Free Republic

“Have you been born again, my friend?” Thousands of Catholics have been asked this question by well-meaning Fundamentalists or Evangelicals. Of course, by “born again” the Protestant usually means: “Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior through the recitation of ‘the sinner’s prayer?”” How is a Catholic to respond? The simple Catholic response is: “Yes, I have been born again—when I was baptized.” In fact, Jesus’ famous “born again” discourse of John 3:3-5, which is where we find the words “born again” in Scripture, teaches us about the essential nature of baptism: Jesus answered him, "Truly,...

The "C-word" is, of course, Christ. Anita Dittman survived Hitler and the Nazis. Born Jewish, she became a Christian during the Holocaust. And it's that part of her story which is verboten in public schools today. WND: Jews met their death, gave her cause to reflect once again on life under the Nazis. Her message is different now, she says, much different than when she first went public in 1978 with her experience as a Holocaust survivor. Could it happen here? “When I started speaking in 1978-79, people would ask me, ‘Do you think it could happen here in this...

My homepage is UltimateClassicRock.com.(Don’t judge.)On December 27, one of their headlines blared, in all caps, “Why Alice Cooper Doesn’t Believe in ‘Celebrity Christianity’”.I thought: What year is it?“Born again Alice” is old news.Back in the “emerging church” 1990s, when Protestants were trying to get hip (again), a rash of magazines appeared. Critics called them “skate park outreach” and they all had semi-tough names like Relevant and Relate. (And lots and lots and LOTS of U2 stories…)In one of them, I read an interview with Cooper, in which he unequivocally took the standard-issue evangelical line that Mother Teresa’s good works...

‘Unbroken’ and Billy Graham The movie and the book about Louis Zamperini’s life skimp on the pivotal role of a certain preacher. By Grant Wacker Jan. 1, 2015 Newspaper headlines agreed. Billy Graham —“heaven’s super salesman,” “the Lord’s top salesman”—knew how to close the deal. If he just read from a telephone book, one associate quipped, people would stand up and commit their lives to Christ. Louis Zamperini, who died July 2 at age 97, was a case in point. The Olympic distance runner and World War II hero is the subject of Laura Hillenbrand ’s acclaimed 2010 biography, “Unbroken,”...

On Dec. 25, the unforgettable story about Louis Zamperini, an Olympian turned World War II prisoner of war hero, opens in theaters nationwide. As astoundingly resilient as Zamperini was, however, his real power was found in a fact underplayed in the movie; namely, he whose birth we celebrate Dec. 25 is the one responsible for restoring and transforming Zamperini's heart and life. First, let me say, few lives can compare with Zamperini's. He lived hard from a young age. He smoked cigarettes by the time he was 5, and his favorite pastime as a youth was stealing beer from bootleggers.Cops...

Ann B. Davis, who played the beloved housekeeper Alice in The Brady Bunch, died over the weekend. New information is coming out about her faith and her life. The Associated Press reports: For many years after “The Brady Bunch” wound up, Davis led a quiet religious life, affiliating herself with a group led by [Episcopal Bishop William] Frey. “I was born again,” she told the AP in 1993. “It happens to Episcopalians. Sometimes it doesn’t hit you till you’re 47 years old. “It changed my whole life for the better. … I spent a lot of time giving Christian witness...

St. Patrick's Confession I, Patrick, a sinner, a most simple countryman, the least of all the faithful and most contemptible to many, had for father the deacon Calpurnius, son of the late Potitus, a presbyter, of the settlement of Bannaven Taburniae; he had a small villa nearby where I was taken captive. I was at that time about sixteen years of age. I did not, indeed, know the true God; and I was taken into captivity in Ireland with many thousands of people, according to our deserts, for quite drawn away from God, we did not keep his precepts, nor...

Catholic, Are You Born Again? Have you been born again, my friend?” Thousands of Catholics have been asked this question by well-meaning Fundamentalists or Evangelicals. Of course, by “born again” the Protestant usually means: “Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior through the recitation of ‘the sinner’s prayer?’” How is a Catholic to respond?The simple Catholic response is: “Yes, I have been born again—when I was baptized.” In fact, Jesus’ famous “born again” discourse of John 3:3-5, which is where we find the words “born again” (or “born anew”) in Scripture, teaches us about the essential nature...

......"The U.S. Religious Landscape Survey by the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life has put hard numbers on the anecdotal evidence: One out of every 10 Americans is an ex-Catholic. If they were a separate denomination, they would be the third-largest denomination in the United States, after Catholics and Baptists. One of three people who were raised Catholic no longer identifies as Catholic........."Thankfully, although the U.S. bishops have not supported research on people who have left the church, the Pew Center has. Pew’s data shows that those leaving the church are not homogenous. They can be divided...

"Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life." -Jn. 5:39 -40 You can study and know the scriptures but not recognize Jesus Christ. The Pharisees did this .

We should all be aware that there are many people who name the name of Jesus but are not helping homosexual born-again Christians become who Christ really wants them to be. I will not belabor this point, but I will call out these "wolves in sheep's clothing" for what they are, based on what they are doing, regardless of how well-intentioned they may be. Firstly, there are those who seem to have only condemnation, and no compassion, for those who have turned out to be homosexual. They are quick to point out the sinfulness of homosexual behavior, but seem to...

Kirsten Powers on her religious awakening.

The One true God is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. "I am the Lord, and there is no other, apart from me there is no God." (Isaiah 45:5) In other words, the "Jewish God" is the only God that exists. All the other "gods" among the various religions do not actually rule the universe. In fact, they exist only in the minds of those who seek to obey them and earn their favor. Jewish people know all about seeking to obey God. Moses was given the Law so that God's people would know what God expected of them....

What I mean by this is, who else here was from a background and upbringing that did not center around God and did not center around Biblical morals at all and was raised in an environment where God was not a part of the lives of their relatives and closest friends? I wonder because it often seems like overwhelmingly posters around here were raised in a Biblical and Godly manner from birth and had parents who taught them these values and about turning to God from the time they could walk. So I was wondering if there are posters here...

By: Msgr. Charles Pope Last Week I wrote my testimony of meeting Jesus on a fateful day in November of 1995 (HERE). I have also written of the need that Christians have to better witness in a personal way to the faith, and to the relationship they have with the Lord.The other day I read a beautiful conversion story, a witness story of a woman I have long admired, Kirsten Powers. She is a Fox News Commentator. And while I do not always agree with her political perspectives, she is a solid journalist, she gives fair consideration to all issues,...

Kirsten Powers in Christianity Today: Just seven years ago, if someone had told me that I’d be writing for Christianity Today magazine about how I came to believe in God, I would have laughed out loud. If there was one thing in which I was completely secure, it was that I would never adhere to any religion — especially to evangelical Christianity, which I held in particular contempt…. I remember walking into the Bible study. I had a knot in my stomach. In my mind, only weirdoes and zealots went to Bible studies. I don’t remember what was said that...

"There is no profession or social status, there is no sin or crime of any kind that could erase even one of his children from God's heart and memory. 'God remembers ', he does not forget those He created".  This is how Pope Francis interpreted Sunday's Gospel, which tells of the conversion of Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10 ).In front of at least 40 thousand faithful gathered in St Peter's Square - with banners and stadium horns - before the Angelus, the Pope explained the stoy: " This man [ Zacchaeus ] is a lost sheep, despised and ' excommunicated' , because...

Just seven years ago, if someone had told me that I'd be writing for Christianity Today magazine about how I came to believe in God, I would have laughed out loud. If there was one thing in which I was completely secure, it was that I would never adhere to any religion—especially to evangelical Christianity, which I held in particular contempt. I grew up in the Episcopal Church in Alaska, but my belief was superficial and flimsy. It was borrowed from my archaeologist father, who was so brilliant he taught himself to speak and read Russian. When I encountered doubt,...

"Zacchaeus in the Sycamore Awaiting the Passage of Jesus" (Zachée sur le sycomore attendant le passage de Jésus) by James Tissot, late 1800s. (Brooklyn Museum/Wikimedia Commons) A Scriptural Reflection on the Readings for Sunday, November 3, 2013 | Carl E. OlsonReadings:• Wis 11:22-12:2• Ps 145:1-2, 8-9, 10-11, 13, 14• 2 Thes 1:11-2:2• Lk 19:1-10“That’s a good question. I’ve never really thought about it.” The remark was made a number of years ago by a forty-year-old relative who had been asked, “What do you think is the meaning of life? Why are we here?” His honest answer shocked me. After...

I believe that it is incumbent upon born-again Christians to become well-informed about homosexuality, even though this is not a topic that is either enjoyable or entertaining to deal with. To help you get an idea of how well-informed you are, or are not, about homosexuality, I have developed this quick and easy–to-use “Fact Checker”. It will not only show you your current level of knowledge of the facts and truth about homosexuality, but it will also point you to key resources that will correct any misperceptions that you may have picked up from the liberal media or well-meaning, albeit...