Free Republic

he Council on American-Islamic Relation, a Muslim group that is unlikely to wield the kind of power over the Donald Trump administration as they did over the current president, is calling on Trump to dis-invite Rev. Franklin Graham from Friday’s inauguration ceremony. In a press release, CAIR said that Graham was a “notorious Islamophobe” who had no business speaking at the event. “If President-elect Trump truly seeks to unite our nation as he promised in his acceptance speech, he will limit the list of those offering prayers at the inauguration to religious leaders who work to bring us together, not...

The number of Americans who don’t ascribe to any religion grew significantly during Obama’s eight years in office, according to a recent Pew Research report on how the country changed during the Obama era.U.S. President Barack Obama (L) stands with Pope Francis during an arrival ceremony for the pope at the White House in Washington September 23, 2015. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst “When it comes to the nation’s religious identity, the biggest trend during Obama’s presidency is the rise of those who claim no religion at all. Those who self-identify as atheists or agnostics, as well as those who say their religion...

The city has donated the cross to Santa Clara UniversityThe battle over a large iconic cross in the South Bay has come to an end. After standing in Santa Clara for more than six decades, the 14-foot cross was taken down -- by a lawsuit. A Santa Clara man and Wisconsin-based Freedom from Religion Foundation sued the city last April, claiming the cross violated the separation of church and state because it stood in a public park. "We are happy that the city divested itself of this religious symbol, and that the constitution is now being complied with," said Rebecca...

Burrell will not appear on her show after the gospel singer made homophobic comments. Burrell referred to "the perverted homosexual spirit" during a sermon at a church in Houston, Texas. She had been due to sing with Pharrell Williams on The Ellen DeGeneres Show later this week. But the talk show host, who is a well-known advocate of gay rights, tweeted : "For those asking, Kim Burrell will not be appearing on my show." 'No excuses' DeGeneres had been asked by fans to cancel Burrell's planned appearance and an online petition was launched. In a video published after the sermon,...

CHRISTIANS are the most persecuted religious group in the world with more than 90,000 killed in 2016 because of their faith, a leading religious study group director has claimed. Speaking on Vatican Radio, Massimo Introvigne, Director of the Centre for Studies on New Religions (CESNUR), said more than 60,000 of the Christians killed this year were murdered in tribal conflicts in Africa. He claimed these deaths often came after Christians refused to take up arms for reasons of conscience. The religious chief said: "The other 30 per cent, or 27,000, were killed in terror attacks, the destruction of Christian villages,...

We are in the heart of Christmas season, so that means it’s time for the tolerance Grinches to come out of their closets once again. And, despite its dumpster fire excesses, it is only fitting that the year 2016 close with the memory of these recent incidents and examples of America’s perennial War on Christmas. 1. No to “religious-themed” displays of Santa deity An Oregon school district instructed staff to sacrifice Christmas symbols at the altar of “diversity.” According to a memo sent by the Hillsboro School District, school staff could still decorate their offices, but were asked to “be...

Every year small towns across America are targeted because of their nativity scenes. This year is no exception. The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) recently zeroed in on the small village of St. Bernard, a suburb of Cincinnati, Ohio. The Madison, Wisconsin-based organization threatened the town with a lawsuit if they do not remove the nativity scene. However, it is actually part of a larger exhibit that includes secular symbols of the season. According to the FFRF’s attorney, Sam Grover, the display “conveys a preference for religion over non-religion and for Christianity above all other faiths.” In essence, they argue...

Obama’s sustained assault on religious liberty is finally over.Perhaps more than any other sector in America, the ivory towers of academia are mourning the defeat of Hillary Clinton, the departure of President Barack Obama, and the election of Donald Trump. For our faith-based university, however, the changing of the guard cannot come soon enough. The Obama administration’s sustained assault on religious liberty and the right of conscience, and the ineptitude of his White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, had campuses and religious charities of conservative, religious orientation struggling to survive. Some American colleges may be preoccupied with concerns...

A 300-pound metal sculpture of a satanic pentagram, erected as an atheist protest to a public park’s Nativity scene, was severely damaged on Tuesday when it was pulled to the ground by protestors. Atheist Preston Smith’s 10-foot tall sculpture lay broken in Sanborn Square at noon. Tire tracks led from the twisted metal to the street. It appeared protestors had attached a chain from a vehicle to the sculpture and yanked it down, dragging it several feet... The sculpture sits about 20 feet from a traditional Nativity scene of Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus, and is backed by a...

A traditional nativity scene will not be put up in a Belgian town this year, amid claims it was scrapped in order to avoid offending Muslims. A former leader in Holsbeek, about 20 miles outside Brussels - claims there will be no manger to mark the festival because it would be 'too provocative'. . . . The decision not to put a nativity scene up was supported by the ruling coalition of the Christian-Democrats and the Green Party. But the Flemish-nationalist N-VA party called for locals to attend the town’s next assembly meeting - and to each bring a nativity...

