Free Republic

Citing laws that govern vocational schools, like those for hairdressers and truck drivers, regulators have begun to require licenses for yoga schools that train instructors, with all the fees, inspections and paperwork that entails. While confrontations have played out differently in different states, threats of shutdowns and fines have, in some cases, been met with accusations of power grabs and religious infringement — disputes that seem far removed from the meditative world yoga calls to mind. In April, New York State sent letters to about 80 schools to warn them to suspend teacher training programs immediately or risk fines of...

L'AQUILA: US President Barack Obama has shaken hands warmly with Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, long reviled in Washington. The landmark handshake took place yesterday as leaders from major economic powers and emerging nations prepared to take a group photograph at a summit in L'Aquila, Italy. Relations between Libya and the US have see-sawed for 30 years. Diplomatic relations were broken in 1981 and only restored in 2004. However, relations remained strained, mainly over compensation for terrorism victims. Mr Obama has triggered a raging debate in the US by saying Washington should be prepared to speak with its enemies. A handshake...

The Holy Rule of St. BenedictThe 1949 EditionTranslated by Rev. Boniface Verheyen, OSBListen, O my son, to the precepts of thy master, and incline the ear of thy heart, and cheerfully receive and faithfully execute the admonitions of thy loving Father, that by the toil of obedience thou mayest return to Him from whom by the sloth of disobedience thou hast gone away.To thee, therefore, my speech is now directed, who, giving up thine own will, takest up the strong and most excellent arms of obedience, to do battle for Christ the Lord, the true King.In the first place,...

Samuel Gregg: Spiritual Trumps Secular in Encyclical Benedict XVI Shows He's a Follower of Jesus Christ By Samuel Gregg GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan, JULY 9, 2009 (Zenit.org).- As one would expect with an encyclical from Benedict XVI, its strength lies in its use of theology to re-orientate Catholics and other Christians away from thinking in a merely secular -- and sometimes hyper-politicized way -- about questions such as economic and political questions. The Christian understanding of truth and love and Catholicism's careful integration of these theological and moral realities lifts us up and out of what the Pope calls the false...

Jonathan Sanchez, an unlikely candidate, pitched the majors’ first no-hitter this season Friday night, dominating the San Diego Padres with an array of pitches in the San Francisco Giants’ 8-0 victory. The 26-year-old left-hander returned to the rotation after a nearly three-week demotion to the bullpen—and he only got the call because 303-game winner Randy Johnson(notes) went on the disabled list this week with a shoulder injury. Gold Glove center fielder Aaron Rowand(notes) saved the no-hitter with a leaping catch at the center-field fence to rob pinch-hitter Edgar Gonzalez for the second out of the ninth inning. Sanchez (3-8) nearly...

Animal pictures of the week: 10 July 2009 A male snow leopard cub called Altai yawns, during his official presentation at the zoo in Berlin. Altai was born on April 25

US Politicians: Encyclical Points to Human Dignity Affirm Value of Document for Catholic, Secular World WASHINGTON, D.C., JULY 10, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Two U.S. legislators are underlining the value of Benedict XVI's latest encyclical and are endorsing its study by Catholics and non-Catholics alike, as food for thought in the economic crisis. The House of Representatives republican leader, John Boehner, and the republican policy committee chairman, Thaddeus McCotter, affirmed this in a joint statement issued today. The statement pointed out that "Caritas in Veritate" is "neither an indictment of capitalism nor an endorsement of any political or economic agenda." It added...

Afghanistan’s Taliban movement turned their attention to the U.S. role in Somalia and elsewhere in Africa in an article published in the latest issue of the Taliban’s Arabic-language magazine, al-Sumud (Media Center of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan-Taliban, June 27). The article, entitled “Somalia: Next Target for the Global Tyrant, the United States of America,” focused on the alleged neo-colonial ambitions of the United States, especially in respect to the consolidation and exploitation of African energy resources. The author, using the name Anwar, maintains that God provided Muslims ample blessings in the form of natural resources, but Muslim inattentiveness and...

Sen. John Cornyn’s Facebook friends aren’t in a very friendly mood. The Texas Republican’s page on the popular social networking website has been filled with comments like this one from a Florida real estate broker: “As soon as I read of your endorsement of Charlie Crist, I sent in a donation to the Marco Rubio campaign.” A new Facebook group has since cropped up challenging members to give “not one penny” to the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), of which Cornyn is chairman. The online group’s description says: “First they supported Chafee. Then they supported Specter. Now they support Crist.”...

Benedict XVI Offers Life Lessons to Obama US President Makes 1st Visit to Vatican VATICAN CITY, JULY 10, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Abortion, conscience protection and bioethics took center stage as Benedict XVI and U.S. President Barack Obama met for the first time today. The Pope received the president, who was in Italy for the Group of Eight summit that end today in L'Aquila, for about a half hour in a private, closed-door meeting. In a communiqué issued shortly after the meeting concluded, the Vatican reported that the "conversation turned first of all to questions which are in the interests of all...

