Free Republic

Bishop William Lori testifies about religious liberty at a House subcommittee hearing. Washington D.C., Feb 16, 2012 / 04:12 pm (CNA/EWTN News).-  Individuals from a variety of religious backgrounds testified at a congressional hearing about the threat to religious freedom posed by a new federal contraception policy. Bishop William E. Lori of Bridgeport, Conn. explained that the debate is not about whether contraception should be illegal but whether religious employers that object should be “forced to pay for it.”At a Feb. 16 hearing before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Bishop Lori joined other witnesses to testify...

Evangelical activists’ concern over rising Catholic census numbers was one factor in the cocktail of Victorian moralism and anxiety about sexuality that motivated states and the federal government to ban the dissemination of information about birth control and the sale of contraception devices, and to stiffen anti-abortion laws in the late 19th century. The laws were partly intended to prevent white Protestant women from shirking their duty as mothers of the fittest race. But ethnic prejudice fueled the other side of the birth control debate, too. Liberals in the eugenics movement applauded the potential of modern birth control and sterilization...

This essay is part of today’s symposium of lay Catholic opinion on immigration. For other contributions see this piece by Mark and Louise Zwick, this one by John Zmirak, and this news report from Zenit. For Deal Hudson’s view, see this article in The American Spectator. In the nineteenth century, German Catholics came to America by the millions, with surges following the revolutionary unrest of 1848 and the unification of Germany in 1871 that brought on Bismarck’s persecution of Catholics during the Kulturkampf. With them came heroic religious orders and devout laymen like those who founded Der Wanderer, a Catholic weekly...

Thick clouds of diesel smoke fill the air outside a rundown guest farm, three hours’ drive east of Johannesburg. As the stench dissipates, a group of boys, aged between 13 and 19, spill from the bed of a rusty truck, lugging huge bags full of military clothing. 'There are old bloodstains on my uniform,’ one of them says, as he trades his trainers for army boots. Shouted orders ring out. Groaning, the boys raise 15ft tent poles among the cowpats dotting the grassland. The large army tent that they put up will be their home for the next nine days....

VATICAN, November 28, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) – One of the highest ranking cardinals in the Vatican has said that the United States is “well on the way” to the persecution of Christians. Cardinal Raymond Burke Cardinal Raymond Burke, former Archbishop of St. Louis and now the head of the Vatican’s highest court, told Catholic News Agency that he could envision a time when the Catholic Church in the U.S., “even by announcing her own teaching,” is accused of “engaging in illegal activity, for instance, in its teaching on human sexuality.” Asked if the cardinal could even see American Catholics being arrested...

The Bible & Birth Control The Bible and Birth Control by Charles D. Provan Monongahela, PA: Zimmer Printing, 1989 97 pp., $5.95reviewed by Scott HahnAs a recent convert to Roman Catholicism, I am frequently asked by friends and family to explain how my theological studies led me out of the Protestant ministry into the Catholic Church. After tossing out a few of their favorite stock objections and discovering to their suprise that at least one Catholic has solid scriptural rebuttals, they usually back off. After all, listening to a convert-friend “explain” his new-found faith can put two otherwise close...

Last Friday, Rev. Robert Jeffress, the Dallas pastor who introduced Gov. Rick Perry at the Values Voter Summit, spoke derisively about the Mormon faith of Mitt Romney, making the case that “Mormonism is a cult.” Two days later, he chided Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism as “false religions.” Last year, Rev. Jeffress said the Roman Catholic Church was the outgrowth of a “corruption” called the “Babylonian mystery.” He continued, “Much of what you see in the Catholic Church today doesn’t come from God’s word. It comes from that cult-like pagan religion. Isn’t that the genius of Satan?” Catholic League president Bill...

A European team of researchers led by the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom postulates that the 'Protestant work ethic' that emerged in the 19th century may have helped to propel the economies of northern Europe over their southern neighbours. The study is presented in two articles published in the Quarterly Journal of Economics and the Scandinavian Journal of Economics. Lead author Dr Sascha Becker, the deputy head of Warwick's Centre for Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy (CAGE), collated data to determine if Max Weber's Protestant Work Ethic theory - that Protestantism encouraged hard work as a duty...

