Free Republic

METAIRIE, Louisiana, January 5, 2015 (LifeSiteNews) -- The Supreme Court's longest-serving justice, Antonin Scalia, says "there is no place" in the U.S. Constitution for privileging secularism over religion. The idea of banishing religion from the public square is “absurd,” said the jurist, known for his straightforward style and “originalist” interpretation of the Constitution. "To tell you the truth, there is no place for that in our constitutional tradition. Where did that come from? To be sure, you can't favor one denomination over another but can't favor religion over non-religion?" The 1986 Reagan appointee said there is "nothing wrong" with invoking...

Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois has written to Pope Francis, criticizing "hateful" public remarks by Cardinal Nicolas de Jesus Lopez Rodriguez of Santo Domingo about the openly homosexual US ambassador to the Dominican Republic. The Illinois lawmaker said that the ambassador, James "Wally" Brewster, has shown "patience and professionalism" in the "mean-spirited attacks" by the Dominican cardinal. He appealed to the Pope to stop the cardinal's "intolerant public statements."

The Bodnariu family NORWAY, December 7, 2015 (LifeSiteNews) – Norway’s child welfare agency has reportedly seized a Christian couple’s five children, aged 9 to three months, on charges that parents Marius and Ruth Bodnariu subjected them to “Christian radicalization and indoctrination.” The London-based Christian Today reports that the agency, or Barnevernet, seized the four oldest Bodnariu children November 16, and three-month-old Ezekiel the next day. On the third day, it notified Ruth that the girls had been sent to a separate foster home from the boys and claimed that the children were not missing their parents. According to Christian Today,...

Peggy Noonan is worried about the future of the First Amendment. She writes in The Wall Street Journal the First Amendment is in perilous condition, especially after some on the Left went ape over politicians saying they were praying for the San Bernardino victims. Journalists, bloggers, contrarians and citizens jumped into the fray. Then the U.S. senator, Chris Murphy, came forward rather menacingly. "Your 'thoughts' should be about steps to take to stop this carnage. Your 'prayers' should be for forgiveness if you do nothing again."Wow. You might think he was aiming this at President Obama, who when he was...

On Tuesday night the latest bastion against religious intolerance was swept away, as the Dail voted unanimously to repeal Section 37 of the state's Employment Equality Act. Section 37 granted specific exemptions for "religious, educational or medical institutions" when it came to gay rights, allowing them "to maintain the religious ethos of the institution".

Texas Sen. and GOP presidential candidate Ted Cruz visited and spoke at Florence Baptist Temple on Sunday, November 15, 2015. FLORENCE, S.C. - Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, a 2016 Republican Party presidential candidate, touched on a number of topics but focused mainly on the issue of religious freedom in the United States when he spoke Sunday morning to a packed church at Florence Baptist Temple. Cruz, the son of a pastor and a missionary, spoke with the cadence of a man who was no stranger to the church. He opted not to stand at the pulpit, though, instead working...

WASHINGTON, D.C., November 12, 2015 (LifeSiteNews) – President Obama says he backs "The Equality Act," which would add gender identity and sexual orientation to the 1964 Civil Rights Act. "Upon that review it is now clear that the administration strongly supports the Equality Act,” White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest announced on Tuesday. “That bill is historic legislation that would advance the cause of equality for millions of Americans. “We look forward to working with Congress to ensure that the legislative process produces a result that balances both the bedrock principles of civil rights...with the religious liberty that we hold...

<p>This is Free Republic. Our mission here is to fight against the America-hating, God-hating, Cristianity-hating, Jew-hating, capitalism-hating, abortionist/homosexualist, leftist revolutionaries and marxist/fascist totalitarians who are hellbent on destroying our constitution, our religious freedom, our economic freedom, our Judeo-Christian way of life and the America we love.</p>

The libertine left has done a lot of boasting over the last several years about the inevitability of History vanquishing every corner of American social conservatism. Election Day 2015 was a terrible day for these revolutionaries, as so often it is when it's the American people, not liberal elites, making the decisions. Let's assess the damage: -- In Kentucky, incoming Republican governor Matt Bevin won despite proudly embracing the cause of country clerk Kim Davis, a clear rebuke to the cultural let's agenda to impose gay "marriage" on every conservative Christian jurisdiction. -- In Virginia, two GOP state senate candidates...

Muslim bakeries in Michigan refused to bake cakes for gay weddings. You would think that would be news like Memories Pizza refusing to cater gay weddings. Nope, Muslims are part of the liberal media protected class. If Muslims want to follow their own religious beliefs and not bake cakes for gay weddings, you don't hear any big outcry of 'homophobia.' Instead, these Muslim bakeries in Michigan are given a pass to practice their religion as they see fit, unlike Christians. Watch the following video from Steven Crowder going into a few Dearboorn Muslim bakeries and asking them to make a...

