Free Republic

The 18th century English cleric and theologian John Wesley was troubled by a paradox that emerged as his teaching spread. He, like other Protestant thinkers stretching back to Calvin, taught that one could honor God through hard work and thrift. The subsequent burst of industry and frugality generated by Wesley's message improved the lot of many of his working-class followers and helped advance capitalism in England. But "wherever riches have increased, the essence of religion has decreased in the same proportion," Wesley observed, and subsequently pride and greed are growing more common, he complained. The emergence of what Max Weber...

There has been much talk of the 8 year BDS (Bush Derangement Syndrome) from the left but I think it's time we admitted there are DS's on the right and we have to look no further than our own backyard here at FR to find the most glaring example, McCain Derangement Syndrome. McCain wasn't my preferred candidate. In fact, I'd have to go all the way back to Reagan to find my own preferred candidate victorious. But you never get everything you want in politics so many times you have to work with you got and make the best of...

Ed. Note: this is the first instalment of a detailed critique of a major New Scientist anti-creationist diatribe. This one deals with a substantial section in the article, which tries to downplay the Nazi reliance on Darwinian theories, and instead tries to smear Christianity as a cause of the Holocaust...

[How to fix health care? When it comes to the current state of heath care services in the United States, there are no easy answers. However, most people I've spoken to — both within and without the industry — agree that the way we are providing health care services in America now just isn't working, and that something must be done. Both Democrat presidential candidates are touting a public/private system of universal health care; the Republican candidate favors tinkering with the current system. Other proposals include getting rid of all government involvement in the health care industry, full-on British/Canadian-style socialized...

Let the '60s refugees and their rainbow-haired progeny roll in the mud and do in their Burning Man. The grown-ups of the world are setting fire to our patriotic spirit, winning freedom for oppressed Iraqis and killing a lot of Muslim extremists who would be more than happy to take them out into the desert night, douse them with gasoline and burn them alive, exactly what they did to Iraqi children whose parents supported reconciliation in Iraq. Please join the Fight For Victory caravan. Come to Washington, D.C., on Sept. 15 for the Gathering of Eagles and Eagles Up! push-back...

Walking away from mass on Ash Wednesday, I found myself examining my belief in the Catholic faith. While I felt proud to sport my new "smudge" — the term my roommates gave the ashen cross on my forehead — and even became angry when others looked at me with confusion. I realized that I do not agree with what the Catholic faith stands for. From the time I was born up until my senior year of high school my parents made me attend mass with them every Sunday morning. They staunchly believed that the teachings would instill a sense of...

CARACAS, Venezuela — President Hugo Chavez warned that the U.S. government, allegedly frustrated by failed assassination plots against him, was now planning to sabotage the oil-producing country's economy. Chavez, speaking Thursday on his newly scheduled prime-time TV talk show, predicted that "one of the fiercest battle fronts" was coming ahead as Washington readied to destroy Venezuela economically. He said that recent comments by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice accusing Chavez of "destroying" his country's economy meant that "the imperialist plan of the moment" had turned to economic sabotage. "(That's) one of the plans. The other is assassination," he said, reiterating...

TAMPA — A doctor told a panel reviewing Florida’s lethal injection procedures that executioners “did the worst thing they could do” during the botched killing of condemned inmate Angel Diaz last year. The testimony came from Mark Heath, a Columbia University anesthesiologist who has testified on the behalf of death row inmates in about 20 states. But despite such testimony, the key question of whether Diaz suffered pain during the execution remained murky. Heath said the execution team “did exactly 100 percent the wrong thing” during the Dec. 13 execution of Diaz, who was condemned for the 1979 shooting death...

Are We Alone? A Tête-à-Tête Between Neil deGrasse Tyson and Peter Ward Despite decades of concerted effort by radio astronomers working on the project known as SETI, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, we've had no sign of beings elsewhere in the universe that match or exceed us in smarts. That's just one of many pieces of evidence that paleontologist Peter Ward, coauthor of Rare Earth: Why Complex Life is Uncommon in the Universe, points to when claiming that intelligent life beyond Earth must be exceedingly rare. Since many other scientists believe advanced life is common out there—Carl Sagan estimated...

President Bush Approves Over the Counter Early Abortion Pill, Pro-Life Base Decries MoveBy John-Henry Westen WASHINGTON, August 21, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) - For his pro-life supporter base, President George W. Bush stepped into one of the biggest political landmines of his Presidential career today with his approval of over the counter status for the abortion-causing morning after pill Plan B. A press release by Human Life International underscored the seriousness of the move as it was titled, "President Bush Files for Divorce with Catholic Base." Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer, president of Human Life International commented, "President Bush's implied support for the...