What is Sola Scriptura? "We believe in the Bible alone and the Bible in its entirety as the sole rule of faith for the Christian!" You may have heard these words or something very similar to them from a Fundamentalist or Evangelical Protestant. They are, in essence, the meaning of the doctrine of Sola Scriptura, or "Scripture alone," which alleges that the Bible – as interpreted by the individual believer – is the only source of religious authority and is the Christian’s sole rule of faith or criterion regarding what is to be believed. By this doctrine, which is one...

Last night I got into a huge discussion with a liberal drone who thought he knew everything (don't they all?). Among his claims were that Hobbes was the father of Conservatism - who was an elistist who felt that people should be ruled by a strong government and allowed to participate as little as possible. He also claimed that Reagan was the first president to take money out of social security. He also kept referring to something called the "happiness index" and claimed that according to this index, people in Western Europen socialist democracies are the happiest. I intend to...

In the early 1900s, many Americans — from ordinary citizens to those in high office — were frightened by the perceived threat from the Roman Catholic Church. Their fear had tragic consequences.The mind-set is all too familiar: A radical religious group, lurking inside the country, owing loyalty to a foreign power, threatens America. No one denies that its members have a right to worship as they please, but good Americans, patriots, feel compelled to call for curbs against the menace they present. Because of the number of Americans sharing these fears, calls for restrictions on the religion are voiced openly...

The planned new grave for a Catholic priest killed 85 years ago in downtown Birmingham has been dug next to St. Paul's Cathedral. The Rev. James E. Coyle, who became pastor of St. Paul's Cathedral in 1904, was shot to death on the porch of the rectory, the priest's house, on Aug. 11, 1921. He is buried at Elmwood Cemetery. The Rev. Richard Donohoe, current pastor of the cathedral, plans to seek Vatican approval for moving Coyle's remains. "It would make his grave more visible and accessible to the people, for reflection on his cause for being declared a martyr...

An unusually ignorant story in The Atlantic--with a completely misleading headline—questions the religious affiliation of Rep. Michelle Bachman Republican presidential candidate. Bachman was—but no longer is—a member of a Minnesota Lutheran congregation that belongs to the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. The latter, a theologically conservative group, teaches that the Roman Catholic Church embodies the spirit of Antichrist—although a representative of the group reports that this view is rarely expressed today. Columnist Joshua Green asks whether Catholic voters will find Bachman’s beliefs offensive. But Bachman herself never professed that belief. When questioned about it, she repudiated it, and said that she...

CNA STAFF, Jul 1, 2011 / 05:35 am (CNA).- Leaders representing 90 percent of all Christians worldwide issued guidelines on acceptable missionary conduct based on the witness of Christ and the early Church. “The example and teaching of Jesus Christ and of the early church must be the guides for Christian mission,” church leaders wrote.“Christian witness is always a sharing in his witness, which takes the form of proclamation of the kingdom, service to neighbor and the total gift of self even if that act of giving leads to the cross.”The document “Christian Witness in a Multi-Religious World” was issued...

Top gay rights leader: kids of religious families are ‘target demographic’ of anti-‘gay bullying’ ad by Kathleen Gilbert Fri Jun 10 7:18 PM EST June 10, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) - After the broadcast of a homosexualist advertisement during the family-friendly Fox show American Idol prompted outrage, the founder of the ad campaign has confirmed that such advertisements are intended to promote the message of the gay rights lobby to young children in households that normally wouldn’t support it. One conservative leader has now demanded that Google, Fox, and Disney-Pixar sever their ties with the campaign. Peggy Nance of Concerned Women...

