee of falsely claiming that he was a US Navy SEAL. I have gotten several confirmations that the information he provided about his graduating BUDs class was indeed correct. I apologize. The arguement had gotten very personal and I definitely gave way to anger. I hope that he and the others involved in the thread will accept my apology. -Brian

CHARLOTTE AMALIE, US Virgin Islands - She'd been a spiritual wanderer for 20 years, studying century-old teachings of a Russian philosopher, seeking tranquility in Zen and Hinduism. For Charlene Kehoe, Catholicism was a relic of a past she thought she'd left far behind. Her bond with the Catholic Church of her youth had frayed to little more than a seasonal reflex - one token visit at Christmas that was more social than religious. And even that one service could be a sharp reminder of why she'd left. ''I was so disgusted, I think I walked out after Communion,'' Kehoe said...

President Bush and Vice President Cheney declared themselves vindicated today as Baghdad fell to U.S. forces just 10 days after the administration suffered a barrage of second-guessing about its war plan. "They got it down!" Bush said this morning as he caught television coverage of a toppled statue of Saddam Hussein, according to an aide. White House press secretary Ari Fleischer called the scenes of joyful Iraqi defiance of Saddam Hussein's fallen regime "a powerful testament to mankind's desire to live free." "That includes, of course, the Iraqi people, like the president always said it would," Fleischer said.

If there were any justice in the world, George W. Bush and Tony Blair would share the next Nobel Peace Prize. They have destroyed a regime that caused more Muslim deaths than any other government in history. Over the past few days we have seen jubilant crowds. We have seen kids freed from a children’s prison where they were jailed for not joining the fascist youth brigades. We have seen men released from torture centres, where, just hours before, they were forced to endure the last sadistic spasms of the Baath regime. And yet there are no triumphal arches being...

A testimony of Lt. Col. Rick Jones "I just witnessed something I don't think I'll ever forget. I was down near the cafeteria in the Pentagon meeting a friend for lunch and I see a very large crowd of people inside. I walk in and soon find myself standing less than three feet away from our Commander-in-Chief and right beside the Secretary of Defense (and a bunch of Secret Service folks). President Bush was walking around shaking hands and thanking all of us for what we do. He kept saying to people "Don't Worry" -- as if to say, I've...

At St. Dominic's Roman Catholic Church Sunday, the Rev. Malcolm Burns read the Gospel about a leper begging Jesus to cleanse him. Then he lived it. "I want to pray with you on my knees, as the leper from the Gospel begged Jesus,” Burns said, moving from the lectern to the lowest altar step. "A leprosy is among us, and priests need to be cleansed.” Then he knelt and faced the crucifix to lead those attending the noon Mass at the Oyster Bay parish in a special prayer for healing. Moments before his dramatic gesture, Burns talked of his own...

St Martin was born in Lima, Peru on December 9, 1579. His father Don Juan de Porres was a Spanish knight; his mother was Anna Velasquez, a freed woman from Panama of African descent. They were not married and after the birth of Juana, a second child, Juan and Anna separated. For a time the father shamefully left the mother and children to fend for themselves. Despite the poverty of their home Martin, from an early age, showed exceptional generosity especially to those poorer then himself. One might say that he had a weakness for the poor, and often,...