Free Republic

Note: Kelly Clinger, a performer and former backup singer for the pop star Britney Spears, had two abortions when she was in her early twenties. She blogs about her pro-life activities here. January 26, 2012 (KellyClinger.com) - This morning I returned to the clinic where I had my abortions 12 years ago to pray for and plead with moms not to make the decision I made so many years ago. As I pulled into a parking spot, I sat in the car for a minute and closed my eyes. I wanted to pray that I wouldn’t fall apart; but before...

Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them. (Genesis 3:21)Remember that when Adam and Eve sinned they immediately perceived that they were naked? The nakedness of our first father and mother was a spiritual condition as well as a physical one. Now that they had broken away from God, they deeply sensed that they were vulnerable , uncovered, and exposed as sinful beings in the presence of holiness. This sense of nakedness has passed down unto all of the children of Adam. All of us feel the need for some...

  A canticle for Kathleen Sullivan  I got to the hospital after visiting hours, but the nurse led me to the room anyway. "There hasn't been anyone," she confided. I pursed my lips in grim acknowledgment. "That's why I'm here." Inside the room the patient looked like purple death. It was a critical-care room, bright and white and cheerfully clinical. The bed was surrounded by apparatus, with lines and leads and probes and IV tubes running to him. The only unbruised part of him that I could see were his eyes, and his eyes were more deeply wounded than anything. I'll...

And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.(Genesis 3:15)The setting for this mysterious prophecy is in the garden of Eden, at the arraignment of Adam,Eve, and the serpent. The LORD is in the process of confronting the transgressors, but at the same time giving the man and the woman the opportunity to humbly confess their sin. Each of them refuse to admit their fault. Adam sought to mitigate his own guilt by blaming God and his wife, and Eve blamed...

Interview with the Most Reverend John C. Nienstedt, Archbishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, by Michael Drake Archbishop John Clayton Nienstedt was born in March 1947, in Detroit, Mich. Following his studies at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, and the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, he was ordained to the priesthood in July 1974, at Sacred Heart Church, Dearborn, Mich. In May 2008, Pope Benedict XVI appointed him Archbishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. Since June of this year, Archbishop Nienstedt has being urging support for an amendment to the constitution of Minnesota to protect marriage as the union...

"Casting him as a director or perhaps as the star of 'Judah Maccabee' is like casting Madoff to be the head of the Securities and Exchange Commission," says Rabbi Marvin Heir. Prominent Jewish leaders are beginning to speak out against Mel Gibson and Warner Bros. over their planned movie based on the life of religious icon Judah Maccabee. SNIP

The questions about Michele Bachmann's husband's crisis clinic - and reports its services including helping to "cure" homosexuals - went mainstream tonight, with an ABC News story featuring undercover video shot of one of the center's counselors saying it's "possible" to be "totally free" of such feelings. The "World News" report included an interview with a former patient at the clinic, who told the ABC reporter that he'd been sent there when he was 17 years old to try to "change" him. "[One counselor's] path for my therapy would be to read the Bible, pray to God that I would...

One Saturday afternoon last winter, I drove north on Route 85 through the rolling rangeland of southeastern Wyoming. I was headed to a small town north of Cheyenne to see an old friend and colleague named Michael Glatze. We worked together 12 years ago at XY, a San Francisco-based national magazine for young gay men, back when we were young gay men ourselves. Though only a year removed from Dartmouth when he arrived at XY, Michael had seemingly read every gay book ever written. While I was busy trying to secure a boyfriend, he was busy contemplating queer theory, marching...

He was a rising star in the "gay rights" movement, but Michael Glatze now declares not only has he given up activism – he's no longer a homosexual. Glatze – who had become a frequent media source as founding editor of Young Gay America magazine – tells the story of his transformation in an exclusive column published today by WND. Although Glatze cut himself off from the homosexual community about a year and a half ago, he says the column likely will surprise some people. "This will actually be news to anybody I used to relate to," he told WND....

When you talk about the cross you're talking about the finished work of Jesus. When Jesus said, "It is finished" he meant just that. And he intends for you to walk in his finished work. There's some benefits that came by the cross and all your benefits are by the shed blood of Jesus. And that's what I want to talk about The Benefits of the Blood. Every benefit is by the blood of Jesus so you have a right to them. God accepted the blood of Jesus as payment for your redemption so you have a right to every...

