http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/secular/ en-us Tue, 22 Dec 2009 18:44:47 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2413161/posts LEBANON — “Silent Night” was not on the program at Pioneer School’s concert Tuesday, but it was sung anyway — by the audience after the kids were done. Shortly after the children started rehearsals this fall, Principal Mark Finch had scratched the number after a parent complained that the carol’s emphasis was “too single-religion.” Superintendent Rob Hess, in attendance Tuesday, said he didn’t see who started the carol but thought approximately 100 of the more than 700 people in the audience joined in. Sam Long, a Pioneer volunteer and the grandmother of a Pioneer student, said the only reaction following... Democrat Herald http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2413161/posts#comment Tue, 22 Dec 2009 18:44:47 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2404532/posts The county still has no approved Nativity scene or Christmas tree, more than a week after Loudoun's Board of Supervisors reversed a committee's decision to ban public displays. The supervisors will probably change that at a special meeting Thursday by ironing out details about who can set up displays...The meeting will be at 5:30 p.m. at the school administration building in Ashburn, an hour before a scheduled public input session on the budget. On Dec. 1, supervisors voted, 7 to 1, to allow community groups "equal access" to the grounds. A decision last month to bar any structures, religious or... Washington Post http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2404532/posts#comment Thu, 10 Dec 2009 14:11:00 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2390464/posts Life decisions are often made when we feel that we are at a crossroads where the decision to turn to the left or to the right seems as clear for us to make as it is to breathe. Yet what about those times when the decision is not quite as clear where the variables that we are weighing are as cloudy and murky as a morning fog? Usually that is the time where the weight is heavy on our soul that we have truly to come to a decision that shoves us out of our comfort zone and that demands... Hearken The Watchmen http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2390464/posts#comment Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:38:57 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2359426/posts To the surprise of the majority of Americans and the entire world, on 10/9/09 U.S. President Barak H. Obama was chosen to receive this year’s Nobel Peace Prize. It is no secret to any who follow politics or world events on the Right that the Nobel Peace Prize Foundation is an elitist, secular liberal body with a secular liberal utopian vision for the world and pushes a godless leftist agenda (Isaiah 30:1). The past recipients of this Award undoubtedy reveal this organization’s leftist leanings. All one has to do is to listen to President Obama’s acceptance speech today to understand... the ignorant fisherman.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2359426/posts#comment Sat, 10 Oct 2009 13:23:45 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2329723/posts In the comment section of a recent post, I drew some fire for making the following, apparently shocking claim: We [Americans] see America, from the Pilgrims who signed the Mayflower Compact to the Biblical scholars… who birthed the nation, to the spirit of sacrifice and charity that thrives to this very day, not as a nation of Christians (for that freedom is at the deepest core of our common philosophy) but as a Christian nation. It seems that there is a growing belief that because our Founders were stalwart advocates for religious liberty, and because some of them had very... Big Hollywood http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2329723/posts#comment Tue, 1 Sep 2009 20:36:01 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2323643/posts The National Health Care - Setting The Stage For The Anti - Christ The cry and mantra we’re now hearing from the Obama administration and the Leftist Secular controlled Democratic Party is that we have to have a National Health Care bill passed and in place before the beginning of the summer congressional recess. The urgency and subtlety of this bill is quite telling. Some common tactics used by the Left are camouflage, deception, manipulation, connivery and demagoguery to get the agenda that they want. It is the Left’s agenda with this issue - as well as many others -... The Ignorant Fisherman. com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2323643/posts#comment Tue, 25 Aug 2009 00:34:29 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2317499/posts (IsraelNN.com) Activist secular group 'The Jerusalemites' complains that the women's prayer area in front of the Kotel (Western Wall) was reduced in size, and that men and women are separated in the external courtyard, are signs of the 'haredization' of the Kotel. A local Jerusalem weekly reported Friday that the group, which is represented by one member (out of 31) on the City Council, said it was forming an action group for "returning the Kotel to the general public as part of the struggle for the character of Jerusalem.'" Israelnationalnews.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2317499/posts#comment Sun, 16 Aug 2009 22:29:09 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2316782/posts The percentage of people who claim no religion has nearly doubled since 1990. Meanwhile, the percentage of Christians is on the decline, according to a new study on American religious life. The 2008 American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS), released on Monday, shows that the percentage of Americans claiming no religion, which jumped from 8.2 percent in 1990 to 14.2 in 2001, has now increased to 15 percent. The findings were based on over 54,000 interviews conducted between February and November of last year. The 2008 survey was a continuation of ARIS surveys in 1990 and 2001, which are part of... Christian Post http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2316782/posts#comment Sat, 15 Aug 2009 17:27:34 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2265894/posts Authorities in San Francisco who called the beliefs of the Catholic Church "hateful," "callous," and an "insult," – and urged members to disobey them – have been given the go-ahead by a panel of judges on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to express such hate because it serves a "secular" purpose. "It is not a stretch to compare the San Francisco Board's actions to that of the Nazi Germany policy of 'Gleichschaltung:' vilifying Jews as an auxiliary to and laying the groundwork for more repressive policies, including the final solution of extermination," said Richard Thompson, the president and... Worldnetdaily http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2265894/posts#comment Sat, 6 Jun 2009 00:37:14 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2263458/posts Hi Folks, proud black conservative Lloyd Marcus here. Years ago, I was outraged when a dear white friend said her son came home from middle school full of guilt for slavery. I thought, “Good grief, this kid was basically born yesterday. What on earth should he feel guilty about?” But, this is the liberal “white men are evil” and “America sucks” garbage he was being taught in school. Fast forward to today. My friend's son, “Jay”, not his real name, is a young man. He contacted me on Facebook. Jay wrote that my writings make him “scratch his head”, but... http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2263458/posts#comment Wed, 3 Jun 2009 02:55:41 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2261831/posts Taking a semester off to travel and focus on writing isn't that unusual for a student at Brown University. But instead of studying comparative literature in Europe, Kevin Roose decided to go to Lynchburg, Va., and enroll at Jerry Falwell's Liberty University. Roose passed himself off as an evangelical Christian to blend in with students at the school founded by the late Moral Majority leader. The experience led to a book, The Unlikely Disciple: A Sinner's Semester at America's Holiest University. NPR http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2261831/posts#comment Mon, 1 Jun 2009 00:06:56 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2197603/posts Gallop recently released polling research which suggests the median proportion of residents worldwide who said religion is important in their daily lives is 82%. Not surprisingly, America's average was 65%, well below the worldwide average. What do these numbers mean, and how has America's declining religiosity affected it? http://conservativebrawler.blogspot.com/2009/02/implications-of-decline-in-american.html Conservative Brawler http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2197603/posts#comment Mon, 2 Mar 2009 22:49:02 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2194961/posts Jewish students at the University of California, Berkeley, recently clashed over insensitive advertising for a Hillel-sponsored Valentine's Day event. The ad, which labeled a newlywed Orthodox couple as "scary," was originally posted on the Facebook social networking Web site, and generated a heated response. LIGHT-HEARTED, OR SHAMEFUL? This ad for 'speed friendship' on Valentine's Day drew sharply divided response. Hillel was attempting to attract students to a "speed friending" event in honor of the holiday. It was based on speed dating, a structured matchmaking process in which one meets many members of the opposite sex in a short period of... Jerusalem Post http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2194961/posts#comment Thu, 26 Feb 2009 23:38:02 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2150316/posts “At this season of the Winter Solstice may reason prevail. There are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell. There is only our natural world. Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds.” — The Freedom From Religion Foundation During this time of giving, no person of good will can read the statement quoted above without offering a gift that improves its ironically poor use of reason. Here, then, is one that its authors may find more useful than the usual solstice fruitcake: “Because no empirical evidence has been discovered to verify the... The New Media Journal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2150316/posts#comment Wed, 17 Dec 2008 18:04:34 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2104287/posts 'Silhouette City' Captures Essence of Christian Right as Supremacist Political Movement By Bruce Wilson It is the mark of a truly outstanding documentary that it can survive the test of a fast-changing political and religious landscape and remain relevant and even transcendent. There have been many superb documentaries in the last few years about religion and politics, but my own personal opinion is that Michael W. Wilson's Silhouette City stands above the pack, and for one overriding reason - Wilson's deep understanding of the dynamic in which the militant, militia-movement grounded Christian right of the 1980's has morphed into a... Talk to Action http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2104287/posts#comment Mon, 13 Oct 2008 05:42:40 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2030195/posts It was billed as the first-ever "Muslim Heretics Conference." Provocative? To be sure. But when Sudanese-American scholar Abdullahi An-Naim organized it in Atlanta this April, what he really wanted to do was ignite some innovative thinking – brainstorm the predicament of traditional Islam in the modern world. "I deliberately wanted to shock people into seeing `heresy' as a creative force," he laughs. Naim may describe himself as a Muslim heretic (his conservative critics certainly do), but his peers in academia prefer the rather more admiring designation of public intellectual. Either way, the Emory University law professor has become famous throughout... The Toronto Star http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2030195/posts#comment Thu, 12 Jun 2008 22:18:11 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2027634/posts Turkey's parliamentary speaker on Saturday proposed a new constitution and re-establishment of an upper house of parliament, apparently with the aim of reducing the power of the country's top court. The Constitutional Court infuriated the Islamic-oriented government on Thursday by rejecting legislation that would have lifted a ban on Muslim headscarves in universities. It