Free Republic

The Republican National Committee’s internal evaluators argued that true conservatism loses the Republican Party elections in a new report released Monday. The evaluators were charged by chairman Reince Priebus with helping the GOP reach a larger voter base. A copy of their report was obtained by Breitbart News. On page 54 of the report, authors Henry Barbour, Sally Bradshaw, Ari Fleischer, Zori Fonalledas and Glenn McCall argue that true conservatism hurts the Republican Party in elections. “Third-party groups that promote purity are hurting our electoral prospects,” they wrote. That entire section was based on quotes from MSNBC host Joe Scarborough...

In the beginning, [Club for Growth] targeted liberal Republicans ..., but it now extends to politicians like Lugar, Capito, Saxby Chambliss and even ... Speaker Boehner, who [normally] would be considered conservative. The Club and its allies see themselves as “insurgents” against a Republican “establishment” ... Republicans, Ramesh Ponnuru wrote in National Review, have to [be] “the party of middle-class economic interests.” “It won’t kill the country if we raise taxes on millionaires a little bit,”... Bill Kristol opined. But the Club and its network blame the Republicans’ and Romney’s defeat on their not being conservative enough. “The first lesson”...

This is a similar interview to the one with Rick Santorum, with similar questions but different answers, of course. But given the template that Mark used, it’ll be interesting to compare and contrast. I will note that as a response to Romney’s comment that he’s “severely conservative”, Newt says that Romney is “severely non-factual”. Nice. Here’s the full interview:

....Asked about the legalization of online gambling, Santorum responds: "I’m someone who takes the opinion that gaming is not something that is beneficial, particularly having that access on the Internet. Just as we’ve seen from a lot of other things that are vices on the Internet, they end to grow exponentially as a result of that. It’s one thing to come to Las Vegas and do gaming and participate in the shows and that kind of thing as entertainment, it’s another thing to sit in your home and have access to that it. I think it would be dangerous to...

Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum’s big mega-donor kicked up a controversy over the issue of contraception today when he urged a return to the good old days when gals had a simple solution for it: aspirin between the knees. We’re not kidding. Wealthy entreprenuer Foster Freiss, who’s backed Santorum’s Super-PAC, made the statements to MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell today, after being asked if his candidate has expressed some extremist views on contraception. He appeared to express wonder that women even have to worry about the issue of paying for contraception these days, Politico reports. “On this contraceptive thing, my Gosh it’s...

In an interview with Andrea Mitchell on MSNBC Thursday, billionaire Santorum backer Foster Friess said that debates over the candidate's personal objections to contraception are overblown, adding that, in his day, "gals" used aspirin as birth control.

Gail Harville supports GOP presidential hopeful Michele Bachmann because she wants a candidate who can debate President Obama “and beat him.” Republican presidential candidate Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., talks during the book-signing event for her book "Core of Conviction" Saturday in Aiken, S.C. Advertisement No, that’s not enough, said her husband, Bill, adding, “someone who will shred him!” The North Augusta couple were among about four dozen fans, activists and skeptics who turned out for the Minnesota congresswoman’s book signing at Books-A-Million in Aiken on Saturday morning. A handful hoped to see a ticket that combines Bachmann and former House...

Rick Perry says a lot of things that don't make sense. Calling Social Security a failure defies the experience of countless elderly Americans. Deriding climate change and evolution contradicts overwhelming scientific evidence. Flubbing a question about nuclear weapons in "the Pakistani country" evokes painful memories of Sarah Palin. He's just lucky Tina Fey cannot play him on TV. (Alec Baldwin can, however.) But on at least one issue, Perry gets it right: immigration. He's justifiably proud of signing a Texas law that grants in-state college tuition to the children of undocumented immigrants attending state schools. As the governor argued recently...

