Free Republic

If you’re a religious non-profit and you don’t file a 990 with the IRS, you’re off the hook. The US government says you are allowed to follow your beliefs and refuse to pay for your female employees’ birth control devices and medications, sterilizations, or “morning after pills.”If you do file a 990 you have to pay for them, even if you’re a pregnancy care center or a monastery — although the US government will kindly allow you to pretend that you don’t.And if you’re a non-religious non-profit, or a you’re for-profit company? You pay whether you like it or not.That’s...

Ellery Schempp, at 16 years of age in 1956, stayed in his seat while the rest of his high school class stood to recite the Lord’s prayer; he flipped through the Koran while his homeroom teacher recited ten verses from the Bible. What began as a quite protest in his Philadelphia high school became Supreme Court case Abington v. Schempp, which declared Bible readings and prayer in public schools unconstitutional. “A sense of fairness motivated the teen. He knew his Jewish friends were uncomfortable and believed the same must be true for other religious minorities and non-believers,” and his parents...

Fortnight for Freedom 2013 is around the corner!The Fortnight, which begins June 21 and ends July 4 is a call for both prayer and activity on behalf of our first American Freedom — Freedom of Religion.From the USCCB website: The Fortnight for Freedom, which we celebrated for the first time last year, takes place from June 21—the vigil of the Feasts of St. John Fisher and St. Thomas More—to July 4, Independence Day. Last year, we saw a great diversity of events promoting religious freedom across the country. In 2013, we face many challenges to religious liberty, including the August...

The Edict of Milan Constantine Augustus and Licinius Augustus When I, Constantine Augustus, as well as I Licinius Augustus fortunately met near Mediolanum (Milan), and were considering everything that pertained to the public welfare and security, we thought -, among other things which we saw would be for the good of many, those regulations pertaining to the reverence of the Divinity ought certainly to be made first, so that we might grant to the Christians and others full authority to observe that religion which each preferred; whence any Divinity whatsoever in the seat of the heavens may be propitious and...

The mainstream American right has remained almost entirely silent about the recent suicide of the French historian, Dominique Venner. The reasons for this, I do not know—perhaps it is a squeamishness about the symbolism of his final act, or a lack of understanding of it. Perhaps it is a refusal to see what the people of France already see, and are rising up against.Venner shot himself on the altar of the Cathedral of Notre Dame on May 21st, 2013. The image of this act ought to make us pause in awe. The American left immediately dismissed him as a...

The European Commission has ordered the National Bank of Slovakia not to mint new euros that would feature images of Sts. Cyril and Methodius, the New York Times reports. Each member-state within the European Union has the authority to mint its own versions of the euro, incorporating its own national designs. But the European Commission ruled that the Slovakian design, hailing the 1,150th anniversary of Christianity in Slovakia, violated the principle of religious neutrality.

In an interview with EWTN's "The World Over's" Raymond Arroyo, The Exorcist author and 1950 graduate, William Blatty spoke about the reasons for the canon law petition on Georgetown University that has been submitted to the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C.'s Cardinal Donald Wuerl. The petition compiled by Blatty and The Cardinal Newman Society addresses numerous scandals at the University and whether it can continue to describe itself as Catholic. -

Like flaming demons, Wallachians rushed out of the night and into the Turkish camp, striking terror in an army of terrorists. Leading the charge was a gore-spattered chieftain—hewing and hacking a path to the central tents where the Sultan huddled in fear. On he came, Vlad Dracul, raining down slaughter and raging for Mehmed’s blood.On June 17, 1462, outside Targoviste, Romania, the world was given a rare instance of how the good can be accomplished though the grotesque—for God can deploy His enemies as allies. Vlad Dracul III, Prince of Wallachia, can hardly be considered a warrior of faith; but...

