Free Republic

According to Dr. Joel Mathews, the phrase "In God We Trust" was first printed on our coins in 1864 and on paper bills in 1957. It had been proposed that "Our Country, Our God, Our Trust" be used, but that was shortened to be able to stamp the motto onto coins. Kansas State University Polytechnic's March Civic Luncheon began with Kansas Weslyan University's Dr. Philip Meckley asking: o How can we look at comparative religious traditions? o How can we live with differences for the sake of our human community? Matthews, a K-State Polytechnic instructor, began the lecture by saying...

Even though the Communist Party of China is officially atheist, and the central government was once wary of religion, subtle signs and increasing activities show there is a changing attitude towards religion in order to unite China and its neighbors. In March last year, Chinese President Xi Jinping stood in the offices of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Paris, and extolled the profound impact Buddhism has had on China. "Buddhism originated in ancient India," said Xi, the leader of the officially atheist Communist Party of China. "After it was introduced into China, the religion went...

China was once the world’s leading economic power, but over time it fell behind the West. Why did this happen? Can it return to its earlier greatness? In their new book Balance: The Economics of Great Powers from Ancient Rome to Modern America, economists Glenn Hubbard and Tim Kane examine history’s Great Powers in an attempt to learn why they rose and fell. They detect a consistent pattern: states rise on the back of strong economies and dynamic cultural and political institutions, but fall into decline when those institutions stagnate and become inflexible. In chapter 5, “Treasure of China”, excerpted...

According to the ADK employee, their President Masao Inagaki is a special and decent leader. He is always the first to come to the company and shares the same office with other employees. He likes to quote Confucian proverbs in his conversation. Not long ago, People's Daily's Tokyo-based correspondent paid a special visit to the famous Japanese entrepreneur who is proficient in the Chinese ancient philosophy. Masao Inagaki was born in 1922. He has been full of aspirations for China since he was a little boy. He was so familiar with "The Analects of Confucius" that he could recite every...

BEIJING (AP) -- China is planning to make selective abortions of female fetuses illegal as a way to close the widening gap between the number of boys and girls in the country, the official Xinhua News Agency said. "The government takes it as an urgent task to correct the gender imbalance of newborns," Zhang Weiqing, minister of National Population and Family Planning Commission, was quoted as saying Thursday by Xinhua. Traditionally, sons have been more valued as a way for the family name to continue and as a means for parents to be cared for as they get older.

Betel nut brouhaha exposes disagreement By Laurence Eyton TAIPEI - Taiwan's "betel-nut beauties" are being told to cover up. And they aren't happy about it. The girls are a key part of a business worth by some estimates US$1 billion a year. And the way they go about their business is bringing Taiwan into disrepute and possibly corrupting society, some local politicians have started to argue. It certainly can be a disconcerting sight. Along major highways and on the off and on ramps of the main north-south freeway, the transport backbone that connects Taiwan's industry in the north of...