With the opening of the fall political season and tonight's Republican candidate debate, expect influential conservative voices to clamor for fellow conservatives to set aside half-measures, eschew conciliation, and adhere to conservative principle in its pristine purity. But what does fidelity to conservatism's core convictions mean? Superstar radio talk-show host Rush Limbaugh has, with characteristic bravado, championed a take-no-prisoners approach. In late July, as the debt-ceiling debate built to its climax, he understandably exhorted House Speaker John Boehner to stand strong and rightly praised the tea party for "putting country before party." But then Mr. Limbaugh went further. "Winners do...

He sat alone waiting anxiously from word from his lawyer. Releasing a nervous sigh he glanced at his watch. Time seemed to be at a stand-still as he fretted about the decision that would determine his fate. He leaned forward in his chair wringing his hands pondering the horrific events that led to here. How could he have been such a fool? Often he had been warned about the dangers of the pet he loved. He ignored those warnings, and now it was too late. He was forced live through the nightmare he helped create. “That thing is dangerous”, they...

Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour issued a stern warning to conservatives Friday: relent on ideological purity in the primaries or risk losing the general election. "We're going to nominate someone for president who doesn't agree with you on everything and who you don’t agree with on everything," Barbour said. "But I'll tell you what. You're going to agree with them a whole lot more than you agree with Barack Obama."

My Joshua's are those I entrust Wholeheartedly with My kingdom for truly they are postured both in heart and in spirit for they know and love Me as Samuel did when he met Me as a child and so they walk in My Shalom and feed on My meat which is The Father's will eternally sustaining My children divinely For they are one with Me . Joshua 24:15 15 But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods...

Through a chat room on the internet, a woman met a man with whom she was convinced would “meet her needs.” After agreeing to meet in a hotel in a specified city, she decided to leave her husband and three children for this exciting stranger. Her decision was made six hours after that first meeting. People can have a powerful influence over us; they can either bless us or curse us; they can help us in our quest for good, or they can compel us to do evil. Some are masters of manipulation and have mastered the art of controlling...

Officials at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families were keeping the lid on the results of a new study they funded until they received a flood of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests sparked by the National Abstinence Education Association (NAEA), according to LifeNews.com. The tax-funded study found that 70 percent of parents believe sexual intercourse should be delayed until marriage and that parental attitudes on such issues are the most important determinant of how adolescents view them as well. according to LifeNews.com. The study was discussed at a recent meeting of the...

It looks like the Republican Party won’t be taking names or testing blood samples. Meeting behind closed doors in Honolulu this afternoon the resolutions committee of the Republican National Committee adopted a watered-down version of the so-called “purity” test advocated by insiders who wanted candidates to complete a check list—8 of 10 needed to pass—to receive financial or organizational help from the party's national controlling body. The precise wording remains to be worked out. But the gist is that candidates would have to pledge their fealty to the party platform—which is a lot less stringent than the original resolution sponsored...

Amid the furor over how Sens. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., and Ben Nelson, D-Neb., would vote on the health bill, there was little talk regarding Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter. Since switching from Republican to Democrat in April, Specter has been a reliable vote for his new party’s health plans. His main objections to the final Senate health bill were its lack of a public option and its restrictions on abortion funding. Now maybe he would have voted yes even if he were still a Republican. But party-switchers tend to shift their voting patterns significantly. After all of the left-liberal gnashing of...

A great explosion of purity is about to come , But "not" as before(as Katrina) ,something straight from my kingdom , The heavenlies are about to applaud , I AM The Lord behold I alone am God ! Yet for my children of my rod and staff , They shall rest in my bossom of Zion and laugh , For the Joy of The Lord is their strength , And these are my children of victiory that have gone the full length , Obedience to me has become their rod , My staff is their com(fort) for I AM their...

Ordinary measures will not do any more , For I have swung wide the door , Warfare that is behind shall stay there , I am raising you to new levels of warfare , An understanding beyond my heavenly hosts , What I am about to release to you not even my arch angel Michael can boast , But a depth , a knowing farther than you now see \o/ , You shall go behind enemy lines and their encampments you shall see , Their plots and schemes , their strategy from a god's eye view , And even their...