Ralph Reed’s now annual Faith & Freedom Coalition conference in Washington last week drew a surprisingly small audience of mostly Protestant evangelical political activists — but still attracted a bevy of Republican political stars. The audience of fewer than 400 was a fraction of the thousands who once thronged Pat Robertson’s annual Christian Coalition “Road to the White House” when it reigned as the premier event for rallying religious conservatives in the late 1980s and 1990s. Mr. Reed is a political consultant, one-time candidate for lieutenant governor of Georgia and born-again Christian. Mr. Robertson, who was honored at an FFC...

The Turks are marching, yelling, protesting, throwing bombs, burning cars, and destroying businesses as officials try to restore order. Istanbul’s center is burning. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan reported that 89 police vehicles, 42 private cars, four buses and 94 businesses had been destroyed by the “vandalism” in two days. Protestors charge that the prime minister is moving the nation toward extreme Islam and many of the people don’t want to go there. The same is happening in America but no one is protesting! Do we want to go there? Erdogan is identified as a Muslim “moderate”; however, his own...

(Vatican Radio) Money, politics and economics must serve, not rule. They must serve people and promote an ethics of truth. This was the thread running through Pope Francis Letter to the British Prime Minister on the eve of the G8 Summit.The Holy Father's Letter was in response to one sent by David Cameron ahead of the Northern Ireland summit which gathers togther the leaders of the 8 most powerful nations in the world to the banks of Lough Erne. Listen: In his letter, Pope Francis praises the priorities on the agenda of the British G8 Presidency: the free international...

The untold story of the Communist destruction of the Our Lady of Consolation Trappist Abbey at Yangjiaping in 1947Part 1, Accusations“He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.” John 1:10I have just returned from another year in China where I have witnessed the Church grow. I have seen churches struggle to accommodate the crowds who come for Holy Mass, and I have listened to countless stories of Christian suffering under China’s Communist rule. Over the years I have traveled with, worshipped with, and prayed with Chinese Catholics. Priests have...

The Obama administration “strongly objects” to a proposed House amendment to the defense authorization bill which would require, in the words of its sponsor, Rep. John Fleming, R-La., “the Armed Forces to accommodate ‘actions and speech’ reflecting the conscience, moral, principles or religious beliefs of the member.” Fox News has the story. Fleming points to evidence that Christian service members and chaplains are being penalized for expressing their faith. Examples: •The Air Force censored a video created by a chaplain because it include the word “God.” The Air Force feared the word might offend Muslims and atheists. •A service member...

Romans 12:2 Be not Conformed to this World: But be ye Transformed by the Renewing of your Mind, That ye May Prove what is that Good, and Acceptable, and Perfect, Will of God.

Senator Rand Paul, who is seriously considering running for President of the United States, told a conservative Christian audience today that, "There is a war on Christianity" being waged by "liberal elites' and "worldwide as well.

The bill protecting "believers' feelings," which rights activists and analysts have called a "step back" for Russia, a legal "Pandora's Box" and a return to the Dark Ages, looks set to take effect in July after sailing through the State Duma with a unanimous vote on Wednesday. The so-called "blasphemy law," which stipulates criminal prosecution for any abuse of religious feelings, has already provoked a chorus of criticism, with many warning that it will be applied selectively, increase religious intolerance and violate the Constitution's recognition of Russia as a secular state. In a preview of how the law may be...

This is according to Fr. Lee Eun-hyung, General Secretary of the Catholic "Committee for the Reconciliation of the Korean People", who spoke to Aid to the Church in Need“We suspect that after the long period of persecution there are still about 10,000 people who will remember in their hearts their Catholic faith.” But “I find it difficult to believe that there is an organised underground Church in North Korea,” Fr. Lee Eun-hyung, the General Secretary of the Catholic "Committee for the Reconciliation of the Korean People", said in an interview with Aid to the Church in Need (the foundation that...

Starting today till Friday, a Vietnamese delegation led by Deputy Foreign Minister Bùi Thanh Sơn will meet Under-Secretary for Relations with States Mgr Antonio Camilleri. In recent months, the Communist state has cracked down on human rights activists, Catholics included.Hanoi (AsiaNews) - The fourth meeting of the Joint Vietnam-Holy See Working Group began this morning in Rome as part of ongoing talks between the Vatican and Hanoi to establish full diplomatic relations between the two sides. The Vietnamese delegation is led by Deputy Foreign Minister Bùi Thanh Sơn, who will meet Under-Secretary for Relations with States Mgr Antonio Camilleri, who...

