Posted on 12/11/2009 5:57:16 PM PST by Jim Robinson
Free Republic is a fringe right-wing Christian fundamentalist site... or so they say... and they might even be right.
We don't go for any of that godless left-wing big government socialist malarkey. And we do put our faith and trust in God, not government. We are pro-God, pro-Life, pro-Family, pro-Country and pro-Liberty.
We do not believe that government or science knows what's best for us or our children. We will make our own decisions thank you very much.
Every once in a while some group of posters get together and try to bend Free Republic to their will. Now, we tend to be pretty free-wheeling around here and will take a lot of guff and a lot of obnoxious insults from a lot of people, but eventually a breaking point is reached.
For example, when a group of RINO lovers recently banded together to try to force FR to accept an abortionist/gay rights RINO as our presidential candidate, they soon found themselves on the outs.
And a few years ago a group of evolutionists tried to force FR over to their way of thinking and they soon found themselves on the outs.
FR is a pro-God, pro-Creator, pro-Life, pro-Liberty site.
And now we have yet another group of Darwinists trying to have their Darwinist way with us. Well, as I've said before what doesn't kill us will only make us stronger.
Darwin Central has again declared war on FR. They have ping lists and email lists and will try to pull away as many FReepers as they possibly can. So be it. Those who would rather go with Darwin, please go. I sure as hell won't try to stop you.
FR will remain a pro-God, pro-Life, pro-Liberty, pro-Creator conservative site.
We wholeheartedly believe that our unalienable rights are a gift from God our Creator not from man or government. And no man, no government will ever deprive us of same.
Keep your powder dry.
Don’t worry, I love dresses and skirts and wear them exclusively.
It feels so much better to be banned for *supporting science*, so much easier to play the a martyr, so much easier to get that laurel wreath......
Glad you do. Many don't to the world's loss. But . . . a woman's gotta do what a woman's gotta do.
Just getting their Darwin Award.
There are some specific examples I've had with past posters that immediately come to mind.
One came up with a thread saying FR should have a religious code on profiles like the state pages, and list religious affiliation as "Darwinist" for the freepers who believe in evolution. There was a whole vanity thread about that. I actually gave him the belief of the doubt that he MIGHT be motivated to do so because he wanted to label atheists instead of Christian freepers who believe in evolution, but of course refused to answer whether he considered Catholics who believe in evolution to actually be members of the "Darwin" religion and therefore was requested the mods label them as such. I gave up and left that thread.
Another time a freeper "explained" to me that I was "not a Christian", on the following logic: Christians believe in original sin. If one believes in evolution, then one would presume Adam & Eve had ancestors, therefore they couldn't have been the first sinners and original sin couldn't have occurred with them being cast out of Eden. Interesting theory, though I think just a way to justify their bigotry. It would be like me saying Baptists can't be Christian since Jesus explictly says in the bible that the last supper consists of HIS blood (and makes it clear on this point he's not just being "poetic", since the apostles are repulsed by the idea), and yet baptists deny this teaching of Christ and say the wine is "only a symbol".
And yet another freeper simply pointed that all Catholics are not Christians, we're all a "medieval invention" (apparently all the pre-medeval references to the Catholic church in history, dating back to 168 A.D., were forgeries?) and we worship the Pope, not Jesus, and the fact some Catholics believe in "unbiblical evolution" just proves it even more.
That's at least three seperate posters claiming I'm not Christian, compared to the one you cited.
I find it interesting that all the creationist materials I've found seem to convey that everyone who believes in evolution is an atheist. Is that just a coincidence? For example look at the all the creationists here hailing Ben Stein's "Expelled" movie. In the film he interviews all kinds of scientists who are opposed to teaching intelligent design in the classroom -- and -- what an amazing coincidence -- every single one of them is a staunch atheist. Now, there just happen to be hundreds of Christian scientists who believe in evolution and oppose teaching intelligent design in the classroom, but wouldn't know it -- Ben Stein couldn't find even one of them to interview. Watching his documentary, you'd get the impression that anyone who opposes teaching intelligent design in the classroom is a millitant atheist. Hmmm. I wonder what his intent was?