Author: Barb Ernster | Source: National Catholic Register Modesty En Vogue   At a time when exposed midriffs, pierced navels and tattooed backsides are all the rage, "Pure Fashion" shows hope to offer an antidote. At a time when exposed midriffs, pierced navels and attooed backsides are all the rage, the pressure is on young girls to grin and "bare" it. Everywhere you turn, Catholic parents - their influence challenged by the onslaught of writhing pop idols on TV and the prevalence of racy attire at the shopping mall - are lamenting the loss of their daughters´ modesty. "It used to...

Celeste Behe’s Register story “Modesty in Motion” quotes Power Ranger actress/model Jessica Rey and Paige Reese of the Cajun band L’Angelus (shown above) about modesty. Paige, says: “I keep in mind that external appearance is a reflection of an interior attitude,” she says. “St. Peter tells us that our adornment ‘should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in God’s sight’”(1 Peter 3:4). “Many times, mothers have thanked us for dressing in a way that is attractive and modest. They tell us that their daughters want to dress the...

Cardinal James Stafford reflects on how dissenters to Humane Vitae tore the Church apart -- and how that rift left scars that remain to this day. "Lead us not into temptation" is the sixth petition of the Our Father. Peirasmòs, the Greek word used in this passage for 'temptation,' means a trial or test. Disciples petition God to be protected against the supreme test of ungodly powers. The trial is related to Jesus's cup in Gethsemane, the same cup which his disciples would also taste (Mk 10: 35-45). The dark side of the interior of the cup is an abyss....

CBN.com – True Love Waits. You’ve heard it before, and maybe you even signed a pledge card promising that you would “wait” until you were married to have sex. Sounds simple enough, right? But in today’s culture it’s not always as easy as it sounds. Christian recording artist Rebecca St. James understands your struggle. As a single woman herself, she is familiar with both the Christian dating scene and the longing to keep oneself pure until marriage. She hopes her new book, Pure, will encourage Christians who are striving to live a life of purity. In the book, written in...

What Are the Types of Bottled Water? There are several types of bottled water on the market today and each kind has a different level of quality and method of production. Spring water and purified water represent the main options available to the consumer. There seems to be a belief among many consumers that spring water represents the best option for those looking for the purest water. However, in reality this is a misconception brought on by clever marketing from spring water companies. Upon closer inspection it becomes clear that the for the purity concerned water drinker, purified bottled water...

http://airmaria.com/?sn=51&vp=2443&prefx=face&plyrnb=1&ttl=Face%20of%20Pro-Life This is 29 minutes and well worth the time. I hope this is one of the brothers that will go on to the priesthood; he is well spoken. Face of Pro-Life #51 - Fra Anthony on Modesty Ave Maria! Fra Anthony Servium, FI relates to host Corinn Dahm about modesty of dress, how it has changed and how it effects our morals. Video - Face of Pro-Life #51: Modesty of Dress Monday, December 29th, 2008

We tend to be hard on the Pharisees without seeing the difficulty they faced. They were not cartoons. They were men who, like us sometimes, learned the right lesson but drew the wrong conclusion from the Law of Moses. Under the Law, ritual defilement was intended as a kind of sign or shadow: to show us in our pride that we could not, by our own strength and power, keep ourselves clean from sin. The intended lesson: We need God to cleanse us through Christ.But the Pharisees took away something very different. They concluded they could find sanctity in only...

Will America Be Turned into a Beacon of Purity? Some see Great Hope in "Our Lady of America" By John-Henry Westen WASHINGTON, DC, August 13, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Some say it will take a miracle to turn America around to purity. America is known throughout the world, especially in developing nations, as a beacon of impurity. Since the 1960s Hollywood has produced and exported pornography, both subtle and explicit, around the globe. However, just prior to America's descent into the sexually quagmire of the 1960's, a nun in Ohio began receiving messages from Heaven; messages from "Our Lady of America." From...