The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is thee single most significant event in the history of this world. So much so, that the resurrection of Jesus Christ penetrated deeply throughout human history and split it into two distinct eras (B.C./A.D.). In fact, everything that is in and has been done in this world receives a dynamic and life-filled understanding when you take into consideration what Jesus did, what Jesus taught, and the fact that he rose from the dead just as he promised he would before showing hundreds and hundreds of people his scarred hands and feet after the...

† In Passione et Morti Dómini ~ The Passion and Death of the Lord † Statio ad S. Crucem in Jerusalem ~ Station at Holy Cross in Jerusalem † Statio ad S. Joannem in Laterano ~ Station at Saint John Lateran † 2 April 2010 Anno Dómini D uring the late Middle Ages, when pagan Muslim occupation of the Holy Land prevented devout pilgrims from visiting Christianity's Most Sacred Sites, the faithful made replicas of those Holy Sites in Western and Eastern Europe, where they would come to pray. Medieval Christians sought greater detail about the Passion of the...

Dr. John Bruchalski with one of his young patients. Courtesy of Dr. Bruchalski FAIRFAX, Virginia, March 3, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) - This week the pro-life community celebrated the life of the great Dr. Bernard Nathanson, famed for his dramatic conversion from a leading abortionist to a stalwart and outspoken advocate for children in the womb.Dr. Nathanson’s passing reminds us of the powerful testimony of the dozens of doctors who have left the squalor of their abortion facilities and committed themselves to life-giving and authentic health care.Dr. John Bruchalski is one of these doctors.  A former abortionist in his ob/gyn residency,...

March 1, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Over the last three decades the conversion story of Dr. Bernard Nathanson, the former leading abortionist turned pro-life activist, touched countless souls. Included among them is the woman who most recently had the courage to follow in his footsteps - former Planned Parenthood director Abby Johnson. Recently Johnson opened up about Nathanson’s influence, especially in the difficult days and weeks immediately following her decision to leave Planned Parenthood. Nathanson, a founding member of NARAL Pro-Choice America, passed away last week after a lengthy battle with cancer. Yesterday morning he was put to rest after a...

NEW YORK — Dr. Bernard N. Nathanson, an obstetrician who oversaw the performance of about 75,000 abortions before becoming a leading pro-life advocate and a convert to the Catholic faith, died after a prolonged battle with cancer this morning in New York. He was 84. After performing his last abortion in 1979 and declaring himself to be pro-life, Nathanson produced the 1985 film The Silent Scream, which shows sonogram images of a child in the womb shrinking from an abortionist’s instruments, and the documentary film Eclipse of Reason, which displays and explains various abortion procedures in graphic detail. Both films...

The third great movement in the Christian metanarrative begins with the affirmation that God’s purpose from the beginning was to redeem a people through the blood of his Son –- and that he does this in order to show the excellence of his name throughout eternity. The God of the Bible is not a divine strategist, ready with a new plan in the event his original plan fails. The God of the Bible is sovereign and completely able to accomplish his purposes. Thus, when we come to the great act of God for our redemption, we come to the very...

What is it about Tu B'Shevat? There are four "Roshei Hashanah." The First of Tishrei we all know about. That is the day we blow the shofar. The First of Nissan and the First of Elul come and go in our times without much notice. But Tu B'Shevat is different. There is a sense of simcha, a sense of hope and many minhagim associated with it: we eat fruit and make a Shehecheyanu. We omit Tachanun. What is different about Tu B'Shevat? One reason for the simcha is the universal joy felt at the advent of spring, and Tu B'Shevat...

First, a disclaimer. I am not particularly a Michael Vick fan. Nor have I ever cheered for the Philadelphia Eagles. The NFL is not a top priority for me. However, for the rest of this season, I will be a fan of Vick and the Eagles, which means I will spend more time than usual following the NFL. Why? Because of the R words. The real American R words have been experiencing a renascence just across the line from New Jersey in Philadelphia, the new home of Michael Vick. “Redemption.” In 2007, Michael Vick experienced professional death. When he pleaded...

Nothing to Brag about…Romans 3 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.(Romans 3:27-28) Why is it that God requires faith and not works? Why is it that God’s salvation is only accessible to those who believe in His gospel ? Part od the answer to this question is in the quote above. We have seen that man is so bankrupt, he is so estranged from God and corrupted, that there is no way...

