Free Republic

No Coexistence: When Crusaders Clash with Satanists at Historic CrossSatan showed his ugly head and was crushed by the Virgin at the Bladensburg Cross Memorial in MarylandFollowers of the Satanic Temple planned a July 10 rally at the Bladensburg cross in Maryland to declare the controversial cross to be a symbol for Satanists. However, Satan received a mighty blow when the temple members found Our Lady nearly 130 prayer warriors already on the scene.On July 10, members of the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP) hosted a Rosary rally in front of the Bladensburg Cross...

Liberals’ Obsession with ‘Christian Nationalism’The chattering class is very preoccupied these days with “Christian nationalism.” The pundits who speak darkly about it don’t bother to define the phrase, but it is meant to conjure up a terrifying picture of extremism. That liberals consider it a devastating slur speaks to their own anti-Christian and anti-nationalist views.The existence of patriotic Christians across the land certainly wouldn’t have alarmed the Founding Fathers. They would have found the use of “Christian nationalism” as an epithet puzzling. Indeed, they assumed that the American form of government would work best in the hands of a Christian...

Over the years, Campus Reform has reported on hundreds of instances of anti-Christian sentiment at American universities. Here are five of the worst instances from this year. 1. Harvard University. Harvard Law professor Elizabeth Bartholet called for a ban on homeschooling, decrying “conservative Christians” in the process. In a Harvard Gazette interview entitled “A warning on homeschooling,” Bartholet attributed rising interest in homeschooling to the “growth in the conservative evangelical movement,” stating that “conservative Christians” use the practice to “escape from the secular education in public schools,” after a failed effort “to have their children exempted from exposure to alternative...

The Secular Democrats of America PAC prepared a report for Joe Biden and his transition team that outlines a roadmap to "boldly restore a vision of constitutional secularism and respect in the land for religious and intellectual pluralism." The federal political action committee "represents secular Democratic individuals and organizations" and advocates for "secular governance, promote respect and inclusion of nonreligious Americans, and mobilize nonreligious voters." The proposal was formally presented by Democratic Reps. Jamie Raskin and Jared Huffman, co-chairs of the Congressional Freethought Caucus, and endorsed by Democratic Rep. Jerry McNerney. “We’ve offered the new administration a roadmap to restore...

WASHINGTON (RNS) — A Democratic group dedicated to representing secular values unveiled a slate of recommendations for President-elect Joe Biden’s incoming administration on Monday (Nov. 30), outlining a sweeping agenda designed to roll back many of President Trump’s actions involving religion and to “restore a vision of constitutional secularism.” The 28-page document, crafted by the Secular Democrats of America PAC, is being presented to the incoming administration by Democratic Representatives Jamie Raskin and Jared Huffman — both co-chairs of the Congressional Freethought Caucus. The SDA’s agenda offers a wide range of policy recommendations to push back against the so-called “Christian...

Anyone walking past the headquarters of the European Commission in Brussels earlier this week would have seen a dazzling light display above their heads, in all colors of the rainbow. “More than 330,000 people say: EU — Turn your words into action. Stop ‘LGBT-free zones’ in Poland now” the projected message proclaimed, in letters several meters high. The display was organized by LGBT+ rights advocacy group AllOut in collaboration with the Polish Campaign Against Homophobia. The group handed over a petition with over 330,000 signatures to the European Union demanding the bloc take urgent action over homophobic and transphobic policies...

The Supreme Court has no excuse for allowing Nevada officials to use a public health crisis to fill poker tables while emptying pews. All four gospels record that the Roman soldiers who crucified Jesus cast lots for his clothing. This was not the last time government agents were more interested in gambling than God. The latest instance is in Nevada, where the state government has granted casinos special privileges denied to churches. Casinos are allowed to operate at half-capacity, while churches are restricted to a hard cap of 50 people, no matter their capacity.When this double standard was challenged in...

The U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) is facing backlash from both sides of the religious liberty debate after it planned a training session that was later canceled over the speaker’s background in Christianity -- fueling Congressional scrutiny of both the military and the nonprofit which appeared to prompt the cancellation. Air Force veteran Jay Lorenzen was slated to speak at an annual training for JAG reservists on Friday, but that came to a screeching halt after the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) relayed its reservist clients’ concerns about Lorenzen’s beliefs influencing his talks. An MRFF press release boasted on Saturday that...

Why do so-called ‘scientifically enlightened’ progressive liberals ridicule and shame prayer? The answer lies in their view of reality.

Navy bans Satanists from holding 'satanic services' at the US Naval Academy after the group announced they were planning weekly meetings An email sent to U.S. Naval Academy midshipmen on October 8 offered to hold 'satanic religious services' hosted by the Satanic Temple The email offered to hold discussions of satanic philosophy, along with the 'literary history of Satan' A spokeswoman with the USNA asserted that it was shared prematurely, adding that the group originally asked to hold a 'study group' She added that the Satanic Temple represents 'a non-theistic religious and politically active movement' The military is forbidden from...