OK, I admit it. I’m into this topic right now (see, in the past week, this and that). I had another exchange with a Protestant who believes that the meaning of Scripture is fairly plain, and—since Christ promised he would send the Holy Spirit to lead us into all truth (Jn 16:13)—then with a little application and study, we can decide rightly what the Word of God means all by ourselves.This is a common theory, and I haven’t been able to make any headway with my correspondent in raising the question of how we handle disagreements among those who are equally...

Published on National Catholic Reporter (http://ncronline.org) Home > The hidden exodus: Catholics becoming Protestants The hidden exodus: Catholics becoming Protestants Apr. 18, 2011 Article Details Any other institution that lost one-third of its members would want to know why By Thomas Reese ViewpointThe number of people who have left the Catholic church is huge.We all have heard stories about why people leave. Parents share stories about their children. Academics talk about their students. Everyone has a friend who has left.While personal experience can be helpful, social science research forces us to look beyond our circle of acquaintances to see...

Over the past several weeks, I’ve been inclined to focus on the practice of Lent. I’ve seen my Roman Catholic friends do this for years, but I never gave it much thought. Yet Lutherans, Anglicans, and other denominations inheriting the Reformation tradition also observe this part of the liturgical calendar. Most people who practice Lent sacrifice something from their daily life (usually a food item) from Ash Wednesday until Maundy Thursday. Its purported purpose is to imitate the suffering and temptation of Christ during His forty-day fast in the desert. In centuries past, the methods of penance were much more...

Yet another post appeared trying to put Protestants down, and was finally locked for flame control. Are you people out of your minds? Christians will come together or Islam will rule humanity. Secular humanism and atheism will never go anywhere because they have no force and no answers. Islam has lots of both, and will take over the Earth while Catholics whine about apostolic succession and Protestants betch about sola scriptura. Are we the body of Christ or not? Should I just join all my Muslim friends -- and I truly have many of them -- at the mosque?

Protestantism all of species is filled with errors. What follows is a small selection of their errors, and rebuffs to said errors taken from Scripture. I've caucused this because there would be a firestorm discussion if I didn't. I don't believe that Christians should have raging arguments, hence my decision. Sola Fide There are many examples given in Scripture of the necessity of good works. "Then shall The King say to those on His right hand, Come ye, the blessed of My Father, inherit the reign that hath been prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I...

Lately, there seems to be a lot of conflict on the religion forum. Much of this has been between Catholics, Protestants, and Orthodox. To show that we are all united as Christians and to reduce animosity, I hope we can all agree to one of 4 following statements: 1) I am Catholic. I love Orthodox and Protestant Christians. I consider Orthodox Christians and Protestants to definitely be Christian. All Christians need to work together to defeat our common enemies-- specifically Islam, liberal postmodernism, and totalitarian communism. 2) I am Protestant. I love Orthodox and Catholic Christians. I consider Orthodox Christians...

The Westboro Baptist Church is a nasty little bunch of fanatics, who gain publicity for their fundamentalist views in a particularly loathsome way: by picketing the funerals of fallen American soldiers. But 8 members of the US Supreme Court have agreed that even this repellent form of public speech is protected by the First Amendment. Perhaps so. After all it is when people say unpopular things, and/or say them in unpopular ways, that they need constitutional protection. Those who express polite, conventional views are never in much danger of being silenced. But I have not read the briefs in this...

Can you imagine being arrested and jailed for merely protesting an immoral law; giving a speech against it. If the Planned Parenthood backed legislation passes in the Philippines, Catholics there won't have to imagine that possibility - it will be the reality. http://www.youtube.com/user/RealCatholicTV?feature=mhum#p/a/u/0/2EI0vNdV4FA

Faith Without Works? Do Calvinists Actually Read the Christian Bible? Is anyone as mystified as I am at this contradictory and unbiblical Calvinist “Sola Fide” idea that faith without works is sufficient for salvation? How can Calvinists reject James Chapter 2 which states that; “What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him?” (James 2:14) and "Faith without works is dead" (James 2:26). To do so is antithetical to Scripture. The Calvinist rejection of James is at best substitutional, permitting Calvinists to conclude that works naturally follow...

