Free Republic

"Historically, Catholics have argued that the papacy was a divinely-given institution papacy (Matt 16:17-19) etc., and they have relied on the notion that there have been bishops of Rome extending all the way back to the time of Peter. This notion of bishops extending all the way back was thought to be actual history. In fact, as Shotwell and Loomis pointed out, in the General Introduction to their 1927 work "The See of Peter": With reference to the Petrine doctrine, however, the Catholic attitude is much more than a "pre-disposition to believe." That doctrine is the fundamental basis of the...

Papacy built on pious fiction and forgery 2 The right way to understand history is to start from the beginning. What was it like to be a Christian in the earliest church in Rome? We have a marvellous picture of this earliest church, provided by the New Testament scholar Peter Lampe, author of the work "From Paul to Valentinus: Christians in Rome in the First Two Centuries."The Catholic historian Eamon Duffy writes in his work, "Sinners and Saints": "All modern discussion of the issues must now start from [this] exhaustive and persuasive analysis by Peter Lampe.” Lampe seemingly searched...

Darwin called him, ‘My good and kind agent for the propagation of the Gospel—i.e. the devil’s gospel.’2 ‘Out of his provocations came … the West’s new faith—agnosticism (he coined the word).’3 Huxley, although an unbeliever, was thoroughly familiar with the gospel, and had little time for Christians who compromised their position by supporting the anti-biblical belief of evolutionary naturalism. He wrote: ‘I am fairly at a loss to comprehend how any one, for a moment, can doubt that Christian theology must stand or fall with the historical trustworthiness of the Jewish Scriptures. The very conception of the Messiah, or Christ,...

By John McCaslin THE WASHINGTON TIMES Published January 31, 2007 Faux first Contrary to pronouncements by pundits and publications alike, freshman Rep. Keith Ellison, Minnesota Democrat, is not the first Muslim elected to Congress. Rather, the first Muslim to serve in Congress was John Randolph of Virginia, elected off and on from 1799 to 1834. During the time there "were numerous Muslims living in America," says Mr. Barton, so many that the first Koran was published and sold here by 1806. "Significantly, Francis Scott Key, author of the 'Star Spangled Banner,' befriended Randolph and faithfully shared Christ with him. Randolph...

A black civil rights leader recently told an assembly at Michigan State University that American democracy was only decades old rather than centuries – that not until the 1965 Voting Rights Act when blacks could vote did democracy truly begin. [1]Such a declaration does not accurately portray the history of black voting in America nor does it honor the thousands of blacks who sacrificed their lives obtaining the right to vote and who exercised that right as long as two centuries ago. In fact, most today are completely unaware that it was not Democrats but was actually Republicans – like...

The Separation of Church and State by David Barton In 1947, in the case Everson v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court declared, “The First Amendment has erected a wall between church and state. That wall must be kept high and impregnable. We could not approve the slightest breach.” The “separation of church and state” phrase which they invoked, and which has today become so familiar, was taken from an exchange of letters between President Thomas Jefferson and the Baptist Association of Danbury, Connecticut, shortly after Jefferson became President. The election of Jefferson-America’s first Anti-Federalist President-elated many Baptists since that...

Casual students of the Civil War often disagree about whether the War was fought over slavery, unjust economic policies, or “states’ rights.” Yet for millions of Americans in the 1860s, their reason for going to war can be found in the words of a famous 1830 speech made by Daniel Webster in the US Senate. At that time, South Carolina was threatening secession. On the floor of the Senate, Webster eloquently proved that there was no such right under the Constitution and that to secede would be an act of treason. (Numerous Founding Fathers – including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson,...

Introduction There is little doubt that the Da Vinci Code has hit a cultural nerve. It has been on the best seller list in the USA for two years, it also has hit equal heights in various countries overseas. Sales estimates run at forty-three million, while reader estimates reach as high as one hundred million. And a major movie by Ron Howard with Tom Hanks in a lead role is on the way in May. The novel's combination of mystery, history, conspiracy and the use of romantic locations and figures have made it a popular piece of fiction. Its plot...

This year marks 225(older, but timeless article) years since our Founding Fathers gave us our National Birth Certificate. We continue to be the longest on-going Constitutional Republic in the history of the world. Blessings such as these are not by chance or accidental. They are blessings of God. On July 2, 1776, Congress voted to approve a complete separation from Great Britain. Two days afterwards — July 4th —the early draft of the Declaration of Independence was signed, albeit by only two individuals at that time: John Hancock, President of Congress, and Charles Thompson, Secretary of Congress. Four days later,...

CBN.com – Conservatives say the Supreme Court's sodomy ruling is just one more example of judicial activism in the courts, that the Court has gotten too powerful and is creating new laws instead of ruling on the existing ones. David Barton is an expert on U.S. history, and he says the High Court is exercising powers that the Founding Fathers never intended. CBN’s Pat Robertson recently spoke with David Barton on "The 700 Club." PAT ROBERTSON: The Supreme Court, ladies and gentlemen. The eyes have been focused on the Supreme Court. Recent rulings by the court have shown how easily...

The Founding of America , Pt 1 Thursday, July 01, 2004 Is our government protecting religious freedom? Wallbuilders president David Barton talks about the founding of America — and shares some disturbing truths about the direction our country is heading. Can America move back to its roots of true religious freedom?

Much ado has been bantered about concerning the safety and peace this 4th of July. FBI warnings, flight bans around national monuments, and even mayors --Bloomberg and Daley-- advising people on how to spend the day have bombarded our TV sets. I don't believe I've ever quite wondered ahead of time like I have this year: Will this day hold tragedy close again to the heart of America? If we believe the warnings and the news reports, Al Queda is and has been more active in the last five days than in the last five months. Many Americans have decided...

The full 9th Circuit Federal Court of Appeals (composed of 28 judgeships) recently upheld the wildly unpopular 2-1 ruling of its smaller three judge panel, agreeing with Sacramento atheist Michael Newdow that it was unconstitutional for students to recite the words "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance. Judge Stephen Reinhardt, concurring in the full 9th Circuit order, explained: We may not – we must not – allow public sentiment or outcry to guide our decisions. . . . Any suggestion, whenever or wherever made, that federal judges should be encouraged by the approval of the majority or deterred by...

The History of the Supreme CourtBy David Barton, The founder of WallBuilders talks about the Supreme Court, then and now. Guest of the 700 Club. July 10, 2003.The History of the Supreme Court The Founding Fathers of this nation laid out their elaborate plans for the city of Washington and made no provision for the Supreme Court to have a separate building. As intended by the Founders, the Court met inside the Capitol building for 135 years, first bouncing around from room to room and then finally residing in the vacated Senate chambers. The Founders intended that the Court should...

HISTORIAN ON THE HOT SEAT Do the People Who Favorably Reviewed the Bellesiles Book Owe Readers an Apology? The brave minuteman armed with his trusty rifle, Bellesiles told us, was mostly a myth — Americans at the time of the Revolution, and for many decades afterward, seldom owned guns, but instead relied on the government for protection. Bellesiles received glowing reviews in the New York Times Book Review, the New York Review of Books, the Atlantic Monthly, and many other publications, from reviewers who were often visibly pleased that he was sticking it to the National Rifle Association. As it...