Last week, I gave my personal endorsement of Ted Cruz for President of the United States, and he asked if I would describe why I have done so. (I'd like to note that this is my personal endorsement only, not a ministry endorsement.)We are blessed in this election cycle with multiple candidates whose campaign positions are conservative and value based. For that, I am thankful. But to me there are a few areas that set Senator Ted Cruz apart, and I am honored that he asked for my endorsement:He is a Christian. Being a Christian is not a requirement for...

Donald Trump grabbed many of us with his immigration hole-shot. His all-purpose chlorine bleach burn-outs wiping out political correctness have been equally spectacular-not just for the strutting, but for calling out to the NHRA grandstand-crowd, the erstwhile silent disenfranchised majority.All Donald had to do was keep his front end under control. Wheelies can be entertaining, but they usually lead to the wrong end of a bill of sale.But no: Trump couldn't resist cracking open the nitrous bottle when he should have pinched the valve and locked it away in the trunk. Soon enough, our quarter-mile rooster will need a tow...

If we’ve learned anything here in America in the last few months, it is this: When your religious faith comes in conflict with your job, if you are a Muslim, your faith is protected and sacred; if you are a Christian, it is not. We all know what happened to Christian bakers, florists, photographers, and county clerks who refused to participate in same-sex “marriages” because of their religious faith. They were found guilty by the courts and fined or punished or even imprisoned. And we know where the Obama administration stood on these issues, to the point that last year,...

Over the years, Israelis have had to defend themselves from foreign armies, suicide bombers and missiles. Over recent weeks, they’ve been confronting a new threat: young Palestinians wielding butcher knives. Unlike the cutthroats of the Islamic State and al Qaeda, these fanatics aren’t able to bind their victims and behead them. But videos on social media teach would-be assassins how to use sharp instruments to inflict maximum damage on unsuspecting Israelis. An imam in Gaza has been recorded on the pulpit brandishing a six-inch knife, urging his “brothers” to go out in the streets, find a Jew and “Stab!” Attacks...

Pope Francis’ unexpected and unscheduled visit to the Little Sisters of the Poor, a convent of elderly nuns fighting ObamaCare’s contraception mandate in the courts, is a clear message shot across the Obama administration’s bow that such religious persecution is not acceptable, backing up the American Catholic Church’s mantra: we will not comply While the lamestream media focuses on the Pope’s seeming alignment on issues such as climate change and immigration reform, the chattering class ignores this ongoing battle over religious liberty.

President Barack Obama says freedom of religion isn't a reason to deny Americans their constitutional rights. Obama appeared to be referring to Kim Davis, the Kentucky clerk who refused to issue marriage licenses to gay couples. Davis said such unions violated her religious beliefs.

WASHINGTON, D.C., September 17, 2015 (LifeSiteNews) -- According to a recent poll, most Americans say same-sex "marriage" is more important than religious freedom. ABC News, in conjunction with The Washington Post, has conducted a poll to determine Americans' opinion on religious freedom, in light of the Supreme Court's decision to  constitutionalize same-sex "marriage." Pitting "Equality Under The Law" against "Religious Beliefs," the poll asked, "What's more important if they conflict?"  Seventy-four percent of respondents said "equality" was more important, compared to only 19 percent saying religious freedom was top priority. Critics note that the wording of polls is always significant,...

An ABC News/Washington Post poll released on Tuesday has found that the majority of Americans believe that Kentucky clerk Kim Davis should be required by law to issue marriage licenses to gay couples, and said that equality under the law trumps a person's religious beliefs when the two come in conflict. Davis, who was jailed for six days for being in contempt of federal court after refusing to issue marriage licenses for same-sex couples, will be honored by conservative groups with the Family Research Council's "Cost of Discipleship Award" for her stance. Davis has since returned to work, and said...

Oh, no! You Christians are Just Being Paranoid!

Overriding Gov. Steve Beshear’s veto by overwhelming margins, the Kentucky house and senate have passed religious-freedom legislation. The Catholic Conference of Kentucky supported the measure. The short law reads: Government shall not substantially burden a person's freedom of religion. The right to act or refuse to act in a manner motivated by a sincerely held religious belief may not be substantially burdened unless the government proves by clear and convincing evidence that it has a compelling governmental interest in infringing the specific act or refusal to act and has used the least restrictive means to further that interest. A "burden"...