I, of course, oppose teaching "intelligent design" in science classes (though I'd have no problem having it discussed in a philosophy or theology class). But if you wanted to know my personal beliefs about the origins the world, yes I absolutely believe a higher power is responsible for the creation of the universe, and I believe that higher power is God.
WoW Jim, you aren’t playing around are you...
I think I'll just keep tormenting you on this lame trip you're on till fatigue sets in and I prevail by default!!! (grin)
I'm pro-God, pro-Creator, pro-Life, pro-Liberty, and absolutely against running a abortionist/gay rights RINO for President. (I'd also take that one step further than some freepers in that I'm ALSO absolutely against nominating abortionist/gay rights RINOs for major office in ANY state, regardless of whether it "voted for Obama" I don't think we need to sell our soul to "win".) I'm a charter member of the VRWC, couldn't be more proud, and have one of those cool FreeRepublic themed "VRWC" cards in my wallet.
I'm also a practicing Christian, consider myself devout (I attend church when I can), but I wouldn't describe myself as a "fundamentalist" or "religious right". (one of the few times I think Ann Coulter was spot-on was when she said conservatives in the upper northern states aren't comfortable with the label "religious right" attached to us , regardless of how religious we are) I am a hardcore social conservative, but not because of my religion (for example my church was adamantly opposed to the Iraq war, whereas I supported it).
I have no intention of joining "Darwin Central" for the same reason I have no intention of joining the "American Association of Geologists" even though I believe in the theory of continental drift. Not my thing.
But for the record, I also agree with the statement Behemoth the Cat made before being banned:
"I am also a Christian who thinks “evolution” has been scientifically demonstrated. Most Christians think similarly. The problem is... the zeal of one, small breed of creationists - the Young Earth creationists, who cannot reconcile science with faith (as the mainstream Christianity managed to do several hundred years ago, on the occasion of geocentrism). It's sad that the FR founder has subscribed to the view... professed only by some FRINGE Protestant sects, defines one's conservatism and faith, and denies Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, Anglicans... the name of Christians"
I certainly hope that won't get me banned. I've been a member in good standing of this forum for a decade. I supported JimRob when he banned the Rudybots that were being disruptive and spoke out against the freepers pushing for Romney 2012. I whole heartedly agree with the goals of this forum. But I also agree with the idea that freepers who believe in creationism have no right to continually bash those who feel otherwise as "non Christians". I wish the mods would crack down on that more.
Wasn't it during the Huckabee campaign that we hearing on this forum about how it was so important not to let the "evangelical types" alone dictate who's a good Christian and what the GOP stands for?
“Let’s make sure we agree on what the term “inspired” means.”
Inspired means, literally, God-breathed.
I believe the Old and New Testaments, in their original language, or the Septuagint accepted and quoted by Jesus, to be literally God’s word.
I admit that translation can be filled with error.
I further believe that, particularly for the English language, the Scriptures have been gone over so thoroughly for so many decades that there is not a significant error in the basic translation.
There is no truth any more, everything becomes incomprehensible.
From Ecclesiastes 8
16 When I applied my mind to know wisdom and to observe man's labor on earth—his eyes not seeing sleep day or night- 17 then I saw all that God has done. No one can comprehend what goes on under the sun. Despite all his efforts to search it out, man cannot discover its meaning. Even if a wise man claims he knows, he cannot really comprehend it.
Then in all fairness, they should crack down on evolutionists who bash creationists as non-Christians. It works both ways.
Neither side is entirely blameless in the accusations it throws at the other. But what's good for the goose is good for the gander.
But for the record, I also agree with the statement Behemoth the Cat made before being banned:
Oh, and just on a whim, IBTZ.....
