Free Republic

A friend of mine, a political scientist, recently posed two very good questions. They go right to the heart of our discussion today. He wondered, first, if the religious freedom debate had “crossed a Rubicon” in our country’s political life. And second, he asked if Catholic bishops now found themselves opposed—in a new and fundamental way—to the spirit of American society. We should begin by recalling that even at the height of anti-Catholic bigotry, Catholics have always served our country with distinction. More than eighty Catholic chaplains died in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. All four chaplains who won...

The American narrative of the Catholic Church's struggles with the clerical sexual abuse of the young has been dominated by several tropes firmly set in journalistic concrete: that this was and is a "pedophilia" crisis; that the sexual abuse of the young is an ongoing danger in the Church; that the Catholic Church was and remains a uniquely dangerous environment for young people; that a high percentage of priests were abusers; that abusive behavior is more likely from celibates, such that a change in the Church's discipline of priestly celibacy would be important in protecting the young; that the Church's...

Faith Without Works? Do Calvinists Actually Read the Christian Bible? Is anyone as mystified as I am at this contradictory and unbiblical Calvinist “Sola Fide” idea that faith without works is sufficient for salvation? How can Calvinists reject James Chapter 2 which states that; “What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him?” (James 2:14) and "Faith without works is dead" (James 2:26). To do so is antithetical to Scripture. The Calvinist rejection of James is at best substitutional, permitting Calvinists to conclude that works naturally follow...

With the rise of many new and highly exclusive caucuses it is important for Catholics to understand the Catholic teachings in certain areas of doctrine, not to criticize, but to illuminate. I will not go into significant depth but hope that the ensuing dialog will. So what exactly is the Catholic teaching on Salvation by Faith Alone? Faith Alone Is Not Enough – Catholic/Orthodox teaching says certain works (rituals or sacraments are needed to be saved. “What good is it my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?...You see that...

With the rise of many new and highly exclusive caucuses, such as the Sola Fide Caucus, it is important for Catholics to understand and accept the root of these exclusions, not to criticize, but to illuminate and to compare and contrast the issues that have divided Christendom for over 500 years. I will not go into significant depth but hope that the ensuing dialog will. Differences in Catholics/Protestants viewpoint Difference 1: Faith Is Not Enough - Catholic/Orthodox teaching says certain works (rituals or sacraments are needed to be saved. Protestants say sincere faith is all that is needed. “What good...

How Catholics Should Read the Bible How should Catholics read the Bible? Like a novel? Like a science book? There are a number of ways to read the Bible. One of the first things Catholics should look for is good footnotes at the bottom of the page that are indexed to other similar texts in the Bible. This helps the reader to understand the particular verse in context, rather than in isolation. The Bible is meant to be read in its entirety, and never to be taken out of context. That is what satan tried to do to Jesus in...

Introduction Has God made himself known only in the Bible and/or Jesus? Are there any other ways in which He has revealed himself to us? If so, how? What is the nature, extent, and value of that revelation and how does it compare with the knowledge we have of God through Christ and Scripture? Does everyone inherently know God? If so, in what way(s)? These are just some of the questions we will treat in this brief paper. Our use of the term “revelation” comes from the Greek term ajpokavluyi" (apokalupsis) and means “to uncover, reveal, disclose,” or “make known”...

The significance and symbolism found in the Jewish celebration of Passover is a very good opportunity for all Christians to reconnect with the Jewish Roots of Christianity and to better understand the significance of the Last Supper and the beginning of the Passion. The Jewish tradition is that on the eve of the first day of Passover, Jewish families gather in their homes to celebrate a meal and prayer service called the Passover Seder. It is an excellent opportunity to teach children and remind ourselves about the bitter remembrance of bondage and the Exodus, the significance of the Blood of...

One of the blessings of our US Catholic communities is the contributions of each of the many cultures represented in our parishes. As we prepare ourselves for our Lenten Observation it would be fantastic if we share the unique and special Lenten traditions and recipes of our communities and childhoods. Surely we can collectively do better than salmon loaf every Friday.

Who owns the concept of Sola Scriptura and what does it take to be an adherent? What active Christian; be they Catholic Protestant, or Evangelical would argue with the definition put forth by Dr. W. Robert Godfrey, a leading Protestant theologian and President of Westminster Theological Seminary in Escondido, California, in his article “What Do We Mean by Sola Scriptura?”: “The Protestant position, and my position, is that all things necessary for salvation and concerning faith and life are taught in the Bible clearly enough for the ordinary believer to find it there and understand.” Yet a more literalist definition...