She was smeared by right-wing media, condemned by the NAACP, and canned by the Obama administration. It wasn't pretty, what was done this week to Shirley Sherrod. And maybe something good can come of it. The thought occurred to me after reading her now-famous speech, which is about the power of grace and the possibility of redemption. Here's a way to get some good. This September, when school begins, we should make the speech required viewing in the nation's high schools. It packs quite a lesson within quite a story. You know the essential facts. On March 27, Ms. Sherrod,...

And so, this that we call redemption, it is a sacred trust that goes far beyond what we can ever imagine. Holding it high it shines like the heavens against the blackest night. But bring it down among those who desperately need it and it gets messy. It seeks out those who we would not seek, and it clings to some of the most undesirable among us. It finds the whore and passes by the elder. It finds a voice through an illiterate Sudanese mother and holds its tongue when the self righteous speak. It bows down to an eight...

Shocker! "Burning Down 'The Shack,'" [is] a hard-hitting, no-holds-barred biblical critique of the book by someone who knew author Paul Young well and understands what's behind its strange theology. "It's often said that one can understand a book better by knowing the author," James De Young offers in "Burning Down 'The Shack,'" which he wrote to "expose the greatest deception to blindside the church in the last 200 years!" De Young isn't only a New Testament language and literature professor at Western Seminary in Portland, Ore., he holds multiple degrees from respected seminaries including Dallas Seminary, Talbot Theological Seminary and...

The process of redemption has always been messy. Think on the cross and see the gruesome visage and scarlet body, hanging and writhing in agony over the soiled landscape beneath this figure draped in horror. There is nothing antiseptic here, nothing that presents a neat, little package waiting to be opened beneath Rockwell’s Christmas tree. This is the soiled landscape of redemption, arrayed in all its gory glory, and lifted up for all to breathe in the smell of sweat and to behold the ghastly vision of a tortured God. This is the crimson mirror in which we see both...

American Christianity is far less bloody than it used to be. Songs like “Power in the Blood” or “There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood” or “Are You Washed in the Blood?” are still sung in some places, but fewer and fewer, and there aren’t many newer songs or praise choruses so focused on blood. The Cross, yes; redemption, yes; but blood, rarely. We’re eager to speak of life, but hesitant to speak of blood. And this is not only a Protestant phenomenon. Roman Catholics-centered as they are on the Eucharist-often seem to go out of their way to speak...

On [April 4, 2010] most churches will observe Easter, and they will dress up and have palms and communion and many special pageantries to celebrate that event that changed everything forever. However let us not forget that today is a resurrection day for all of Christ’s followers. We are not bound by a date that changes every year, and we are not bound to an observance. We have most assuredly walked out of that same tomb, and we have come forth from the coldness of spiritual death. We must be today’s representatives of today’s resurrection, you and I must be...

On February 12, 2010, President Préval of Haiti called his nation to 3 days of fasting and prayer in place of the regular Mardi Gras celebration. Several of the nation's Christian Leaders had 5 days to set up and arrange this event, Pastor Rene Joseph of Loving Hands Ministry was one of the head leaders and over 1 million Haitians attended this epic event.

Films and Faith: Redemption themes dominate Oscar flicks (click URL to view video)

The saddest part of the Tiger Woods statement last Friday was his public announcement of his Buddhist faith. Woods mother is from Thailand and a Buddhist. Woods claimed that he has been a practicing Buddhist all of his life, though strayed from its' teachings years ago, helping to lead him to make the choices that caused his downfall. Sadly for Tiger, even if his marriage is restored, he goes on to win a hundred more golf tournaments, ends up winning more majors than Jack Nicklaus, and earns 5 billion dollars over his lifetime, when he takes his last breath he...

"I've come to you this morning with a topic that probably in an earlier age would have sounded a little bit absurd. And that’s the question of whether character matters, whether it has anything to do with public service. Now even as recently as a generation ago, probably no one would give a commencement talk on that address to educated people -- people getting their degree -- because education was considered to be not only the acquisition of knowledge, but the formation of moral character. That’s what education was all about." ..."Twenty-five years ago this summer, I was converted to...

Mike Huckabee talks to Gayle Haggard, the wife of Pastor Ted Haggard, about her reasons for staying in her marriage after her husbands marital infidelity became public. (there are 2 parts)

January 22, 2010 Tiger Woods Attempts To Get Back On Course At Sex Clinic Jacqui Goddard in Miami There is no golf course or cocktail lounge and the nurses are strictly off-limits. But for Tiger Woods, the Pine Grove sex addiction centre in Mississippi is the place he will have to call home as he attempts to get his life and career back on track. After avoiding the paparazzi for nearly two months, the world’s No 1 golfer was snared by a photographer for The National Enquirer at the rehabilitation clinic in Hattiesburg, which is reputed to be one of...