The following, which is reproduced in full from the blog Antonio Cardinal Bacci: Meditations For Each Day, should be spread far and wide. William Bouguereau's L'Innocence How to Guard Holy Purity 1. Purity of heart is a quality which attracts everybody, even those who are evil themselves. It makes a man seem like an angel in human form, for it shines from his countenance. Unfortunately, the virtue of purity is as difficult as it is beautiful. It is fatal for anyone to cast himself into the mire. The first sin of impurity is a disaster, because it is often the...

A British teenager whose teachers had stopped her wearing a "purity ring" at school to symbolise her commitment to virginity lost a High Court fight against the ban on Monday. Lydia Playfoot, 16, says her silver ring is an expression of her faith and had argued in court that it should be exempt from school regulations banning the wearing of jewellery. "I am very disappointed by the decision this morning by the High Court not to allow me to wear my purity ring to school as an expression of my Christian faith not to have sex outside marriage," Playfoot said...

This is the Libertarian Purity Test, which is intended to measure how libertarian you are. It isn't intended to be any sort of McCarthyite purging device -- just a form of entertainment, hopefully thought-provoking. I like it a lot better than the more famous "World's Shortest Political Quiz" because I haven't stated the questions with any intent to give an upward bias to a test-taker's score, and because it gives a clearer breakdown between hard and soft-core libertarians. Enjoy, suggest your friends try it out, and see how you compare to other test-takers... A note on meaning: The word privatized...

The battle for purity is ultimately fought deep in the recesses of the human heart. Our hearts were made to love, but since the Fall, they have been tainted by a desire to use others. This effect of original sin is seen perhaps most dramatically in our encounters with the opposite sex, wherein our hearts often are drawn to the other person more for the emotional or sensual pleasure we may derive from them than for any true commitment to what is best for them and their true value as a person. In this reflection, we will see that chastity...

A SAINT TO EMULATE Margaret M. Breiling St. Maria Goretti"By the loving providence of God, we have assisted this evening at the supreme exaltation of a humble daughter of the people, in a ceremony whose solemnity and dignity are unique in the history of the Church.For tonight's canonization has been held in this vast and inviting place of mystery, made for the occasion into a sacred temple whose vault is the open heaven that proclaims the glories of Almighty God—a choice for which you first expressed the desire before We had decided to make the disposition.The concourse of the...

Sikh bracelets, but no Christian rings at school bans pupils from wearing 'purity rings' A group of teenage Christians have been banned by a secondary school from wearing "purity rings" as a symbol of their religious belief in chastity until marriage. At least one of the dozen pupils, who all attend the same girls' comprehensive in Horsham, West Sussex, is considering legal action against the Millais School for "a breach of human rights". Although the school allows Muslim and Sikh pupils to wear headscarves or kara bracelets as a means of religious expression, the purity ring - a small band...

Teens fight for a chaste Valentine's ABSTINENCE: Some high school students suggest honoring Feb. 14 as a "Day of Purity. BY STEPHANIE SIMON LOS ANGELES TIMES High school sophomore Ally Hall plans to exchange valentine cards with her friends today. But her true tribute to the romance of the season was Monday, in the principal's office at Lebanon High School in the small town of Lebanon, Ohio. Hall wrote a brief script to be read over the public-address system. Her message: The most romantic way to celebrate Feb. 14 is to honor it as a "Day of Purity," by pledging...

TFP Student Action launches effort to restore modesty on Catholic campuses Feminist groups on twenty-one American Catholic Universities are planning a new assault against the Church’s traditional moral teaching, by organizing showings of the lewd play, “The V***** Monologues” in the weeks surrounding St. Valentine’s Day. (Asterisks added for modesty). TO SIGN YOUR E-CARD AND JOIN THE GROWING PROTEST, visit: http://tfp.org/student_action/php/monologues_2006.php The choice of St. Valentine’s Day is particularly offensive, since it is a feast day the Church instituted to honor three martyrs who died to defend the Faith. According to the Cardinal Newman Society1, the play is a conglomeration...