(The following is excerpted from "A Bishop, A Saint: The Life of Saint John Neumann," by Father James J. Galvin, C.SS.R, published by The Neumann Press. 5 January is the feast day of St. John Neumann.) "[St. John] Neumann [then a priest in upstate New York] had actually gone to the [Protestant] meeting houses with Deacon John Reist....Once inside, the zealous Mennonite brethren had done their best to convince the 'little priest' of the folly of his Catholic way. He had politely listened. They quoted the Scriptures at some length; Neumann heard them out. Finally, Father Neumann began asking seemingly...

A reader asked: One of the things I like about the TLM [Traditional Latin Mass] is that we don’t have to pray like the Protestants Our Father. Isn’t the fact that Bugnini and crowd put “For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever” in our Catholic Mass a proof that they wanted to water down the Catholic Mass and make it more acceptable to Protestants? Funny you should ask that. I have written a weekly column for The Wanderer (for about 11 years now) focusing mainly on liturgical translation. As a matter of fact that...

Jan 20, 2008 — For Americans fighting to outlaw abortion, Paul Schenck is a crusader battling for the unborn. To those who would like abortion to remain legal, he's a zealot who wants the government to force his views on others.Schenck himself says he's addressing the greatest moral issue of our time.Thirty-five years have passed since the Supreme Court legalized abortion nationwide Jan. 22, 1973, in Roe v. Wade.While abortion remains one of the country's most polarizing issues, the strategy of some activists, such as Schenck, has changed since the days of abortion-clinic sit-ins and blockades of the 1980s and...

Did Martin Luther Act Infallibly in Defining What Books Belong in the Bible? If Luther did not act infallibly: - How can Protestants be certain that they have an infallible collection of Books in Holy Scripture? - How can the Bible be the sole rule of faith, if no one knows with certainty which books belong in the Bible? If Luther acted infallibly: - How do you know?

Report: Mainline Protestant Churches Face Rockier Future By Audrey Barrick|Christian Post Reporter   Mainline Protestant churches seem to have weathered the past decade better than many people have assumed, but the future is raising serious challenges to continued stability, said a Christian pollster. George Barna analyzed data for The Barna Group's latest report examining mainline denominations. Weekend attendance at mainline churches has remained relatively stable, ranging from 89 to 100, over the past decade but the report suggests that they may be "on the precipice of a period of decline."Mainline bodies – which the research group identifies as American Baptist...

If you grew up Catholic, it may be difficult for you to relate to those who profess faith in Jesus but whose stomachs turn at the thought of being Catholic. It might seem odd that the Catholic theology you’ve grown up with is seen by others as an offense to God. I was one of the stomach turners. There are days that I wake up and I still can’t believe I’m Catholic. I grew up in the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, usually referred to as Foursquare. Foursquare is a Pentecostal denomination that began in the 1920s and is...

Is Anyone Listening To Peter? A new Dark Age on the horizon?Catholics, Protestants, Agnostics… the vast majority of conservatives of every stripe would agree with this almost non-reported speech made by Pope Benedict XVI on 20 December, 2010.In a speech to Papal representatives from all over the world, the Pope spoke in the context of a the near total collapse in the Western world of any moral consensus rooted in Christian ethics and heritage.In comments aimed directly at the secularization and abandonment of God by the West, Benedict stunned those in a attendance when he stated; “Alexis de Tocqueville, in...

"Indonesia: Arson attack against Saint Joseph Chapel in Central Java" SNIPPET: "Shepherds see smoke coming from the front of the chapel; they find inflammable material ready for ignition. Local Catholics exclude the attacker or attackers are local because of good interfaith relations. Another attempted arson attack is registered at a local Protestant church." SNIPPET: "Jakarta – Someone tried to set fire to the small Chapel of Saint Joseph in Pare, a few kilometres from Delanggu subdistrict in Klaten Regency (Central Java). The building is regularly used by local Catholics to pray during weekends. On Wednesday, a group of young shepherds...