The observable universe contains more than 100 billion galaxies. Our galaxy alone, popularly known as the Milky Way, has more than 100 billion stars. Does that make you yearn for those days of yesteryear when many followed the thought of Aristotle and Ptolemy: Five planets plus the sun and the moon circling Earth? Was it easier to evangelize before people thought of Earth as a little sphere circling a fifth-rate star on a minor galaxy’s periphery -- so why should God care about us? A century ago scientists of course knew the Earth moved, but many still thought we were...

SAN JOSE (KPIX) — The South Bay’s biggest holiday celebration appears to have fallen victim to thieves after someone robbed ornaments off a tree at Christmas in the Park in San Jose that had its decorations sponsored by a local Satanic group. The crime happened just two days after the tree went up with the thieves apparently targeting a specific tree. The tree targeted was decorated with pentagrams and other demonic symbols, its decorations sponsored by a Bay Area Satanic organization. Some may wonder why a Satanic group would have a decorated tree at a holiday display like Christmas...

As President Donald Trump packs the Supreme Court with justices adhering to his fundamentalist brand of social conservatism, the return to an era in American history when questionable religious standards were the law of the land in most states is fast approaching. Women, ethnic minorities, and gays are about to undergo a reversal of the gains made by decisions of the high court since the 1950s. In less than two years, Trump has taken the opportunity to nominate two staunch social conservatives to the court. Justice Neil Gorsuch merely filled the vacancy created by the sudden death of Antonin Scalia,...

Billboards showing evangelist Pastor Greg Laurie holding a Bible were removed from popular Southern California malls after numerous complaints. Laurie, who leads the multi-campus Harvest Christian Fellowship, contracted a real estate company to post the billboards to promote an upcoming SoCal Harvest event at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California. The billboards were displayed at several locations, including Fashion Island in Orange County and the Irvine Spectrum Center in Irvine. After receiving complaints -- including a "serious threat" -- the company asked that the billboards be revised to remove the image of the Bible.

Atheist groups are unhappy with President Donald Trump for allowing a weekly Bible study to take place in the White House.The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) said the Bible study might even be an illegal use of taxpayer funds, the Washington Times reported Thursday."If those officials want privacy, the solution is pretty damn simple: Study the Bible in your private capacity, not in your official capacity and at your government desk," the group said in a statement Thursday. "Do it on your time, not the taxpayers'. In short, get off your knees and get to work."The person behind the Bible...

The first official meeting of the After School Satan Club in the United States took place Wednesday at Sacramento Elementary School in Portland, drawing national members of the Satanic Temple and Catholic protesters from a group based out of Pennsylvania. "The club is here to contrast the presence of the evangelical Good News Clubs, which are here specifically to proselytize to children," said Lucien Greaves, the Satanic Temple's national co-founder, who was on hand for the first official meeting of the club, an open house for parents, students and staff. Members of the press were not allowed to attend. The...

“Nov. 8 was a game changer – and not for our essential work.” So lamented husband and wife atheists Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor, co-presidents of the so-called Freedom from Religion Foundation, which is based in Madison, Wisconsin and which claims 23,500 members nationwide. In fact, there was much weeping and gnashing of teeth within the nation’s anti-God community in the wake of Donald Trump’s seemingly improbable election this past week as America’s next president. “Mr. Trump has made a number of statements,” decried David Silverman, president of American Atheists, “that has given millions of Americans who value constitutional...

The Good Book has been banished from rooms at a hotel operated by Arizona State University. The religious cleansing of the Thunderbird Executive Inn took place after the Freedom From Religion Foundation complained. It was a story first reported by Billy Hallowell of Deseret News. “Providing Bibles to Inn guests sends the message that ASU endorses the religious texts,” attorney Madeline Ziegler wrote to the university. The FFRF is a group of perpetually offended atheists and agnostic whack-a-doodles from Wisconsin. They are very unpleasant and very litigious people. “State-run colleges have a constitutional obligation to remain neutral toward religion,” Ziegler...

The Denial About Super Bowl 50 Having a Gay Agenda is Laughable! It all started with this simple statement. “How about this: God is Love. I believe we should have had a cross with the same words "Believe in Love" without the rainbow. Got a problem with that?” That’s what I wrote in response to an article written in the Huffington Post the day after the Super Bowl, entitled, “To Those Bothered By The 'Gay Agenda' At Super Bowl 50.” If you’re not in the know, a huge rainbow flag with the words, “Believe in Love” was prominently featured at...

For more than a decade boys and girls at Glenview Elementary School would start the day by gathering on the playground to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. The children of Haddon Heights, New Jersey would conclude their patriotic service by saying "God bless America." It was a tradition birthed by two kindergarten teachers in the aftermath of the Muslim terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 - a way to honor those who lost their lives on that terrible day. But that tradition ended Monday - thanks to the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey. The school's principal sent a...