INTRODUCTION: This article is written in response to the knee-jerk reactions of many liberals, and what might be considered a “stealth” hypocrisy. On the other hand, it might not be hypocrisy at all—it might be that the liberals really do like to have different standards in different areas of their lives. Read on and maybe things will make more sense… It is interesting to watch the behaviour of liberals when they are considering the impact of human activity on the environment. Words and catch-phrases such as “sustainable development,” “eco-friendly,” or “environmentally sound” come to one’s mind without even having to...

"The sins which lead most souls to hell are sins of the flesh!" ~ Blessed Jacinta Marto During the week of October 10-14, students at the prominent Catholic University of Notre Dame faced another assault against traditional Catholic morality on campus: "National Coming Out Day." The weeklong event included shocking pro-homosexual activities under titles such as: * Speak Out! Sex and Gender at Notre Dame Rally * Come Out of Your Closet! * Library Exhibit: Famous LGBT [Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trasgender] Individuals * The Process of Coming Out: A Panel Discussion * Gay? Fine by Me, T-shirt Day An email...

The Rev. William Klock: "The Godly Virtue of Purity" Last week, the Rev. William Klock of Christ Church REC in Oregon preached a sermon on "The Godly Virtue of Love" and now this week's sermon is The Godly Virtue of Purity, based on Galatians 5:16-24 and Luke 17:11-19. I thought this sermon was excellent:Our hearts are spiritual battlefields. On one side the sinful desires of the flesh, of our natural fallen selves, of what should be the ?old man? battles against the ?new man? created by God?s grace in each of us. The ?old man? has no concept of...

When the Supreme Court extended an injunction against the enforcement of the Child Online Protection Act (COPA), it also guaranteed the access by innocent children to on-line porn. Internet pornographers were handed a victory and the opportunity to corrupt American youth with no fines or consequences. In answer to the decision, America Needs Fatima is launching a new emergency campaign called Protect Kids from Porn. Starting in early September, the campaign has as its immediate goal the distribution of tens of thousands of protest flyers aimed toward protecting society’s most vulnerable members. Each brochure has two petitions, one addressed to...

Hey Kids! Want Good Sex? Try Abstinence.Warren ThrockmortonAs a mental health counselor, I am really troubled by the numbers of adolescents that I have counseled who cried for days and hurt for years because they engaged in "safer sex" within dead end, unfulfilling relationships. Sadly, they learned that “safer sex” can be hazardous to their emotional health. I think the current political debate concerning abstinence vs. contraceptive based sexual education has failed to include an important variable in the discussion of what to teach in school: sexual well being. In many contemporary sexual education curricula, young boys and girls who...

Archbishop Sheen Today! -- Sex and holy purity (Part Two) Barbara Kralis Barbara Kralis November 1, 2004 © Catholic Online 2004 It's impossible to discuss Holy Purity without visiting the The Sermon on the Mount. When Jesus taught the multitudes the twelve Beatitudes, He was speaking to all men of all ages on correct moral conduct. In number eight of the Beatitudes, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God," Christ was teaching of the cleanness of the whole person, not just his heart. The heart represents one's thought, words and deeds. Remember Sister Christine Joseph's morning...

Archbishop Sheen Today! -- Sex and holy purity (Part One) Barbara Kralis Barbara Kralis October 19, 2004 What is the single greatest gift a young man and woman can give each other in marriage? It is their holy purity or chastity. Without holy purity, human love — popularly known as 'sex' — becomes corrupt. There is no true human love without holy purity. What is the single greatest virtue a young man and woman find most difficult to practice in this 21st century? It is the virtue of holy purity or chastity. The sixth and ninth Commandment of God teaches...

