Free Republic

In our political debates over gun policies, those who favor increased regulations and restrictions on firearms often claim that they're only asking for widely-supported, modest changes in the law. We're not coming for your guns, they promise; we're only looking to make a few 'common sense' alterations to the status quo. They cite polling that favors their position, and they ridicule as paranoid those Second Amendment supporters who warn about a so-called slippery slope. But emboldened leftist Democrats have been vindicating many conservatives' worst fears in recent days, with two answers at last Thursday's presidential debate standing out on this...

For days I’ve studied the complicated story of the legal war between anti-abortion activists David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt (Center for Medical Progress) and the government in California, led by Attorney General Xavier Becerra. A preliminary hearing is underway in San Francisco Superior Court, brought against Daleiden and Merritt, and set in motion originally by former California AG Kamala Harris. If convicted, Daleiden and Merritt could face up to 10 years in prison for faking their identities and recording damning undercover videos that exposed the abortion industries darkest secrets. The charges include 15 felony counts of illegal taping. By now,...

Over the last number of years, I’ve had the opportunity to spend a lot of time in the writings of the Apostolic Fathers. The Apostolic Fathers are an informal collection of early Christian writings, roughly 95-150 AD, which include books like the Didache, 1 & 2 Clement, the Epistle of Barnabas, and letters from Polycarp and Ignatius. In recent years, scholars have expressed increased skepticism about whether these writings can inform our understanding of the development of the canon. What appear to be citations of and allusions to New Testament books are not that at all, we are told, but...

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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi took aim at House Judiciary Committee chairman Jerry Nadler in a closed-door meeting last week, saying that the panel has taken the push for impeachment of President Trump far beyond the position of the House Democratic caucus. Pelosi shocked those present at the meeting with her criticism of Nadler and added that the Democrats don’t have the necessary votes to impeach Trump. “You can feel free to leak this,” Pelosi said to those present, according to Politico. The revelations come on the heels of a contentious hearing in which former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski was...

Modern doomsayers have been predicting climate and environmental disaster since the 1960s. They continue to do so today. None of the apocalyptic predictions with due dates as of today have come true. What follows is a collection of notably wild predictions from notable people in government and science. More than merely spotlighting the failed predictions, this collection shows that the makers of failed apocalyptic predictions often are individuals holding respected positions in government and science. While such predictions have been and continue to be enthusiastically reported by a media eager for sensational headlines, the failures are typically not revisited. 1967:...

Cdl. Marx defies Vatican: German ‘synod’ will go ahead despite plan being called ‘not…valid’ September 17, 2019 (LifeSiteNews) – Cardinal Reinhard Marx has fired back at the Vatican after it informed him the German bishops’ plans for a “binding synodal path” are “not ecclesiologically valid,” saying the German bishops’ plans, which include addressing issues of priestly celibacy, the role of women, and sexual morality, will be “helpful” to the Church. “Countless believers in Germany consider [these issues] to be in need of discussion,” Marx wrote to Cardinal Marc Ouellet of the Vatican’s Congregation for Bishops. More than 200,000 Catholics...

On Tuesday, President Donald J. Trump's former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski single-handedly embarrassed the Democratic House Judiciary Committee. Even CNN said he "owned" Rep. Nadler, Rep Swalwell, and the rest of the kooky cabal. It was a giant waste of taxpayer money. However, Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan brought up perhaps the most important fact of Lewandowski's testimony. He, former FBI Director James Comey, and special counsel investigator Robert Mueller all gave the same answer -- the Trump campaign never colluded with Russia to win the 2016 election. "@CLewandowski_ worked with the Trump campaign for nearly 2 years. He testified they...

Two months ago, President Trump opined that perhaps the violent Leftist group Antifa should be designated a terrorist organization. Senator Ted Cruz called for the U.S. Justice Department to use RICO statutes to prosecute members of the organization. These calls followed numerous instances of Antifa violence, notably a firebomb attack on an ICE facility. Despite these violent acts, the Democratic party has failed to condemn Antifa and its violence. Some of the denials would be almost comical if the situation wasn’t so serious.

In a move President Trump said will reduce car prices but will also anger environmental groups, the administration is revoking California's authority to set strict fuel economy standards. Trump announced the move Wednesday, saying the decision was made “in order to produce far less expensive cars for the consumer,” while making cars safer at the same time.

President Trump named Robert C. O’Brien as his new national security adviser, picking a top hostage-affairs official for the high-profile White House role... (President) Trump tweeted the announcement Wednesday morning, writing "I have worked long & hard with Robert. He will do a great job!"... Mr. O’Brien, who currently serves as special envoy for hostage affairs at the State Department, will be Mr. Trump’s fourth national security adviser. He also served under the George W. Bush administration at both the U.S. Mission to the United Nations and the State Department... Most recently, Mr. O’Brien was sent to Sweden to help...

