Free Republic

The gospel is no stranger to religiously pluralistic environments.1 The disciples first proclaimed the good news throughout the religiously mixed Mediterranean world with its many gods and temples, Greek philosophies, and emperor worship. Today's religious pluralism, however, offers an appealing approach to liberal democratic Western societies by claiming that all religions are equally capable of salvation or liberation, none being superior to another.2 This agrees with educator Allan Bloom's analysis of our culture: "Conflict is the evil we most want to avoid."3 Isn't it arrogant to proclaim Jesus as God's unique revelation in the face of other religions? As feminist...

Prince Charles yesterday urged the world to follow Islamic 'spiritual principles' in order to protect the environment. In an hour-long speech, the heir to the throne argued that man's destruction of the world was contrary to the scriptures of all religions - but particularly those of Islam. He said the current 'division' between man and nature had been caused not just by industrialisation, but also by our attitude to the environment - which goes against the grain of 'sacred traditions'.

The idea of specifically recruiting military veterans to run for marginal House seats was part of Rahm Emanuel's master plan when he ran the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in 2006. The strategy helped Democrats win back the House. Now Republicans are taking a page from the Book of Rahm and mounting their own effort to run veterans of the Iraq and Afghan wars. The Washington Times reports that the number of vets running this year will be double what it was in 2008 -- and most of the 40 who are running are running as Republicans. The surge comes at...

When the buider and I laid off the corners to excavate for my house we oriented the longest side toward the south southwest. By placing most of the windows on this sunniest side, we hoped to capture some of the free heat of every cloudless winter day. This orientation was to have an unexpected consequence each Advent; one that we could not have anticipated. As sun moves southward toward the winter solstice, our apparent sunrise actually becomes earlier; closer to the time listed in an almanac. In the summer the rising sun is blocked for several hours by a hill...

STIMULUS SERMON (Genesis 47:13-27) ... So we see that economic hard times fell upon Egypt, and the people turned to the government of Pharaoh to deal with this for them. And Pharaoh nationalized the grain harvest, and placed the grain in great storehouses that he had built. So the people brought their money to Pharaoh, like a great tax increase, and gave it all to him willingly in return for grain. And this went on until...

New radio wave observations are giving astronomers their closest look yet at the supermassive black hole believed to be lurking at the center of our galaxy. Reporting in the Sept. 4 Nature, a team has, for the first time, resolved features as small as the black hole’s event horizon — the gravitationally warped region from which nothing, not even light, can escape. “We have now entered a new era, one in which we can directly image structure at the event horizon of a black hole,” asserts Christopher Reynolds of the University of Maryland in College Park in a commentary accompanying...

The Bountiful Republican does admit Romney's downfall in his campaign may have stemmed from opposition he received within the national party from segments in the South, where some view Mormons as being members of a cult. The Mormon religion is still relatively new to a large segment of the nation's population, and over time people's perspective of the LDS faith will change, she said. The increased acceptance may open the way for a Mormon to someday become president. "People didn't think a Catholic could be president, (John F.) Kennedy proved them wrong," Christensen said. "(Richard) Nixon was a Quaker." But...

Astronomers unveiled today what they are calling the best map ever produced of the Milky Way galaxy. The new view shows our spiral galaxy as it would look face-on to a very distant observer. The map is based on findings about the structural evolution of the Milky Way presented this week at the 212th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in St. Louis, Missouri. Robert Benjamin of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater was among the scientists who presented results at a briefing today with reporters. The researchers determined that the Milky Way actually has two fewer major arms than previously believed....

McCain scares me more than Hillary. At least we know what she represents. A “maverick” like McCain is so off the wall and unpredictable it’s kind of like living with a lunatic - you live in constant fear and trepidation of what the lunatic might decide to do next! I last voted democratic for Jimmy Carter in 1976, But if McCain becomes nominee of the party I will vote Democrat because McCain has hurt the conservative movement more than any other Republican. Can you image what liberals ideas would become law if he became president? At least Hillary would have...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20, 2007 – Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates spent this morning on Capitol Hill and plans to spend more time there next week, a top Defense Department spokesman said here today. Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell conducts a news conference, Sept. 20, 2007. Photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Molly A. Burgess, USN  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Gates is talking to members of Congress in hopes of making the war a less contentious, political crisis and more of a manageable long-term commitment to the region, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell told reporters. This morning was the...

For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary January 10, 2007 Fact Sheet: The New Way Forward in Iraq       Highlights of the Iraq Strategy Review (PDF)      Background Briefing by Senior Administration Officials      In Focus: Renewal in Iraq The President's New Iraq Strategy Is Rooted In Six Fundamental Elements: Let the Iraqis lead; Help Iraqis protect the population; Isolate extremists; Create space for political progress; Diversify political and economic efforts; and Situate the strategy in a regional approach. Iraq Could Not Be Graver – The War On Terror Cannot Be Won If We Fail In Iraq.  Our enemies throughout...