Details: Breitbart News reported last week that Rep. John Fleming (R-LA) passed an amendment in the House Armed Services Committee protecting religious speech of service members in the military. President Barack Obama has now threatened to veto the bill if it passes the full House and Senate.The White House released a Statement of Administration Policy (SAP) on H.R. 1960, the National Defense Authorization Act of 2014. Among other items, the SAP includes as an objection to the bill:Expansion and Implementation of Protection of Rights of Conscience of Members of the Armed Forces and Chaplains of Such Members: The Administration strongly objects to...

Them ‘Damned’ Catholicson June 12, 2013 By Walid Shoebat Throughout the Church’s history, it has warred with Islam. Yet, it has nothing to offer us today. This is the typical answer I get when I discuss Christian history with many Evangelicals. They tell me that beyond the Bible, there is nothing else we need. So next time you have a fire in the house, read the Bible, don’t forget to pray while you forget dialing 911 and enjoy the smoke and fire billowing inside the house. I find it difficult to even ask questions: What was Christian history like, that...

Glenn Beck Converts To Chrislam June 10, 2013 By Theodore Shoebat An excerpt: ... If we are eager to be equally yolked with Mormons as spiritual equals because of the charisma of Beck, then we will fall into accepting their theology, leading us further into welcoming Islam as an inspired religion. Yet this is exactly what Beck believes. This error is that grave heresy which has been growing recently: chrislam. If you think Beck combats Islam, you are mistaken. He speaks out against terrorism yes, but not the source of it. He writes in one of his books, An Inconvenient...

Many should be aware of the massacres and massive human rights violations visited upon the Catholic Church during the French Revolution, especially in the Vendée, but there is another more recent period in French history in which the Church was violently oppressed that has received far less attention. Historian Jean Sévillia’s Quand les catholiques étaient hors la loi (When Catholics were Outlaws) covers the period from 1876-1906 when the democratically elected French governments dedicated to “Liberty, Equality and Fraternity” arrested and deported over 30,000 priests, brothers and nuns for the crime of being members of Catholic religious congregations. The full...

Southern Baptist Convention leaders have been asked to consider removing a Texas church that supports a local chapter of Planned Parenthood of America. Messengers to the 2013 SBC annual meeting in Houston voted June 11 to refer a motion to the SBC Executive Committee to sever ties with Lakeshore Baptist Church in Waco, Texas, for active support of “the abortion provider Planned Parenthood.” Dorisanne Cooper Pastor Dorisanne Cooper said Lakeshore Baptist Church already withdrew from the SBC 12 years ago and notified convention leadership at the time. “The church felt that the leadership and direction of the SBC were increasingly...

MEXICO CITY -- She rose to the podium and cast her eyes skyward. The mayor of Monterrey then entrusted her Mexican city to God and Jesus Christ as the crowd around her cheered. “I open the doors of this city to God as the maximum authority,” Mayor Margarita Arellanes said. “I recognize that without his presence and his help, we cannot have real success.” Whether a sign of desperation for how dire things are in northern Mexico, which is plagued by drug violence, or simply a profession of faith, Arellanes’ weekend speech has rankled many in this country where the...

Imagine this: It's February 10, 2016 and there is a double-header debate with the Democratic candidates going first on MSNBC and the Republicans following on Fox News and all but one of the candidates on both stages has ashes on their foreheads...There are only about 1,200 days left before Election 2016. Although far too early for anyone to declare yet, some have expressed interest or are thought to be sure to enter the next presidential race. Among those who are considered potential candidates there seems to be an unprecedented number of self-identified Catholics. Perhaps the biggest name who is not...

