Free Republic

Martin Luther called it “the doctrine upon which the church stands or falls.” He called on pastors to take it back to their churches and “beat it into their heads continually.” The Reformation saw untold numbers of believers across Europe go willingly to the flames because they refused to loosen their grip on this single conviction: Sola fide—justification by faith alone. It’s good to remember believers who explored theology not merely as an academic exercise but as a life-and-death endeavor. It’s good for us to pause and remember the doctrines for which our forebears in the faith died. And it’s...

“Find the feet first,” I kept saying to myself. “Feet first, not the head.” I did not want to find the head. I had to find the body. There was no-one else in the small fishing village of Cordova AK who had SCUBA gear. The fisherman had fallen from the Cordova fishing pier, falling 20 feet into freezing Alaskan waters.

As college textbook prices have increased 88 percent since 2006, education reformers wonder how universities can make books more affordable. One simple thing they could do is to stop selling textbooks with absurdly high mark-ups, the difference between the cost incurred by the bookstore for textbooks and the price at which they’re sold. While some progress has been made within the UNC system, much room for improvement remains. The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, for example, signed a contract with Barnes and Noble in 2009 to merge its university bookstore with Barnes and Noble. That conjunction promised students lower...

The notion of burning books is, or should be, quite repugnant to those with an interest in maintaining a free society. Whether it’s environmentalists setting ablaze a book which challenges man-made global warming theory, or conservatives putting flames to a progressive’s anti-white-themed offering, never should Ray Bradbury’s warning of Fahrenheit 451 be forgotten. But in “equity” consultant Kimya Dennis’s case, she’d likely shrug off that notion — because Bradbury was a white man.

Two school districts in the Phoenix, Arizona area have implemented educational programs promoting racial divisions and social justice. The two programs attack students on the basis of their skin color and other characteristics. Chandler Unified School District passed the equity and inclusion initiative in February 2018. Kyrene School District also implemented it. Word has gotten out on how awful these programs are. On November 8, Fox News host Tucker Carlson aired a piece on one of the two programs, called Deep Equity. Carlson described the teaching this way, “America is based on a hierarchy of various oppressions: men oppress women, Christianity...

A British socialite stole nearly $300,000 from her dementia-suffering grandmother to fund her lavish lifestyle, including designer clothes and stays in Beverly Hills hotels, according to local reports. Emily Rosina Evans-Schreiber, 38, had only about $50 in her bank account when she was given control of her 94-year-old grandmother Rosina Evans’ finances in April 2018, a Northampton crown court heard Friday, according to the BBC. The former model’s mother had become worried about her daughter’s “high life” in London, and bought her a house in Naseby, tasking her with taking care of her grandma, prosecutors said. Over the next eight...

God does not tell us why angels appear as male in the Bible and not female. Angels do not have gender since gender is a biological function, and angels are not biological. The only angels that are named in the Bible include Michael, Gabriel, and Lucifer, who are referred to in the masculine. Other angels are referred to in the masculine sense even though they are not named. Judges 13:21, "Now the angel of the LORD appeared no more to Manoah or his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was the angel of the LORD." 1 Chronicles 21:27, "The Lord...

“A wicked messenger falleth into mischief: but a faithful ambassador is health” (Proverbs 13:17).

Calling the state legislature into session last Wednesday, Gov. Ralph Northam could not have been more elated. His Democrats have taken over the state legislature and are giddily preparing to exercise every ounce of their new-found powers. Northam’s expansive legislative agenda includes: passage of the long-dead Equal Rights Amendment (the deadline for ratification expired in 1982); decriminalization of marijuana; big spending on “save the planet” environmental nonsense; further liberalization of abortion laws; and, of course, far-reaching strict gun controls.

... California is one of many states to ask teachers and textbooks in recent years to cover the contributions of specific immigrant groups, including Asian-Americans, Pacific Islanders, European-Americans and Mexican-Americans. These additions are part of the reason California books are almost always longer than their Texas counterparts. California’s Board of Education adopted an expansive 842-page social studies framework in 2016. Two years later, Texas’ school board streamlined its social studies standards, which are now laid out in 78 tightly compressed pages. Critics of California’s approach say that making state standards and textbooks longer and more inclusive can be overwhelming to...

Morning "Jehoshaphat made ships of Tharshish to go to Ophir for gold: but they went not; for the ships were broken at Ezion-geber" 1 Kings 22:48 Solomon's ships had returned in safety, but Jehoshaphat's vessels never reached the land of gold. Providence prospers one, and frustrates the desires of another, in the same business and at the same spot, yet the Great Ruler is as good and wise at one time as another. May we have grace today, in the remembrance of this text, to bless the Lord for ships broken at Ezion-geber, as well as for vessels freighted with...