In this season’s most anticipated holiday spin-off, Campus Reform visits the University of Virginia dressed as “The Hipsters Who Stole Christmas.” With schools across the country outright banning even such innocuous Christmas decorations as evergreen trees and images of Santa because they could be interpreted as being “non-inclusive,” Campus Reform wanted to find out what students think of the idea.

Militant atheists at the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) are threatening to sue St. Bernard, Ohio, over the city’s Nativity scene — a Christmas display depicting the scene of Jesus’s birth in Bethlehem in the Holy Land. If FFRF follows through and files in federal court, that case could result in a historic restoration of religious liberty nationwide. St. Bernard is a suburb of Cincinnati. For many years, the city has displayed a crèche — i.e., a Nativity scene — during the Christmas season. It is accompanied by non-biblical seasonal holiday displays as well, making this outdoor crèche similar to the...

On December 8, religion reporter Sarah Pulliam Bailey wrote an opinion column for The Washington Post titled, “Evangelicals, your attacks on ‘the media’ are getting dangerous.” The reverse is actually true, and it is the secular media’s attacks on evangelicals that are getting dangerous, including Bailey’s article. Her fundamental argument is that because evangelicals talk about “the mainstream media” as “Satan’s newspaper,” they are now buying today’s “fake news” as if it were gospel truth, as evidenced by the fact that the Washington pizza shooter said that “he has been influenced by the book Wild at Heart, by John Eldredge...

Feminists and empowerers-of-women everywhere can’t seem to figure out how to deal with incoming first lady Melania Trump. . . . Salon’s managing editor, Erin Keane, for example, sucked all the Christmas cheer out of the room Saturday with a 607-word tirade about Melania that validates every negative stereotype pinned on women.

Family Guy is no stranger to bashing Christianity and Sunday night’s Christmas episode, “How the Griffin Stole Christmas,” was no exception, featuring Jesus not only mocked, but KICKED at the nativity. While the Griffin family longs to go sledding, Lois tells them to get ready so they can attend church. Peter rudely objects, proclaiming Jesus himself loved sledding, calling it his “second passion” – obviously cheapening the Passion of Christ, the period of suffering Jesus underwent leading up to His death on the Cross for our sins. Lois: All right. You guys ready for church? Peter: Church? What are you,...

""Radical Far Left Group Demands World War I Memorial to Fallen Soldiers Be Torn Down Because It Includes a Cross"" The Bladensburg Cross was built in 1925 in Bladensburg, Marlyand in 1925. The cross was a designed by mothers of local soldiers who lost their lives in World War I. The American Legion raised the money to build the cross on private land. Now a radical far left group is demanding the cross be taken down. It offends them. The Becket Fund reported: For 90 years, a war memorial in Bladensburg, Maryland has reminded passersby of the ultimate sacrifice made...

A pair of Arizona-based Christian artists is challenging the local law that threatens to fine and imprison them for refusing to make same-sex wedding invitations. Joanna Duka and Breanna Koski, owners of Brush & Nib Studio in Phoenix, lost a case at trial level which accused them of violating a local ordinance that protects homosexuals from discrimination, Fox News reported. The ordinance also prevents the business owners from publicly explaining their convictions or even defending their decision lest they face jail time for that as well. This apparent violation of the First Amendment protection of free speech is at the...

Starbucks Chairman and CEO Howard Schultz will leave his post as the company's chief executive, the company said Thursday. Schultz will become the company's executive chairman, and current President and COO Kevin Johnson will become Starbucks' next CEO. The changes will take place on April 3, the company said. Starbucks shares dipped more than 3 percent in after-hours trading following the news of the planned leadership transition. "As I focus on Starbucks next wave of retail innovation, I am delighted that Kevin Johnson — our current president, COO, a seven-year board member and my partner in running every facet of...

Chip and Joanna Gaines, stars of HGTV's No. 1 series "Fixer Upper," are being lambasted by secular media this week for attending a church that espouses the traditional view of marriage and sexual morality. Buzzfeed and Cosmopolitan magazine reported this week that the Gaines family are members of Antioch Community Church in Waco, Texas, where Pastor Jimmy Seibert has preached that the practice of homosexuality is a sin, and urged Christians not to adopt the Supreme Court's redefinition of marriage after it ruled that same-sex marriage is legal nationwide in July 2015. Cosmo called the Gaines' church attendance a "startling...

COMMENTARY: Among the worst of Castro’s crimes and legacies, consider what he did to religious faith in this once-great Catholic nation.