Bingo in the Buff By Parker T. Williamson, The Layman, Posted Wednesday, October 6, 2010 “This is not your grandmother’s bingo,” says Marcus Wise, a writer for ArtVoice, a Buffalo, N.Y. area Web publication. Wise’s article, written in 2008, refers to Saturday night games that are now being played at Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church, home of “Buff Bingo.” The players’ pitch is clearly intended to attract Buffalo’s gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender population. But – true to management’s professed inclusiveness – “the crowd averages half and half,” according to the event’s hostess and drag queen Gladys Over. Wise describes Gladys as...

HomePlace A Classified AdSubmit EditorialSubmit AnnouncementToday’s EditionAbout UsCirculationContact Us Local Christian Book Store’s Name Called “Offensive” Christian Book and Gift Shop owner Don Toy (right) told host David Croyle that his store was rejected by an advertising agency because the name “Christian” is offensive. The owner of Kittanning’s only Christian book store said he was denied advertising on a restaurant menu because the name “Christian” is offensive.Reverend Don Toy, owner of the Christian Book and Gift Shop, appeared on last night’s Talk of the Town program on Family-Life TV, to describe a national movement against Christianity that has made...

While in Rome recently, I went to confession at St. John Lateran. It's the cathedral of Rome, and I'd heard the grace was better there. I got an old Irish priest, soft-spoken, deliberate, patient, and with a habit of sighing frequently as you spoke. He sounded -- and looked, when I saw him a little later -- like the old Irish priest from central casting who loves dogs, is patient with rambunctious boys and ironic to the old women, and is never surprised by any wickedness this world can produce.I soon realized that I could confess to stealing a...

The Protestant Church has secondary growth concerns: The number of students for Evangelical Theology is in decline since the beginning of the nineties. [Die Zeit: Online] 10-15 years it will still go well, then however, Germany will be threatened by a shortage of ministers, fear the Union of Evangelical Pastors and Pastoresses. The number of young men, who want to be Pastor, has been declining for years: 1992 still had 8500 young people studying for the ministry, at the present there are only 2300, said Union President Klaus Weber. From 2020 on the Pastor-boom will fall into silence. Not only...

For the nineteenth consecutive year, the U.S. Assemblies of God has reported a gain in inclusive membership. According to the National Council of Churches' 2010 Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches, the AG grew 1.27 percent for the reporting year to 2,863,265. Joining the Assemblies of God in growth were Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee), up 1.76 percent; the Catholic Church, up 1.49 percent; the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, up 1.71 percent; and Jehovah Witness, up 2 percent.The report, which is based on statistics gathered in 2008 and reported in 2009, ==snip== Of significance, the Assemblies of...

God’s Power Working Through Seven Priests Saves Two Lives At Rockford Abortion Mill  Praying from Fr. Thomas Euteneuer's New Book, Exorcism and the Church Militant, Priests In Rockford play a major role in the saving of two children's lives.   Rockford, IL July 16, 2010 -  Before the Northern Illinois Women's Center opened on Friday morning to end the lives of children in the womb,four Catholic Priests firmly stationed themselves at all four corners around the abortion mill and began praying the powerful prayers of the Church found in Fr. Thomas Euteneuer's book Exorcism and the Church Militant.   For our struggle is...

Doctrine and discipline We must distinguish between the doctrine of Marcion himself and that of his followers. Marcion was no Gnostic dreamer. He wanted a Christianity untrammeled and undefiled by association with Judaism. Christianity was the New Covenant pure and simple. Abstract questions on the origin of evil or on the essence of the Godhead interested him little, but the Old Testament was a scandal to the faithful and a stumbling-block to the refined and intellectual gentiles by its crudity and cruelty, and the Old Testament had to be set aside. The two great obstacles in his way he removed...

BELFAST, Northern Ireland (AP) — Northern Ireland leaders condemned Irish nationalist rioters Tuesday who wounded 82 police officers during two nights of street clashes sparked by the province's annual parades by the British Protestant majority.