Moscow, June 5, Interfax - Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, the head of the Synodal Department for Church and Society Relations, believes legalization of same-sex "marriage" will eventually lead to the demise of modern Western civilization, which may happen in the next fifty years. "The main thing in life and international relations is not economics, not politics, but whether or not a specific group adheres to eternal moral norms or tries to contest them. It is known that many Western countries do not back the recognition of this extreme immorality as the norm, which means that calling a black thing white doesn't...

If you were a Christian minister who was given the opportunity to write an op-ed piece for the Washington Post, what subject would you choose? War and peace? The decline in faith among America’s young people? The increasingly empty pews in mainstream Protestant churches? The ethical decline in society? Or any of myriad other morally and religiously troubling issues? Well, not if you were a Methodist minister named James P. Marsh Jr. For this man of the cloth, the issue troubling him so much that he had to write about in the Washington Post was . . . people standing...

(CNSNews.com) – Seven years after Sunni Islam’s foremost institution severed dialogue with the Vatican over remarks by Pope Benedict XVI, the Cairo-based Al-Azhar wants the new pontiff to open the door to resuming interfaith discourse by declaring Islam to be a peaceful religion. The proposal that Pope Francis make such a public declaration prompted Coptic Christian advocates to suggest that Al-Azhar’s grand imam instead denounce Muslim violence against Copts in Egypt. Established in the 10th century, Al-Azhar is regarded as the top seat of learning in Sunni Islam. The suggestion for a papal gesture came from grand imam Ahmed al-Tayyeb’s...

June 9, 2013 Ours has become a neo-pagan culture, and that can be even worse than a simple pagan culture By Father George Rutler Last week the Church celebrated the feast of the Martyrs of Uganda. In the late nineteenth century, French and English missionaries were welcomed by King Mutesa I of Buganda in the southern part of modern Uganda. His successor, Mwanga II, however, was a youth who became a persecutor of Christians and all foreigners. He especially opposed Christian morality, as it contradicted his affinity for unnatural vice which was abhorred by the local Buganda culture, but...

In a classic episode of "Seinfeld" entitled "The Outing," a student reporter is convinced that Jerry and George Costanza are gay. They strenuously deny being gay, while adding "not that there's anything wrong with that." The phrase almost immediately became part of the way Americans talk about homosexuality. The "Seinfeld" episode came to mind while reading recently about the brouhaha concerning Roy Hibbert of the NBA's Indiana Pacers. During a press conference, Hibbert used profanity and commented about being "stretched out" on the basketball court. And then he used the phrase "no homo." If you're unfamiliar with that phrase, you're...

(Vatican Radio) Religious freedom was among the topics which Pope Francis touched upon Saturday during his meeting with Italian President Giorgio Napolitano. In his address to the Italian Head of State, Pope Francis recalled how 2013 marks the 17th centenary of the Edict of Milan, a document which many consider to be the first example of religious freedom being promoted. “In today’s world, religious freedom is more often affirmed than put into practice”, the pope said. It is often threatened, and not infrequently violated. The serious outrages against this fundamental right are a source of serious concern, and need...

(CNSNews.com) - Roman Catholic Archbishop Charles J. Chaput is calling on Americans to wake up and recognize that the Founding Fathers' vision of religious freedom is now threatened by the federal government.

Bishop Thomas Paprocki Phoenix, Ariz., Jun 7, 2013 / 05:06 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Bishop Thomas J. Paprocki of Springfield, Ill., explained that marriage is rooted in nature and exists prior to the state, which has the authority to recognize, but not redefine, the fundamental social institution. “Marriage is a pre-political and natural phenomenon that arises out of the nature of human beings. The Catholic Church, along with virtually every religion and culture in the world, recognizes and supports this natural institution because without it, no society will exist or flourish,� he said. The bishop explained that marriage is “a...