Patrick Muirhead's story: 'The day I decided to stop being gay..' Muirhead has an interesting article in the Times Online. With the current legal fight over same sex marriage (Prop 8 ) here in California I wonder if there’s something of value in his perspective. Its well written and very thoughtful. Here’s part of what he wrote: “There was a little voice, lost long ago in the drowning din of my homosexuality, that still called quietly; the smothered, smaller voice of a boy who liked girls.”

Brit Hume, former Fox News Anchor, now a commentator, touched off a firestorm when he made some compassionate remarks about Tiger Woods on a Sunday Fox show: "Tiger Woods will recover as a golfer. Whether he can recover as a person I think is a very open question. It is a tragic situation. He has lost his family. It is not clear to me whether he will have a relationship with his children. "The Tiger Woods who emerges once his news value dies out of this scandal - the extent to which he can recover seems to me to depend...

Fox News senior analyst Brit Hume appeared on The O'Reilly Factor tonight and stood by the statements he made this weekend regarding his advice for Tiger Woods to turn to Christianity. In fact, Mr. Hume went even further this evening with his thoughts on redemption and Jesus Christ. (videos below)

Christians talk a lot about redemption and salvation. But what does redemption actually mean and what is accomplished in redemption? These pivotal questions are answered in John Murray’s book Redemption Accomplished and Applied. “What does redemption mean? It does not mean redeemability, that we are placed in a redeemable position. It means that Christ purchased and procured redemption. This is the triumphant note of the New Testament whenever it plays on the redemptive chord. Christ redeemed us to God by his blood (Rev. 5:9). He obtained eternal redemption (Heb 9:12)… It is to beggar the concept of redemption as an...

Brit HumeBrit Hume stated that he does not believe that Tiger WoodsTiger Woods’ Buddhist beliefs have the resources by which to find full recovery from his wayward lifestyle.

My whole life prior to 1992 was given solely over wholly to the music industry. From playing the music to that of absolutely following all aspects of the industry and culture as some of you who knew me well know. As Almighty God began to get a hold of me and started to redirect me by His Word, I began to see the evils and vices of the whole music culture and life style. I remember saying to myself - the last day that I played in the last phase of Silent Desire (1986-1992) - I thought to myself... What...

www.catholicnewsagency.com Ex-abortionist says Divine Mercy is answer to worldly cynicism Dr. John Bruchalski Related articles: Divine Mercy ChapletDivine Mercy PrayersNine Day Divine Mercy NovenaDivine Mercy Novena Washington D.C., Oct 17, 2009 / 08:03 am (CNA).- A former abortionist has said he believes that Our Lady of Guadalupe enlightened him about the destructive nature of his work, adding that Jesus’ mercy has affected and forgiven him. Devotion to The Divine Mercy, he said, is an answer to the pessimism, skepticism, relativism and cynicism of the world.Dr. John Bruchalski, who founded the pro-life Tepeyac Family Center in Virginia in 1994, performed...

He used to perform abortions. Then he returned to his Catholic faith. Now, Dr. John Bruchalski's mission is to help spread the message of Divine Mercy through his medical practice. His powerful conversion story is why planners for the upcoming North American Congress on Mercy have invited him to give his witness for the historic Nov. 14-15 event. First, he founded the Tepeyac Family Center in 1994. The obstetrical and gynecological facility in Fairfax, Va., combines the best of modern medicine with the healing presence of Jesus Christ. Then, in 2000, he founded Divine Mercy Care, a non-profit organization performing...

He used to perform abortions. Then he returned to his Catholic faith. Now, Dr. John Bruchalski's mission is to help spread the message of Divine Mercy through his medical practice. His powerful conversion story is why planners for the upcoming North American Congress on Mercy have invited him to give his witness for the historic Nov. 14-15 event. First, he founded the Tepeyac Family Center in 1994. The obstetrical and gynecological facility in Fairfax, Va., combines the best of modern medicine with the healing presence of Jesus Christ. Then, in 2000, he founded Divine Mercy Care, a non-profit organization...

