Free Republic

At 'pot churches,' marijuana is the sacrament

A person who gives a gift featuring his or her sacred religious iconography is reaching out, showing kindness and sharing his or her faith with others.For years I have been one of the only Jewish people at my places of employment. I am currently the only Jew who wears a kippah at my office every day. In my heavily Southern Baptist and rural town, one would think I would be quite familiar with the consequences of being such an outsider.But, as any honest minority will tell you, that singular idea of what America must be like simply is not accurate....

Authorities on Monday said the founder of a rural Christian compound in Walterboro was arrested on sexual assault charges after several women came forward with allegations. Preacher Ralph Gordon Stair, 84, was arrested by Colleton County sheriff's deputies Monday morning, and S.C. Law Enforcement Division agents were serving a search warrant at the Overcomer Ministry, which is located on a rural property tucked off S.C. Highway 61, said Lt. Tyger Benton. Authorities said Stair is charged with three counts of criminal sexual conduct in the first degree, one count of assault with intent to commit criminal sexual conduct in the...

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - A California judge has ruled in favor of a Christian baker who refused to bake a wedding cake for a same-sex couple. The judge denied a motion for a temporary restraining order filed on Wednesday against Cathy Miller, the owner of Tastries Bakery in Bakersfield, California. According to a press release sent by The Freedom of Conscience Defense Fund, the order would have compelled "Miller to create wedding cakes for LGBT persons, even though doing so would violate her sincerely held religious beliefs."

A Promise of Vindication Jesus did not leave the apostles without comfort. He said: "Therefore do not fear them" (v. 26a). But then he added, "For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known" (v.26b), and that seems to be another worrisome thought. There is a story about a prankster who lived in a small town. He sent identical letters to twenty prominent businessmen and leaders in the community. The letters simply said, "All is known. Flee at once." All twenty of those men left town by the next day. The point...

The Golden Globe Award nominations have been announced, and once again, the Hollywood judges really know how to find the worst junk to honor. Two nominations went to stay-classy Showtime’s program called “SMILF,” for “single mother I’d like to f—.” The show’s lead actress is also its creator and executive producer. Her name is Frankie Shaw and she says she picked this profane title as a “deliberate” feminist move to take back the sexist phrase “MILF” from “male objectification.” Try deciphering that one. Obviously, (CBS-owned) Showtime executives also designed it to nudge people to click on it because they know...

Newsflash: The War on Christmas is over. Those who rightfully believe that Christ needs to be a part of Christmas and those rebelling against the politically correct tyranny looking to strip all spirituality from the holiday have lost. You have lost. We…have lost. According to the latest results from the Pew Research Center – and already being gleefully shouted from the rooftops of certain left-leaning media sites orchestrating the campaign against faith-based Christmas – while 90 percent of Americans still celebrate Christmas in one way or another, a majority find that the religious elements of Christmas are emphasized less and...

Lord Pearson says the government refused to answer when he asked whether stating religious belief could be 'hate'The British government has refused to say whether telling people about the Christian faith could be a hate crime. Lord Pearson of Rannoch, a UKIP peer, says when he raised a question on the issue on the House of Lords, the government failed to state clearly whether Christians cannot be prosecuted just for stating their beliefs. “I said to the government ‘Will they confirm unequivocally that a Christian who says that Jesus is the only son of the one true God cannot be...

David Daleiden and the Center for Medical Progress (CMP) announced Wednesday that they are filing a new motion in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to request the removal of Judge William Orrick in the lawsuit brought against them by Planned Parenthood, pointing to his ties to Planned Parenthood. According to Daleiden’s petition, Judge Orrick has "an ongoing and longstanding professional relationship with one of the named Plaintiffs.” Orrick is a founder and officer of the Good Samaritan Family Resource Center (GSFRC), an organization that partners with Planned Parenthood and had a Planned Parenthood clinic incorporated on its premises while...