said the move would violate Turkey's secular principles. Speaker Koksal Toptan, speaking in a hall at the parliament, said re-installing the upper house, or Senate, would remove what he called "the pressure on the court." The Senate was abolished after Turkey's 1980 military coup on the... The Star http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2027634/posts#comment Sat, 7 Jun 2008 19:32:14 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2026991/posts Turkey's ruling AK party appeared to move a step closer to being shut down on Thursday when the Constitutional Court overturned a reform that would have allowed women to wear Islamic headscarves in universities. The headscarf amendment plays a central role in a separate, crucial case that seeks to outlaw the AK Party for anti-secular activities, and ban 71 members, including the prime minister and president, from belonging to a political party for five years. "This guarantees the closure of the party. I don't think we can talk of any calm before full chaos," said Cengiz Aktar, a political scientist... NY Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2026991/posts#comment Fri, 6 Jun 2008 12:29:55 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2003329/posts (IsraelNN.com) President Shimon Peres said recently that he hoped to reconcile the secular and religious communities in Israel in honor of the state’s 60th Independence Day. “There is no Israeliness without Judaism,” he said, according to the weekly paper Mishpacha. Peres denounced scorn for religious and hareidi-religious Jews, saying, “There is no place for condescension, derision, or mockery.” Peres said just weeks earlier that secular Israelis “must stop treating the ultra-Orthodox public with contempt.” In addition, he called on the secular community to “return to our roots” by studying the Torah. Arutz 7 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2003329/posts#comment Fri, 18 Apr 2008 06:51:41 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2002874/posts A reliable GOP aide informs Townhall that Senate Democrats are blocking a measure to commend Pope Benedict XVI because of “controversial” religious language used in the text of the resolution.a,pa. The Pope arrived in Washington Wednesday for a six-day visit to the United States. He delivered an address on the White House South Lawn that morning to praise the America for preserving religious freedom at home and abroad. The Senate has so far refrained from passing a similar resolution because at least one Senate Democrat is objecting to the following statements contained in the Senate’s resolution to welcome the Pope:... Town Hall http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2002874/posts#comment Thu, 17 Apr 2008 13:44:21 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1976269/posts Pakistan secular win 'will aid war on terror' By Isambard Wilkinson in Peshawar Last Updated: 1:41am GMT 26/02/2008 A victory for secular parties over an Islamic alliance in Pakistan's frontier province will significantly aid the United States-led war on terrorism, according to a senior western diplomat. Asfandyar Wali Khan, the chief of the ANP Secular parties swept last week's polls in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) as the electorate rejected violence and extremism in an area where pro-Taliban and al-Qa'eda forces have taken root. The Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), an alliance of six Islamic parties that scored a landslide victory... The Telegraph (UK) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1976269/posts#comment Tue, 26 Feb 2008 02:56:56 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1955737/posts I am a practising Christian, but lately I've been giving serious thought to becoming a secular progressive. The advantages of adopting this popular mindset are becoming more attractive every day. Consider: As a Christian, one does the right thing, even when no one is looking. As a progressive, I can get public recognition, peer approval and moral points for my intentions. No need to actually do any heavy lifting. Very cool. As a secular progressive I won't have to worry about guilt or wrestle with moral dilemmas. I can now cheat on my mate and remain guilt free by merely... RightBias.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1955737/posts#comment Fri, 18 Jan 2008 14:56:44 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1954707/posts The rapid and drastic process of secularization in western Europe over the last decades has not diminished the continuing unease with which Europe considers the Islamic religion and Muslims in its midst. In this benchmark essay from 2004, José Casanova argues that the "Islam problem" is an indicator of the disparity between liberal and illiberal strands of European secularism. Since the signing of the Treaty of Rome in 1957 that established the EEC and initiated the ongoing process of European integration, western European societies have undergone a rapid, drastic, and seemingly irreversible process of secularization. In this respect, one can... Eurozine http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1954707/posts#comment Wed, 16 Jan 2008 18:45:33 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1948688/posts -- snip --So, Iowa chose to reward, on the Democrat side, a proponent of the conventional secular left, and, on the Republican side, a proponent of a new Christian left. If that's the choice, this is going to be a long election year. ocregister http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1948688/posts#comment Sat, 5 Jan 2008 12:56:50 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1945531/posts The Christmas ads that showed up in Iowa and New Hampshire — and here, on the Internet — are mostly just more ads, but with a new and disturbing twist. There is Barack Obama, being sensitive by letting his wife, Michelle, speak first; Rudy Giuliani, softening his image by joking with Santa, and Ron Paul grinning in the midst of family pandemonium. John McCain reminds us he was a prisoner of war, Fred Thompson offers heart-warming snapshots of the troops and John Edwards promises not to forget the poor. The hullabaloo has come over the ad for Mike Huckabee. He... The Seattle Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1945531/posts#comment Sat, 29 Dec 2007 11:35:12 GMT