In the U.S. and Europe most especially, recognizing a threat posed by an individual flyer and then managing it so that his civil liberties aren’t infringed until necessary is important to the security process. Assigning flyers a score based on the risk each poses to commercial travel – a score which may increase or decrease based on many factors – is one way to effectively security screen each traveler. In other words, the depth and comprehensiveness of the aviation security screening you might receive prior to boarding your flight could depend on a ‘risk score’ based on data collected about...

Saudi Arabia displayed remnants of what it described as Iranian drones and cruise missiles used in an attack on Saudi oil facilities as “undeniable” evidence of Iranian aggression. Defence Ministry spokesman Colonel Turki al-Malki said a total of 25 drones and missiles were launched at two oil plants in last weekend’s strikes, including what he identified as Iranian Delta Wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and “Ya Ali” cruise missiles.

Amazon Synod proposing ‘blueprint for a new Church,’ warns Catholic leader ROME, September 17, 2019 (LifeSiteNews) — The guiding documents for the upcoming Amazonian Synod contain “the blueprint for a new Church,” are permeated with “tribalism,” and present “witchcraft” as a new paradigm for theology, a Peruvian author has claimed.  Julio Loredo, author of Liberation Theology, a life jacket for the poor made of lead [Teologia della liberazione. Un salvagente di piombo per i poveri (Cantagalli, 2014)], says that “for the average reader, the idea of tribal society as a model for the West, and Amazonian witchcraft as a new paradigm for theology may sound...

The Green New Deal, free college, free universal health care, universal basic income, the elimination of student debt, bailouts for unfunded government worker pensions and other ideas animating the new socialist wing of the Democrat Party leave most Americans scratching their heads: Where could they possibly get the money for that? Trillions upon trillions of dollars in proposed new spending, without any apparent regard to financing. Many people ask: Are these candidates and their young supporters deluded?

I’m sure there are many cool baseball stories this season of which I’m unaware. However, I doubt that any of them is as cool as the one I’m about to discuss. Mike Yastrzemski, grandson of the great Carl Yastrzemski, hit a home run in his first appearance at Fenway Park in Boston, where Carl excelled for 23 seasons. Mike was playing for the visiting San Francisco Giants. The elder Yastrzemski toured the field with his grandson before the game. He provided tips on how to play balls hit off of left-field wall (the Green Monster). Many say that no one...

I have practiced law for 8 years, focusing on constitutional law and government policy, so I am absolutely convinced of the importance of the judiciary. The work President Trump has done to reshape the federal judiciary with pro-Constitution judges for years to come is nothing short of a miracle. But this miracle would not be possible without a Republican majority in the Senate and our own Senator Cory Gardner. Since President Trump took office, the Republican majority in the Senate has confirmed: 2 Supreme Court Justices (including Colorado’s Justice Neil Gorsuch); 43 circuit judges (including Colorado’s Allison Eid); 99 district...

Psychology is a "science" that studies human behavior but is itself morally bankrupt. That is, psychology is unable to scientifically define normality. It can't. "Normal" depends on what the society (through "norms") or the patient views as morally correct. This limitation of psychological study is apparent when addressing transgenderism, until recently labeled a mental illness ("gender dysphoria")by psychology. Modern textbooks on transgender (and other paraphilic) disorders observe that they arise from "adverse childhood experiences" (ACEs): "Any event sufficiently stressful to threaten a fragile ego" (Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing, 8th edition, Mary C. Townsend, 2015, p. 615). But here we face...

Nick Carter says his brother, Aaron, has left him with no choice but to seek legal protection after he claims Aaron threatened to kill Nick's pregnant wife and unborn child ... though Aaron says he'd never harm family. According to the temporary restraining order obtained by TMZ ... Aaron has to stay at least 100 feet away from Nick, Nick's wife, their kids and other family members, specifically their residence in Las Vegas. Nick says both he and his sister were forced to seek the order against Aaron, "In light of Aaron's increasingly alarming behavior and his recent confession that...

LOS ANGELES — President Trump on Wednesday announced he intends to name the administration's envoy for hostage negotiations, Robert O'Brien, as his next national security adviser. "I have worked long & hard with Robert. He will do a great job!" Trump tweeted. I am pleased to announce that I will name Robert C. O’Brien, currently serving as the very successful Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs at the State Department, as our new National Security Advisor. I have worked long & hard with Robert. He will do a great job! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 18, 2019 O'Brien will...