Officers were responding to reports of rioting at Lecky Road on the Bogside shortly after 0100 BST on Tuesday when the shots were fired.

BELFAST, Northern Ireland – Police battled Irish nationalists for control of a Belfast road Monday as a day dominated by peaceful Protestant parades across Northern Ireland turned violent when night fell.

From Abandonment to Divine ProvidenceLetter XI.—Intemperate Zeal. To the same person. On intemperate and indiscreet zeal. I see, my dear Sister, that a mistaken zeal exposes you to dangers all the more serious because they are hidden under the most insidious appearances. Desire for the perfection of our neighbour is, doubtless, very good; the pain that is felt interiorly 202at the sight of his defects is good also, provided it proceeds from a pure desire for his perfection, But with all this there must needs be mingled much secret self-complacency, confidence in one’s own superior light, and severity towards one’s...

Ecumenism with Protestantism will not work. Protestantism is a heresy.

What are we to think of Calvin? Rev . Fr. Philippe Marcille The influence of John Calvin (1509-1564) has been immense, perhaps even more so than that of Luther. Certainly, without the bellowing revolutionary Luther, Calvin would not have been able to do anything; yet without Calvin, the revolt would not have had the political impact that it did in France and especially the United States. Origins He was born in Picardy, France, in 1509. His parents were well-to-do people. A very gifted student, he received a benefice from the Church and continued his studies at Paris. He was not...

DID I REALLY LEAVE THE HOLY CATHOLIC CHURCH? The Journey into Evangelical Faith and Church Experience William Webster This article was first published by Moody Press in the book titled, Roman Catholicism: Evangelical Protestants Analyze What Divides and Unites Us in 1994. In light of the recent reversion of Francis Beckwith to Roman Catholicism I felt that perhaps the testimony of one who was Roman Catholic and is now a convinced evangelical Protestant might prove helpful to some. The arguments presented here as to why I could never become a Roman Catholic, based on the truth of Scripture and the...

I will not dwell long on this point. You know that all we Catholics acknowledge the Pope as Vicar of Our Lord. The universal Church acknowledged him lately at Trent, when she addressed herself to him for confirmation of what she had resolved, and when she received his deputies as the ordinary and legitimate presiding body of 'the Council. I should lose time also [to prove that] you have no visible head; you admit it. You have a supreme Consistory, like those of Berne, Geneva, Zurich and the rest, which depend on no other. You are so far from consenting...

The Protest of a Protestant Minister Against Birth Control by Rev. Matthew Trewhella Sunlight was just beginning to break over the darkness of the morning as my wife and I headed toward the entrance of the cold brick-faced building. Fear and apprehension gripped me each step of the way. A thousand questions and thoughts raced through my mind. "How much pain will there be? Why the heck did I ever do this in the first place? Maybe I should just leave." As I entered the door, I figured these were my last moments to bolt and run. I thought back...

Protestants and Birth Control In "Always a Sin" we saw how Christian teachings (i.e., Catholic) before the Schisms of the Eastern Churches and the Protestant Reformation were opposed to contraception and sterilization and that the Catholic Church maintains this view. In "Where Are We Going and Why Are We In This Hand Basket?" we saw how contraception and sterilization were introduced to the Christian community of the twentieth century by unbelievers desiring to modify social norms. It's time to look at how Protestant's throughout history have viewed sex deliberately made non- procreative. Let's start at the beginning... (Note: I owe...

It's the first Catholic ordination in one Pennsylvania community -- and it's one for the history books: St. Joseph's Church in York will be the setting on Saturday for an event sure to go down in local religious history, and perhaps more. Paul Schenck, born into a Jewish family, eventually ordained as a Protestant minister, converting then becoming a Catholic deacon ... plus being married and blessed with many children ... will be ordained a Catholic priest in solemn ceremonies at St. Joseph's on Saturday. This will be the first-ever Catholic ordination in York, and surely, from a ministerial perspective,...