Youths surround Pope Francis as he meets with students from Jesuit schools June 7 in Paul VI hall at the Vatican. (CNS/Reuters) By Carol GlatzCatholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis ditched a 1,250-word prepared speech to students saying it would be "a tad boring" to read out loud and opted instead to just quickly hit the high points and spend the rest of the time answering people's questions. "Would you like that?" he asked as some 9,000 students, alumni and teachers from Jesuit-run schools and associations in Italy and Albania yelled "Yes" with cheers and applause....

When a Catholic school in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati fired teacher Christia Dias, it was because by becoming pregnant through artificial insemination, she violated the teachings of the Catholic Church and the terms of her contract. Last week, CNN anchor Ashleigh Banfield attempted to compare Dias' firing with a Sharia law execution, reported NewsBusters. "Well if it's an Islamic school and they decide to go with Sharia Law and they decide to stone me for this, they can't do that either," argued Banfield, comparing the termination to segregation. "Then don't sign up to be the teacher," responded prosecutor Christine Grillo....

Details from Sports Illustrated: Retired Ravens center Matt Birk spoke out Thursday morning on Minnesota’s KFAN about his reason for declining an invitation from President Barack Obama to be at the White House during the team’s visit a day earlier.Birk, a six-time Pro Bowler who was on the Ravens’ 2013 Super Bowl team, said he has “great respect for the office of the Presidency” but decided against going with the team on Wednesday as part of an annual NFL tradition for Super Bowl winners. Birk said he based his decision on a comment the president recently made in which he...

Job 10:12 Thou hast Given me Life and Grace: And Thy Visitation hath Preserved my Spirit.

A South Carolina valedictorian garnered wild applause after he ripped up his pre-approved speech and delivered the Lord’s prayer at his high school graduation on Saturday. The act was apparently in protest of the Pickens County School District’s decision to no longer include prayer at graduation ceremonies, Christian News reported. Officials said the decision was made after the district was barraged with complaints by atheist groups. But that didn’t stop Roy Costner IV of Liberty High School. He ripped up his graduation speech for all to see, before he started talking about his Christian upbringing, Christian News reported. “Those that...

Catholics in St. Petersburg, Russia joined in a Eucharistic procession through the city’s streets on June 2. The Corpus Christi procession was the first such public celebration since the Communist revolution in 1918. Police escorted the priests, religious, and lay people who joined in the march, which covered a distance of nearly 2 miles between parish churches. Russian faithful allowed Corpus Christi procession after 95 years (Rome Reports)

Special to The Washington Post I am a Methodist minister and a Washington Nationals fan. I was there on Opening Day in 2005 at old RFK Stadium in Washington, and I try my best to plan my summer around Nats home games. I have only one issue with the ballpark experience, and it’s not with the beer prices. It’s with “God Bless America.” In his May 15 column, Washington Post writer John Kelly described the odd feeling of not knowing whether to stand during the singing of this song in the middle of the seventh inning. Like Kelly, I don’t...

The Vatican has proclaimed 95 more martyrs of the Spanish Civil War. On June 3, with the approval of Pope Francis, the Congregation for the Causes of Saints issued four separate decrees, recognizing the martyrdom of: Mauro Abel Angelo Palazuelos Maruri and 17 Benedictine companions, who were killed in 1936;Joan of Jesus Vilaregut Ferre and 3 companions, Discalced Carmelites, who were killed along with Father Paul Segala Sole in 1936;Crisanto Casimiro Gonzalez Garcia, Aquilino Baldomer Baro Riera, and Cipriano Jose Julian Iglesias Banuelos; who were killed along with 63 Marist companioins and 2 laymen between 1946 and 1939; andAurelia Clementina...

I commend Russia for banning all foreign same-sex couples from adopting Russian children. Homosexuality is a troubling moral and social phenomenon. Due to benign interpretations of the homosexual condition itself it is increasingly being viewed as something neutral or even good. In the words of Cardinal George of Chicago, the gay liberation movement has begun to "morph into something like the Ku Klux Klan". They have thus far succeeded in inverting the West's rule of law into the law of the jungle. Men and women with homosexual tendencies must be accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity. Nonetheless homosexual acts must...