Angelina Jolie is ultimate lesbian heroine Angelina Jolie is the world's ultimate lesbian heroine according to research released today that ranked the top 20. By Jeni Oppenheimer 10 Jul 2009 Jolie is 34 and has six children who she is raising with her long time partner Brad Pitt. The poll results spanned 2,600 lesbians and showed the Hollywood star as the favourite. "Angelina was the clear winner; and she also has a dark side which many lesbians like to. All of the ladies in the poll appeal to women of all ages," said a spokesman for One Poll who carried...

Friday July 10, 2009 India Supreme Court Accepts Challenge to Legalization of Homosexual Sex By Thaddeus M. BaklinskiNEW DELHI, July 10, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - India's Supreme Court has agreed to consider a petition seeking to repeal a recent lower court ruling that effectively decriminalized homosexual sex among consenting adults.Last week the Delhi High Court ruled that homosexual acts between consenting adults are not criminal and that the 150 year-old law, section 377 of the Indian Penal Code that criminalizes "carnal intercourse against the order of nature," is a violation of "fundamental rights" and must be amended in accordance with...

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The poor are more likely to leave California than the rich, despite concerns that the state's relatively high income tax rate is driving away the wealthy, a new study shows. The report released Friday by the Public Policy Institute of California determined the poorest 20 percent California residents are twice as likely to leave the state as the richest 20 percent. Factors such as cheaper rent and home prices outside the Golden State seem to edge out income taxes when people of all incomes decide whether to stay or go, said institute researcher Jed Kolko, who authored...

Several of the students had a knee-jerk reaction when gun-rights advocate Clark Aposhian blasted his first pistol round into a target Thursday. But it was physical, not ideological. These students from around America were in Salt Lake City to learn and test their beliefs, not to dismiss opposing views. Roughly 40 Jewish high schoolers traveling the country are hearing from experts on opposing sides of the nation's most politically charged issues. Aposhian was the National Rifle Association's face for the day after the group's stop in Colorado to hear from a gun-control advocate whose child died in the Columbine school...

(snip) "He has the great ability to get people together, and negotiate to get a consensus," said Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona. (snip) Hatch, who has collaborated with Kennedy on major healthcare bills such as the Children’s Health Insurance Program, said that a month ago he had an "extensive, hour-long conversation" by phone with Kennedy. The Massachusetts senator promised to work with him on healthcare, he said, but instead the committee came out with a partisan bill that had “done away with bipartisanship." "If Kennedy had been here," said Hatch, “the first thing he would have done is pick...

GOP: Sotomayor approval not guaranteed By Tom LoBianco July 10, 2009 The Senate Judiciary Committee's top Republican cautioned Friday that Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor's confirmation is not a "foregone conclusion" amid what he said was growing concern from moderate to conservative Senate Democrats. Sen. Jeff Sessions, the Alabama Republican who is his party's point man in the confirmation of President Obama's first Supreme Court pick, said that the Democrats' large majority in the Senate does not guarantee every member of their caucus will vote for the nominee. Mr. Sessions said he had heard some Democrats question the judge's stand...

Forced abortions. Mass sterilization. A "Planetary Regime" with the power of life and death over American citizens. The tyrannical fantasies of a madman? Or merely the opinions of the person now in control of science policy in the United States? Or both? These ideas (among many other equally horrifying recommendations) were put forth by John Holdren, whom Barack Obama has recently appointed Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology, and Co-Chair of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology -- informally known as the United States'...

Single mothers should have their babies taken away by the government; or they could be forced to have abortions Forced abortions. Mass sterilization. A "Planetary Regime" with the power of life and death over American citizens. The tyrannical fantasies of a madman? Or merely the opinions of the person now in control of science policy in the United States? Or both?

July 11, 2009 Queen Michelle Arrives In Triumph As Africa Welcomes Obama Home Jonathan Clayto. Barack Obama and his family flew into Ghana last night to a rapturous welcome as the African nation rejoiced in the arrival of America’s first black President. “Akwaaba [welcome home] Barack and Michelle Obama,” proclaimed banners strung across the street of the spruced-up capital of Accra. Traditional dancers and drummers performed songs for Mr Obama’s first visit to any country in sub-Saharan Africa as the US President. Thousands of jubilant Ghanaians waving US and Ghanaian flags braved torrential rain to line the road from the...

Forced abortions. Mass sterilization. A "Planetary Regime" with the power of life and death over American citizens. The tyrannical fantasies of a madman? Or merely the opinions of the person now in control of science policy in the United States? These ideas (among many other equally horrifying recommendations) were put forth by John Holdren, whom Barack Obama has recently appointed Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology, and Co-Chair of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology -- informally known as the United States' Science Czar....