There's Michael Vick, former starting quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons, cruel torturer of helpless animals, and sometime promoter of dogfights. Vick personifies the modern comeback story in sports. His horrific acts of barbaric cruelty visited upon dogs in his kennel, as well as his part ownership of a statewide ring of dogfighting venues, led to his conviction in 2007 on several counts of participating in illegal dogfighting activities and supplying money for the gambling operation. He was sentenced to 23 months and was released in May of this year. After his arrest, Vick held what has become the obligatory mea...

Exodus Youth, part of the evangelical ministry Exodus International that deals with the issue of homosexuality, is aiming to reverse a "disturbing" trend seen across churches and perceived widely by young Americans – that the Church is anti-homosexual. Homosexuality is a topic that churches are still struggling to address in a culture that is increasingly accepting gay and lesbian lifestyles. It's a struggle that hasn't come across to many Americans in a positive light. "I think for a long time, the church just hasn't known how to talk about homosexuality," said Exodus Youth Director Scott Davis. "They've been very uncomfortable...

A senior Church of England bishop has angered gay-rights campaigners by saying homosexuals should repent. Archbishop of Rochester Michael Nazir-Ali told the Sunday Telegraph newspaper that the Bible defined marriage as the union of a man and a woman. He said the church welcomed gay people, "but we want them to repent and be changed." Nazir-Ali is a leading member of the conservative wing of the global Anglican Communion, which is riven by divisions over homosexuality and the ordination of women. Gay groups condemned the bishop's remarks. Campaigner Peter Tatchell said Nazir-Ali's view "goes against Christ's gospel of love and...

A senior Church of England bishop has angered gay-rights campaigners by saying homosexuals should repent. Archbishop of Rochester Michael Nazir-Ali told the Sunday Telegraph newspaper that the Bible defined marriage as the union of a man and a woman. He said the church welcomed gay people, "but we want them to repent and be changed." Nazir-Ali is a leading member of the conservative wing of the global Anglican Communion, which is riven by divisions over homosexuality and the ordination of women. Gay groups condemned the bishop's remarks. Campaigner Peter Tatchell said Nazir-Ali's view "goes against Christ's gospel of love and...

Change And Repent, Bishop Tells Gays A senior Church of England bishop has called on homosexuals to repent and "be changed" in comments that have infuriated equality campaigners. By Jonathan Wynne-Jones, Religious Affairs Correspondent 04 Jul 2009 The Bishop of Rochester, Dr Michael Nazir-Ali, has defended traditional biblical teachings on homosexuality and said the Church should not be "rolled over by culture". Dr Nazir-Ali spoke as tens of thousands of people, including Sarah Brown, the Prime Minister’s wife, joined the annual Pride London march to celebrate homosexual culture. A war of words broke out between Labour and the Conservatives over...

This is possibly the most powerful book on confronting the homosexual agenda! For the past ten years, while lecturing and consulting on pro-family strategies in more than 30 countries, Dr. Lively has been writing the world's first textbook that teaches pro-family advocates how to defeat the homosexual agenda and reestablish family-centered culture in their respective nations from a Christian perspective. This book is posted free to the public.

Nevada Republican Sen. John Ensign was unfaithful to his wife; there's no excusing broken vows. But the steps he's taken since the story broke on Wednesday provide a reminder that there is a road to redemption in truth. And not just for one U.S. senator and his family, but for American politics. In his public confession and acts of atonement, Ensign has brought a refreshing change to the roster of recent Beltway loose-belt scandals that have hit both sides of the aisle. In a press conference, Ensign -- allegedly motivated by a blackmail threat - admitted to an affair with...

Dr. Alveda King, Pastoral Associate of Priests for Life and niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., said today that the killing of late-term abortionist George Tiller brings tremendous sorrow. "Two years ago, I visited George Tiller's clinic in hope of telling him that babies desire mercy," said Dr. King. "I wanted to share with him the harm I experienced from abortion. My prayer was that one day he would join me in repentance. I am deeply sorry that his life was taken before that could happen." "It's especially horrifying that Dr. Tiller was shot in church," added Dr. King....

I was a porn star. I was living the unglamorous life in the porn industry...

Fears of record hedge fund withdrawals By James Mackintosh in London Published: March 23 2009 23:32 | Last updated: March 23 2009 23:32 Hedge fund investors believe the industry will see even bigger withdrawals this year than last, when record levels of cash were pulled from the sector. A survey of investors by Deutsche Bank found a third expect more than $200bn to be withdrawn, after a net $155bn was taken out last year, according to calculations by Chicago consultancy Hedge Fund Research. Only a quarter of investors expect net inflows into the industry, and 82 per cent of the...