I thought I was pretty familiar with this country, and I’ll be doggone I can identify even a single county where 90% of the population belong to one denomination,
Provo perhaps?
- - - - - -
Even Provo/Orem is probably only about 65-70% LDS. Although there may be some smaller communities in Utah that could reach 90% LDS. And of course, towns like Colorado City (Polygamous Mormon Fundies) are 90%+.
Then imagine we all can decide for ourselves.
Perfect and THANK YOU! One of those - it was there all the time!
That post reminds me of those w/the head in the sand about the BC. What will others think of us? It’s a bad name for conservatives. Nothing but BS! Cat used every angle he could including manipulation. Jim caught him at his game!
Are you saying that as a Catholic, you don’t believe intelligence and design are behind the origin of life on Earth?
I know many Catholics personally, and not one of them removes God entirely from Creation. This is, in effect, intelligent design, otherwise known as theistic evolution, that I understand your church to accept. So, I don’t see the logic behind the resistance, from a religious standpoint.
I also don’t see the logic behind precluding any recognition, of the possiblity that an outside intelligence played a role in establishing life on Earth, from a scientific point of view.
Ruling out plausible theories, as to the origin of life on Earth, strikes me as not scientific, and indicates a bias borne of a priori assumptions.
You’re certainly free to believe as you choose. So long as you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son Of God, who died for our sins on the cross, and rose on the third day, and you sincerely repent of your sins, then everything else should ultimately fall into place as a result of that faith. So, anyone claiming that you are not Christian, if the above is true of you, is misguided, and is being excessively harsh. Salvation is what matters.
But, faith leads to seeing the world differently. I didn’t question evolutionary theory until after I became serious about my Christianity, having been raised in a home that was not at all opposed to religious belief, but only attended church on special occasions. I now won’t accept a belief that runs counter to the Word. Acceptance on faith leads to that conclusion, for many.
Was this world created 6,000 years ago? I don’t know, and the Bible itself does not make a specific claim, but sincere, fellow Christians of faith and good intent have made an attempt at calculating the age of Creation by counting generations, and that is what they determined, give or take, some saying up to 10,000 years.
On the other hand, is Creation hundreds of millions or even billions of years old? Without making backflips on translation, meaning and debating about whether a given passage is allegorical or literal, that is not supported by scripture, by any stretch. So, I’ll lean heavily toward a more recent Creation than current scientific assumptions indicate.
Does that invite the ridicule of the world, in the here and now? Obviously, it does. We see it frequently even here on Free Republic, but I’m ok with that ... to a point. The approval of the world seems to matter much more to some, than to others.
I’ll never believe that God and the Bible are ultimately in conflict with honest science, though. Even if the Biblical account of Creation is allegorical as some claim, I’m very dubious of the notion of allegory that does not represent truth. Evolutionary theory renders even allegorical interpretations misleading in many instances, That’s not of God, no matter how you interpret it.
I have an important question.. At least for me it is.
On your front page, I took a quote from you for use on the rhino free america project.
One of the messages you mentioned was paraphrasing...recruiting like minded people to this website.
One of the greatest benefits of this website is being a witness... One could be a witness for conservatism, or Christianisty. The list is endless.
Is banning people who basically debate on one thread about differences of belief in a religion a good thing? You said yourself that people at the tea parties are from all walks of life. Isn’t that what we should expect at free republic? People from all walks of life?
It’s like a family at the dinner table..say on Sundays or holiday gatherings. People discuss, wind up in an argument and then forgive each other later.
Where do we draw the line when it comes to banning people from the dinner table/house?
Poking sticks at them because they hold fundamental beliefs so as to keep from veering off the "straight and narrow" into sin is a sin!!!
So what if you aren't as devout as they are? That's no reason to eject them from any and all party endeavors!!!
Why get all nervous and defensive about devout, fundamentalist christians, huh? They don't have leprosy!!!
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