A court case from my home diocese making news around the country concerns a computer teacher fired from her job at two Catholic elementary schools in 2010, after announcing her pregnancy.Here’s the story in a nutshell: Christa Dias, a lesbian who hid her partnership with another woman from the schools who employed her because she knew it would violate the morals clause of her employment contract, says she did not know that the Catholic Church considers artificial insemination to be immoral and so she was shocked — shocked! – to find herself without a job after announcing that she was...

Vladimir Putin will ban foreign homosexual couples from adopting Russian children, the government has confirmed. An amendment restricting foreign adoptions to 'traditional' families will be submitted to parliament in its autumn session by the government, Alexei Levchenko, a spokesman for Deputy Prime Minister Olga Golodets, said on Saturday. The ban underscores a growing rift between Russia and the West over gay rights. Vladimir Putin will ban foreign same-sex couples from adopting Russian children Putin said in April that a French law allowing same-sex marriage went against traditional Russian values and signalled Moscow would take steps to ensure gay couples from...

A member of a Christian organization that posted a Decalogue outside a Florida courthouse said an atheist group posting a monument in the same location has the right to do so. American Atheists will soon be posting what is believed to be the United States' first atheist monument on public property outside of the Bradford County Courthouse later this month. Ken Weaver, member of the Starke, Fla.-based group Community Men's Fellowship, told The Christian Post about how he feels regarding the atheist monument bench. "Simply put, while we do not agree with the 'faith' of the American Atheists that disregards...

Recent high profile events—the Gosnell trial and the septicemia of Savita Halappanavar in Ireland—have again raised the question if abortion is ever acceptable, such as in attempts to save the life of the mother. There are at least two ways of thinking about such dilemmas in the Christian moral tradition. The first, which can be traced at least as far back as Thomas Aquinas, relies on the principle of double effect. The second, more familiar to the Lutheran communion, is the method of casuistry, the detailed study of all the factors and circumstances of a case in order to determine...

Father Gabriele Amorth is an old school priest. The octogenarian told The London Times this week that, since he was ordained way back in 1954, he has cast out some 160,000 demons. I believe that gives Father Gabriele some authority on the devil. So when he told the Times, “Practicing yoga brings evil,” he got my attention. I’ve long considered yoga a benign form of exercise, no more harmful than, say, aerobics or Pilates or, the apparent latest craze, Zumba. But after doing some research, I’m inclined to agree with Father Gabriele, the exorcist. While yoga indeed has a physical...

Moscow, May 30, Interfax - The U.S. congressmen's delegation intends to meet in Moscow with Russian special forces' representatives and to discuss with them the terrorist attack in Boston as well as the threats Islamic extremism is posing. Head of the U.S. congressmen's delegation Dana Rohrabacher said on Thursday at a meeting with members of the Federation Council's International Affairs Committee that the U.S. delegation had arrived in Moscow to discuss a very wide range of security cooperation. The U.S. officials will hold a separate meeting with Russian special forces' representatives and intend to discuss the events in Boston and...

Chalk this one up to the absurd. CNN's Ashleigh Banfield on Wednesday tried to draw a legal parallel between a Sharia Law execution and a Catholic school firing a teacher for violating her contract by disobeying church teaching on pregnancy. Banfield argued both violated the teacher's Constitutional rights. "Well if it's an Islamic school and they decide to go with Sharia Law and they decide to stone me for this, they can't do that either," Banfield ridiculously argued. "Then don't sign up to be the teacher," responded prosecutor Christine Grillo, who multiple times reiterated that the teacher had violated her...

The president of Ohio State University said Notre Dame was never invited to join the Big Ten because the university's priests are not good partners, joking that 'those damn Catholics' can't be trusted, according to a recording of a meeting he attended late last year. Gordon Gee also took shots at schools in the Southeastern Conference and the University of Louisville, according to the recording of the December meeting of the school's Athletic Council that The Associated Press obtained under a public records request. The university called the statements inappropriate and said Gee is undergoing a 'remediation plan' because of...