“Christmas for Atheists? You don’t need to be a Pagan or Christian to celebrate peace, joy, and sharing in December. The Atheist Christmas Coloring Book is a fun and creative way for freethinking families to learn about the rational roots of Christmas in pictures and verse. “

I’m approaching my 82nd birthday, and my daughter will occasionally suggest that modernity is perplexing to me because I’m from prehistoric times. As such, it points to one of the unavoidable problems of youth—namely, the temptation to think that today’s behavioral standards have always been. Let’s look at a few of the differences between yesteryear and today. One of those differences is the treatment of women. There are awesome physical strength differences between men and women. To create and maintain civil relationships between the sexes is to drum into boys, starting from very young ages, that they are not to...

Rep. Gohmert said that the Alabama Senate race represents “a battle for the soul of the country.” Bannon asked Gohmert, “Why is the toughest thing he’s been against the Republican establishment?” Gohmert responded, “They would rather be in the minority and go along to get along. They prefer smooth sailing rather than standing up for what’s right.” advertisement The Texas congressman responded, “You know, I know — and, boy, does Roy Moore know — that standing up for what’s right comes at a heavy cost and Roy Moore has really paid it. He’s been through absolute hell.”

Dr. Sproul is not improving as we had hoped and so these next few days are critical. He has a fever today due to the infection he has been fighting. Moreover, he is not decreasing in his reliance on the ventilator to support his breathing. Your prayers in behalf of Dr. Sproul are deeply appreciated. They mean so much to the family and all who love R.C. We will keep you informed here on the blog and on Facebook and Twitter if his condition changes.

No man can serve two masters, the Bible teaches, but Mike Pence is giving it his all....that he recognizes the absurdity of his situation; that he knows just what sort of man he’s working for; that while things may look bad now, there is a grand purpose at work here, a plan that will manifest itself in due time. Let not your hearts be troubled, he seems to be saying. I’ve got this... Richard Land, the president of the Southern Evangelical Seminary and one of Trump’s faith advisers, told me. “I don’t know anyone who’s more consistent in bringing his...

Volunteers have criticised the Red Cross charity after receiving a communication telling them to remove crucifixes from the walls of their branches as the organisation looks to become more secular. The Belgian branches of the international aid organisation received an email from the Provincial Committee of the Red Cross in Liège to remove all crucifixes. André Rouffart, president of the Red Cross in Verviers, said: “We were asked to respect the principles of the Red Cross”, and not to distinguish between race or religious belief 7sur7 reports. Mr. Rouffart said there had been pushback from volunteers and other members on...

"God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son" (Heb. 1:1-2). Man can’t discover God on his own; God must reveal Himself to man. Since the beginning of time, man has deceived himself by thinking he can discover God through various religions. But in reality, man lives in a box enclosed within the walls of time and space. God is outside the box, and man senses He's there but can't get to Him. Each new religion is but another...

A prominent Anglican cleric and gay rights campaigner known for contentious gestures has urged believers to pray for Prince George — age 4, and third in line to the throne — to find the love “of a fine young gentleman” when he grows up so as to advance the cause of same-sex marriage in church. Coming just days after Prince Harry — George’s uncle, and fifth in line — announced his engagement to Meghan Markle, a divorced American actress, the suggestion by the Very Rev. Kelvin Holdsworth seemed to illuminate once more the role of royal romance in Britain’s imagination...

Just over a month ago, an organization sent the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority an advertisement it was ready to pay good money to post on the backs and sides of Metro buses. The ad used only four words: "Find the Perfect Gift." These words were spelt out in the main message of the proposed ad as well as in a web address (FindThePerfectGift.org) printed beside it. Two of the words also appeared in a social-media hashtag printed at the bottom of the ad (#PerfectGift). Now had this advertisement been produced by Macy's, Nordstrom or Target -- to draw traffic...

Two American tourists have been held for "inappropriate behaviour" after sharing photos of them baring their buttocks at a famous Bangkok temple, Thai police said Wednesday, as the ruling junta cracks down on insults to Buddhism. The pair, Joseph and Travis Dasilva, both 38, uploaded pictures on November 24 of their bared backsides at Wat Arun (The Temple of Dawn) to Instagram.

The avalanche of sexual harassment claims, with new ones pouring forth daily, leads me to the wisdom of George Washington's observation in his farewell address in 1796: "Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. ... And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be managed without religion." You may say, "There you go again, Star. Waving your Bible." But is there a better answer for dealing with this problem? Society, all human life, is guided by rules. The only question before us is: What are the rules...