Maria was born October 16, 1890 in Corinaldo, Italy, near Ancona to Luigi Goretti and Assunta Carlini. In 1896, her father, a farmer, moved the family to Ferriere di Conco, near Anzio. Soon afterward, he died, and the family was forced to move to the Serenelli farm to survive. At age 12, Maria was stabbed to death on July 6, 1902 by Alexander Serenelli, the son of her father’s partner, while resisting his attempt to rape her. She was canonized in 1950 by Pius XII. Her murderer, through her intercession, converted and became a penitent Franciscan brother. Comments of Prof....

Teens Nationwide Promote Abstinence Fri Feb 13, 6:54 AM ET Add U.S. National - AP to My Yahoo! By MIKE SCHNEIDER, Associated Press Writer ORLANDO, Fla. - Melissa Millis feels bombarded by everyday messages of sexual promiscuity, whether it's Janet Jackson's bare breast during the Super Bowl or her classmates' casual sex talk. AP Photo So Millis, a high school senior in Michigan, and thousands of other students across the nation plan to wear white T-shirts to school Friday, the day before Valentine's Day (news - web sites), to publicly show their commitment to not having sex outside marriage. They're...

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - Melissa Millis feels bombarded by everyday messages of sexual promiscuity, whether it's Janet Jackson's bare breast during the Super Bowl or her classmates' casual sex talk. So Millis, a high school senior in Michigan, and thousands of other students across the nation plan to wear white T-shirts to school Friday, the day before Valentine's Day, to publicly show their commitment to not having sex outside marriage. They're calling their effort the "Day of Purity," and they will distribute pro-abstinence pamphlets to their peers. "The way sex is talked about, it's so casual, like it's an everyday...

The New Hampshire Decision Statement from All Souls Church, Langham Place, London W1 November 2003 We take note of the sectarian action of dissident bishops of the Episcopal Church in the United States, in carrying through a dubious consecration ceremony which will not be regarded as valid in most Anglican provinces across the world. The service of November 2nd 2003 was held in defiance of the statement and appeal against such an action, issued unanimously on October 14th, 2003, by world Anglican primates at Lambeth. For the Presiding Bishop in America - himself a signatory to that statement - then...

Special Report Taking Back a Church By Lawrence Henry Published 11/20/2003 12:03:43 AM I'm starting to feel like Frank Gilbreth, the father in Cheaper by the Dozen. While his wife took his twelve children to church, Mr. Gilbreth sat outside smoking a cigar and reading the Sunday papers. Since the consecration of Gene Robinson, openly and actively a homosexual, as Episcopal bishop of New Hampshire, I just haven't felt much like sitting in our regular pew. A lot of Episcopalians feel the same way. The Robinson consecration marked only the latest in a long series of fallings-away by the increasingly...

Anglican Unrest Follows New Bishop National Catholic Register November 16-22, 2003 by KATHERINE SMITH SANTOS, Register Correspondent DURHAM, N.H. - On Nov. 2, the Episcopal Church in the United States consecrated Gene Robinson as its first openly homosexual bishop. While the event could destroy any hope for formal Anglican-Catholic unity in the near future, some believe it will also serve to drive many Anglicans "home to Rome." How likely is an Episcopal schism? What will the effects on the Catholic Church be? To investigate these questions, the Register talked to Episcopalians, former Episcopalian ministers and Cardinal Walter Kasper in Rome....

Colin Powell, the US Secretary of State, has revealed his personal involvement in the fight against Aids, describing in an interview to be broadcast today how he and his wife Alma help to educate young girls in Washington about sexual abstinence. Mr Powell drew on his personal experience to defend plans to spend one third of the $15bn (£8.8bn) the US has pledged to the global fight against Aids on abstinence projects. Mr Powell also repeated his view that Aids was a matter of "national security" and "more than a health problem". He was interviewed by the BBC World Service...