LAUGHLIN, NEVADA- As Sunday’s mass ends, the priest says to his parishioners: “Don’t forget to visit the bar on your way out!” No, he’s not encouraging them to get drunk after church. Father Charlie Urnick says this because he’s giving mass inside of Riverside casino in Laughlin, Nevada. The bar he’s referring to is a table-bar that casino employees use as a bar to sell drinks at other (non-church related) events. But just before, during, and right after mass, it’s used to sell candles, medals, books, and other religious items. Along with those, church-goers can find casino chips. While Father...

Anti-government protests in Iran have entered a third day today after Tehran finally abandoned its pretence and admitted shooting down a passenger jet. Dozens of protesters gathered and chanted slogans at a Tehran university today amid a wave of public anger after the plane was shot down with dozens of Iranians on board. A string of celebrities have also turned on the regime and two state TV hosts have quit over Tehran's three days of false reporting on the crash. Leading Iranian film director Masoud Kimiai has pulled out of Tehran's annual Fajr Film Festival in protest, saying he was...

It’s a new year, but I fear there is no fresh beginning on the horizon. In my memory, I cannot think of a more divided time in America. Founded on a belief in freedom and the rights given by God to all, our Founding Fathers created a republic that protected citizens from government overreach and freed them to turn their dreams into reality. They had confidence in their citizens and the power of community to ensure the future of the republic. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi continues to hold the Articles of Impeachment in limbo waiting for the Senate to...

Smartphone videos of anti-regime protests in Tehran circulated in global news media this weekend, after the Iranian government admitted it shot down a Ukrainian civilian airliner. The latest demonstrations followed a national wave of protests last November in which up to 1,500 demonstrators were killed. Hard information about the origins and extent of the anti-regime protests is difficult to find. But there is a good deal of evidence of extreme dissatisfaction with the regime due to economic stress. Iran’s average monthly after-tax wage was US$318.53, according to the website Numbeo, which tallies thousands of user inputs to arrive at wage...

The number one story in the news in Great Britain (and a major story around the world) is the apparent abandonment of the Royal Family by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, better known as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The story obviously has a strong personal element, but it also strikes me as emblematic of our time. The British monarchy is not just ancient, but profoundly old-fashioned. It is founded on a concept of duty, exemplified by Queen Elizabeth II, that is utterly at odds with the 21st century. Being a Royal is a great job, most would say,...

DES MOINES, Iowa — Pete Buttigieg tried to stress the importance of being respectful despite a difference in opinions after demonstrators protesting his record on helping homeless veterans disrupted a town hall. "Can I hear it one more time for the idea of respectful, honest, open, and transparent dialogue?" Buttigieg said Sunday in Des Moines, Iowa. Buttigieg, a top-four contender for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, had just slammed President Trump's handling of escalating tensions with Iran, saying he was risking the lives of U.S. troops who could be deployed to the region for an avoidable war. "We've been trying...

MYRTLE POINT, Ore. - Melissa Morris was arrested on New Year’s Eve after she told deputies she punched her boyfriend in the face for leaving her dog outside in the rain. Police say they responded to a call of a suspected assault where they were met by the Oregon woman’s boyfriend, James, who said she punched him in the face two times. Investigators say they saw a marble-sized welt and scratch mark on James’ right eyebrow. James told police that he was talking to Morris when she began hitting him. Morris was then taken into custody on a domestic...

Post #25. With so many rats running for president in 2020 it's hard to keep up with who's in and who's out. Hopefully, this post will help. This thread will be posted each week, likely on Monday, with the dropouts from the previous week and newly declared candidates noted. Below is a list of declared candidates and their occupation. Below that is a list of dropouts, their occupation and the date they dropped from the race. Dropout(s) in the past week: Marianne Williamson. She's moving from the first list to the second list. Newly declared candidates from last week: Thankfully,...

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently issued a finding that could – and certainly should – undermine some of the most outrageous lawsuits and jury awards in American history. Bolstered by San Francisco area juries that have given multi-multi-million-dollar awards to clients who claim glyphosate (the active ingredient in Roundup weedkiller) caused their cancer, jackpot justice lawyers have recruited some 20,000 additional “corporate victims” who hope to reap their own fortunes.Their cases are based on the assertion that: (a) Bayer-Monsanto negligently or deliberately failed to warn consumers that the glyphosate it manufactures is carcinogenic; (b) the plaintiffs used Roundup...