A large Delaware school district promoted Christianity so aggressively that a Jewish family felt it necessary to move to Wilmington, two hours away, because they feared retaliation for filing a lawsuit. The religion (if any) of a second family in the lawsuit is not known, because they're suing as Jane and John Doe; they also fear retaliation. Both families are asking relief from "state-sponsored religion." The behavior of the Indian River School District board's behavior suggests the families' fears are hardly groundless. The district spreads over a considerable portion of southeast Delaware. The families' complaint, filed in federal court in...

A small American flag, tucked into the back right-hand pocket of her pants. And for that, the Fallbrook High School sophomore was stopped by a security officer, taken to an assistant principal's office and written up in an incident report that was placed in her student file. Malia Fontana, a sophomore at Fallbrook High School, received an incident report in her student file for tucking a small American flag in the pocket of her pants. She says her right to freedom of speech was violated. Malia, who is an honors student, said she was shocked, then dismayed at what she...

Like any other controversial subject, the Iraq war has produced its share of half-truths, deliberate or unintended distortions and inflated claims and counterclaims. It would be naive to expect the environment produced by this war to be completely free of political pollution. But it is not too much to expect our political leaders to avoid the worst forms of distortion and slander - the sort of thing President Bush descended to at his news conference on Tuesday. On March 13, Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) introduced a Senate resolution to censure Bush, arguing that the president authorized an illegal program to...

Dr. David Humphreys of McMaster University has put forth some very interesting findings regarding evolution in regards to chemistry and biology. Here is an example in reference to hemoglobin. Dr. Humphreys noted that hemoglobin molecules in our blood are composed of 20 amino acids that occur in nature. They could be arranged by random chance, into a total of 10^650 (10 to the 650th power, or 10 followed by 650 zero's) possible chemical combinations. Note that only one of those would produce the correct hemolobin molecule essential for the blood system. The earth, at the estimated 5 billion years or...

In the arena of political discourse, a “straw man” is often a weak or extreme argument one side in a debate falsely attributes to their opponents.  It’s an age-old tactic that presents a nice-sounding argument that is, in reality, easily refuted or “knocked down.” That is the tactic now being used to defend the court-ordered legalization of same-sex “marriage” in Massachusetts last year.

       Hillary wasn't done giving us her mad moments in her Aspen Ideas Festival speech (and don't think Mad wouldn't have a field day with the concept of an Ideas Festival, either). Later in her remarks, she delivered this eye-popping economic analysis for the Colorado audience: "Ours will be the last generation to rely so exclusively on fossil fuels." She added that the "ups and downs of the global oil market cost the U.S. economy $7 trillion last year . . . almost enough to pay off our entire national debt." Seven trillion dollars? That would surprise most...

"I Gave It Up for Lent"Harry R. OsborneA few years ago about this time of year, a story appeared in the newspaper about a strange occurrence in France. It seems that a thief cornered a man in a dark place. He threatened to slash the man's throat with his knife unless he handed over his money. As the Victim reached for his wallet, the light caught him in such a way that the thief saw his victim was a priest. The robber quickly apologized for his behavior explaining that he was unaware of the fact that he had preyed upon...

AFTER ZEL MILLER'S SPEECH AT THE CONVENTION, HE HAD SEVERAL INTERVIEWS. ONE OF THESE WAS WITH CHRIS MATTHEWS HOST OF MSNBC'S "HARDBALL". MR. MILLER HAD STATED IN HIS SPEECH THAT JOHN KERRY WOULD USE "SPITBALLS" AS WEAPONS IN THE "WAR ON TERROR". MR. MATTHEWS QUESTIONED MILLER'S USE OF THE TERM AND ASKED MR. MILLER IF HE TRULY BELIEVED MR. KERRY WOULD USE "SPITBALLS" AS WEAPONS. MR. MILLER INFORMED MR. MATTHEWS THAT HE WAS USING A METAPHOR. FURTHER QUESTIONING AND SOFT PROBING OF MR. MILLER'S SPEECH RESULTED IN AN UNBELIEVABLY ANGRY RANT BY MR. MILLER. MR. MILLER WENT TO THE POINT...

Despite recent reports of an improved economy, hunger and homelessness are on the rise, according to a study of 25 major cities by the U. S. Conference of Mayors. “This survey underscores the impact the economy has had on everyday Americans,” says conference president, Mayor James E. Garner of Hempstead, N.Y. “The face of homelessness has changed and now reflects who we least suspect.” For example, 61 percent of people requesting emergency food assistance in the cities surveyed held jobs. The annual “Hunger and Homelessness Survey,” released in late December, reports that requests for emergency food assistance increased by an...

Anthoney D. RomeroExecutive Director Dear ACLU Member, The separation between church and state has been chipped away at by religious extremists for years. Now, our elected officials are taking sledgehammers to its very foundation. That's one reason why I am so concerned that your ACLU membership has lapsed.Most civil libertarians consider the ACLU to be the last line of defense against opponents determined not only to force prayer into our public school, but also to make religious doctrine---THEIR religious doctrine---the law of the land.But ACLU supporters like you and other freedom-loving Americans aren't the only ones who know it. Our...