Cooking Food the Old-Fashioned Way Soldiers can depend on cooks to come through with a hot meal. By Sgt. Tony White 5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment SAMARRA, Iraq, Dec. 18, 2006 -- It’s another day in Iraq. It’s 5 a.m. Do you know where your cook is?The 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment soldiers at Forward Operating Base Brassfield-Mora may not know, but they certainly know where to find them at breakfast, lunch and dinner. "Since we, soldiers, are providing meals I actually feel better because I am actually doing my job out here, not just doing head count."...

We're on the way to defeating Taliban By Patrick Bishop (Filed: 12/09/2006) Whatever doubts are being entertained at home about the war in Afghanistan, the Briton driving the Nato-led campaign is adamant that the good guys are winning. "The governor of Kandahar came up to me the other day with a huge grin on his face and hugged me," said Lt Gen David Richards, commander of Nato's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), which is helping the Afghan government to establish its authority. "He said there is no longer any doubt down in the south that Nato can fight and win....

State responds to potential pandemic should bird flu wing our way Leslie Newell Peacock Updated: 8/31/2006 A visit to the World Health Organization’s pandemic alert website on Aug. 14 found this news: Avian influenza — situation in Indonesia — update 26 The Ministry of Health in Indonesia has confirmed the country’s 57th case of human infection with the H5N1 avian influenza virus. The case is a 17-year-old male from a remote village in Garut district, West Java Province. He developed symptoms on 26 July and was referred to hospital on 9 August. At the hospital, medical staff suspected H5N1 infection...

FORT HUACHUCA — Perhaps the saddest moment Roger Rodriquez remembers from his year tour with an infantry unit in Afghanistan is leading a memorial service for two soldiers killed by an improvised explosive device. “It was hardest for the (soldiers’) platoon. You know soldiers form friendships and when one of their group dies it’s emotional,” the captain chaplain said. Doing a memorial service around incidents in which soldiers are killed in action “is the most difficult thing to do,” the Baptist minister said. During his year in Afghanistan serving with soldiers from the 25th Infantry Division out of Hawaii, five...

Commodore Simon Williams presents the charts to Commodore Thamir Nasser. British MoD photo. In an Aug. 8 ceremony aboard the HMS Echo, British forces presented the Iraqi Navy with shipping charts of the Northern Arabian Gulf and approaches to the port of Umm Qasr, paving the way for increased trade through the port and enhanced security in surrounding waters.The charts are the outcome of two years work by the Royal Navy survey ships HMS Echo and HMS Enterprise. The region is a vital shipping area for Iraq and the surveys will give the port the opportunity to increase its...

KABUL, Afghanistan, Aug. 11, 2006 – Foreign observers of the U.S. military often say what puts it above other militaries is the quality of the noncommissioned officer corps. Many other nations want the same for themselves. The Afghan National Army is learning from Western military trainers who stress the central role of NCOs in a world-class military. Afghan army Chief of Staff Gen. Bismullah Khan stressed the role of NCOs in the new military by recently appointing the nation's first sergeant major of the army, Roshan Safi. Senior American NCOs say the appointment is crucial to developing an NCO corps...

Maybe America didn't want to see a deadbeat dad Superman who stopped fighting for "the American way" after all.A mere days after the much-hyped Bryan Singer film "Superman Returns" opened, reports are coming in that the film is struggling at the box office. In fact, Fox News reports that the box office take is dropping as word of mouth spreads about the film.The new film had upset some Superman purists before its opening, once news surfaced that the plot of the movie had the Man of Steel learning that girlfriend Lois Lane had given birth to his illegitimate son. Others...

WASHINGTON, June 30, 2006 – The Army's Criminal Investigation Command is looking into allegations that coalition soldiers killed an Iraqi family of four in their home near Mahmudiyah, Iraq, military officials here announced today. A written statement issued by Multinational Division Baghdad said U.S. Army Maj. Gen. James D. Thurman, the division's commanding general, requested a criminal probe into the allegations after the division's own preliminary investigation found sufficient information existed to recommend a criminal investigation. The incident that led to the allegations reportedly occurred in March, but the military's written statement did not provide a time frame. The statement...

Balad Airbase-Paving the Way to the Future By Polli Barnes Keller Gulf Region Division U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Before - parking of helicopters on edge of active taxiways. Photo 3: After - Tactical helicopter parking ramp. (USACE Photo by Ray Martin) Tikrit Iraq - Repairs and renovations to the Balad Airfield are paving the way to the future of Iraq.In four months, over 800 cubic meters of concrete have been placed and over 35 miles of conduit and conductors have been laid. By the time all the repairs and renovations to the Balad Airbase runway are complete, more than...