An alarming trend is developing in the Free Republic Religion Forum in which a caucus identifier is being claimed for non-existent or impossibly defined groups. With the caucuses being self defined we see nonsense like the Sola Scriptura Caucus. Of course it doesn’t mean all Scripture, only the thread initiators or Forum Moderators definition of Scripture. Jews who believe in the Scripture of the Old Testament are excluded. Mormons, Seventh Day Adventists, and Jehovah’s Witnesses are excluded even though they believe in the sufficiency of their own versions of Scripture. The not so transparent purpose of these faux caucuses is...

PRAYER TO SAINT MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL Most glorious Prince of the Heavenly Armies, Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in “our battle against principalities and powers, against the rulers of this world of darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in the high places.” Come to the assistance of men whom God has created to their image and likeness and whom Jesus has redeemed at a great price from the tyranny of the devil. Holy Church venerates thee as her guardian and protector; to thee, the Lord has entrusted the souls of the redeemed to be led into heaven. Pray therefore...

What are we to make of the anti-Catholics? What are we to make of the anti-Catholics? How can we explain the assault on the Church by those who profess in their words the same mission of the Church, the Salvation of mankind, but through their deeds deny it? Are the fabrications, falsehoods, and lies about the supporting beliefs of the Church, about the lives of its saints and clergy, about the verifiable facts of history justified because of doctrinal disagreements? Does any of this matter in the face of the greater assault on Christ and his flock? It defies...

PAMPLONA, Spain, APRIL 15, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Numbers might not be politically correct, but they shouldn't offend anyone, according to an author who says the current discourse on pedophile priests is a typical example of a "moral panic." Massimo Introvigne, director of the Center for Studies on New Religions, affirmed this in speaking of the media firestorm surrounding a press conference given Monday in Chile by Benedict XVI's secretary of state. In response to a question asking if there is a link between celibacy and sexual abuse by the clergy, Cardinal Bertone responded: "Many psychologists and psychiatrists have shown that there...

April 6, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) - As Pope Benedict XVI faces media accusations over his handling of the sexual abuse crisis in the Church, Lutheran theology professor John Stephenson has issued some “ecumenical thoughts” in defense of the pontiff, and has called on Lutherans to offer prayers for the pope. On the blog of Logia, a Lutheran journal of theology, Dr. Stephenson points out that the secular media has been attacking Pope Benedict XVI since at least 1985 when The Ratzinger Report, a book-length interview with him conducted by Vittorio Messori, was published. He describes Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, even before he...

What are we to think of Calvin? Rev . Fr. Philippe Marcille The influence of John Calvin (1509-1564) has been immense, perhaps even more so than that of Luther. Certainly, without the bellowing revolutionary Luther, Calvin would not have been able to do anything; yet without Calvin, the revolt would not have had the political impact that it did in France and especially the United States. Origins He was born in Picardy, France, in 1509. His parents were well-to-do people. A very gifted student, he received a benefice from the Church and continued his studies at Paris. He was not...

Museums and textbooks often use artistic renderings to estimate what a fossilized animal or plant may have looked like when it was alive. These images by “paleoartists” put flesh and faces on skeletal structures, and they can influence public perception of early human history more than the actual science—particularly in regards to human evolution.

The PR machine of the left has pulled out all stops to promote Obama Care. Yet I know that viral marketing can overcome anything that Madison Avenue can produce. What is needed is a symbol of the opposition to ObamaCare. It needs to be simple and reproducible in any medium, format, or protocol. I believe that 'xJ', a simple symbolization of a mastectomy serves that purpose. Having witnessed the devastating effects of breast cancer and other manageable or preventable diseases I realize that we must do all we can to make sure that the consequences of government managed healthcare is...

The Manhattan Declaration is a 4,732-word statement signed by a movement of Orthodox, Catholic and evangelical Christian leaders who are collaborating around moral issues of great concern. Its 125+ signers affirm the sanctity of human life, marriage as defined by the union of one man and one woman, and religious liberty and freedom of conscience. The Manhattan Declaration endorses civil disobedience under certain circumstances. The Manhattan Declaration will be publicly released at a press conference at the National Press Club in Washington on Friday, Nov. 20, 2009.

ScienceDaily (Nov. 10, 2009) — Penguins that died 44,000 years ago in Antarctica have provided extraordinary frozen DNA samples that challenge the accuracy of traditional genetic aging measurements, and suggest those approaches have been routinely underestimating the age of many specimens by 200 to 600 percent.