Free Republic

  As Catholics, it comes as no surprise to us that the human brain is hard-wired for religion. We believe in a God who created us in His image so that we would come to know and love Him. But for Enlightenment thinkers, who had committed themselves to the "liberation" of human thought from the shackles of religious dogma, the news would not have been welcome at all.   If political society, as Hobbes wrote, abhors a vacuum, the same is true of religious belief. One cannot destroy without creating something else in its place. The new society or...

A Wisconsin group claiming to be Catholic has launched a series of television ads which state that using contraception doesn't make you less of a Catholic. The group, Young Catholics for Choice, has partnered with the Wisconsin Family Planning Health Services and is advocating the use of the controversial morning after pill. Member of Young Catholics for Choice, Marissa Valeri, told Milwaukee's Fox 6 news, “They may have heard differently from the hierarchy and they may have heard differently from their parish priest and we're here to let them know that they are not alone and that you can be...

Abortion opponents are urging local Catholic bishops to use the power of Communion to influence the national health care debate by withholding the sacrament from politicians who favor federal dollars for abortion. Randall Terry led five protesters Friday in front of Sen. Robert Casey's office, Downtown, and St. Paul's Cathedral in Oakland. He is founder of Insurrecta Nex, Latin for "revolt against killing," a Washington group opposed to abortion. Casey is a Catholic. "Part of what we're doing on this tour is calling on the bishops to obey the teachings of the church and to enforce them," Terry said. "This...

SALT LAKE CITY 3 December 2009 Since the launch of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ Mormon Messages channel on YouTube in August 2008, its influence has grown to reach millions. Situated among the endless variety of videos available on YouTube, the dozens of videos currently available on Mormon Messages have been viewed a total of 7.5 million times. During the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States, the Church posted a Mormon Messages video showing random people on the streets of New York City sharing a variety of responses to one simple question: “What are you thankful for?”...

A father killed his daughter. She was found in a house with a man other than her husband. The man involved in the twosome was beaten and then let go. He was beaten to show the youth of the community that he acted improperly. However, apparently the father slaying his daughter was not immoral, criminal or outrageous. The father got by with murder. The man got by with adultery. The woman got killed.

Statistics released Nov. 24 by the FBI show hate crimes against religious groups increased by 9% from 2007 to 2008.USA Today reported that in 2008, there 1,519 incidents against people based on their religion, the statistics show.The figures reveal that while anti-Jewish attacks made up the highest percentage of the attacks (17%), there was an increase in hate crimes against Catholics — 75, up from 61 in 2007.Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, said the increase may be due to the Church becoming more vocal on life issues such as abortion and homosexual unions.As...