Free Republic

On November 7, this nation will have a national election. Along with the candidates for federal and local offices, there is a ballot measure in South Dakota that will ban abortion in most cases. Most of us here on FR will not be voting in South Dakota. But we can pray that the good citizens will cast the vote that will begin the end of the practice of infanticide. This is a prayer request. My wife and I will be praying on the seventh, and would this is something that we all need to pray for. My bride’s mom is...

Posted: August 29, 2006 9:00 a.m. Eastern © 2006 WorldNetDaily.com Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has tossed out all sexual moral conduct codes at colleges, private and Christian schools, daycare centers and other facilities throughout his state, if the institutions have any students who get state assistance. The governor yesterday signed a bill that would require all businesses and groups receiving state funding -- even if it's a state grant for a student -- to condone homosexuality, bisexuality and transsexuality. There is no exception for faith-based organizations or business owners with sincerely held religious convictions, critics note. "The...

June 26, 2006 Anthony Sacramone writes: Yesterday was the 476th anniversary of the presentation of the Augsburg Confession—an explanation of the proposed Lutheran reforms of the Church, written by Philip Melancthon and approved by Martin Luther—to Holy Roman emperor Charles V, who, facing attack from without, was eager for unity within. This is the true birthday of the Lutheran Reformation. That this should be of little interest to non-Lutherans is perhaps understandable. That it should be of little interest to so many Lutherans is what threatens to reduce a denomination like the one I was raised in—the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod—to...

My wife and I were born into Lutheran homes, and we were baptized as infants in the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Both of our families were active in their Lutheran congregations, and both of us were raised in “traditional” Lutheran homes. At the age of about 13, when I was confirmed, my pastor suggested that I consider becoming a Lutheran pastor. I’d never even thought of this before. My education began in High School, continued through Junior College and Senior College, and culminated with four years at Concordia Seminary in...

Just a prayer of thanks. South Dakota passed a bill that pretty much bans abortion. I know that it will be struck down in the courts by noon tommorow, but perhaps this will be the case that finaly starts the push to overturn infanticide. Dear Lord, thank you for the courage of the government of South Dakota. Please let this be a step to turn the culture back to one of life. Thank you Lord Jesus, Amen.

Hurricane Katrina helped push inflation up sharply last month, guaranteeing that millions of Americans receiving Social Security and other federal benefits will see their payments rise in January by the largest amount since 1991, the government reported today. The Labor Department also reported that the widely followed consumer price index for all urban consumers, rose 1.2 percent last month and 4.7 percent in the 12 months that ended in September. That was the biggest monthly rise since March, 1980, and the biggest 12-month increase since May, 1991.

Colombian police have found the bodies of three human foetuses hidden in statues destined for the United States. The discovery was made by officers searching for contraband at Bogota Airport on Tuesday. The corpses were wrapped in plastic and concealed inside statues of Christian icons, which were smashed open. Colombian police chief Gen Jord Alirio Varon said the four- to five-month-old foetuses could have been intended for use in Satanic rituals. Gen Varon said the foetuses were found alongside crucifixes and medals. He said officials are trying to find out who sent the packages, which came from Barranquilla in Colombia...

MOSCOW (AFP) - Historic Russian admiral Fyodor Ushakov -- a hero of Russia's wars against Turkey and Napoleon Bonaparte -- was designated the patron saint of nuclear-armed, long-distance Russian bombers by the Orthodox Church. ADVERTISEMENT Russian Patriarch Alexei II, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, carried a reliquary and an icon of the admiral, who was canonised in 2004, into the Moscow chapel of the Russian Air Force's 37th Air Army in Moscow, Russia's RIA Novosti news agency said Monday. "I am sure he will become your intermediary as you fulfil your responsible duties to the fatherland in the long-range...

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) – There was a record number of delinquent credit-card accounts reported in the second quarter, according to data released Wednesday from the American Bankers Association. The ABA found that the 4.81 percent of credit-card accounts had payments that were past due by 30 days or more between April and June, up from 4.76 percent in the first quarter. The ABA first started tracking delinquencies in 1973.

WASHINGTON — As consumers feel pain at the pump, record high gas prices are registering as a political problem with congressional Republicans. ADVERTISEMENT At a town hall meeting this week, Rep. Jack Kingston (news, bio, voting record) (R-Ga.) wanted to talk about Social Security and Medicare, but the session quickly turned to gas prices. When Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (news, bio, voting record) (R-W.Va.) toured a Veterans Affairs clinic Wednesday, the first question put to her was: "What are you going to do about the high price of gasoline?" And a growing number of GOP officials worry that, as the...

Pope Benedict XVI criticized the "contradictory positions" of Christian Churches which he said caused them to fail in their duty to provide leadership to society on important ethical questions. The 78-year-old head of the Roman Catholic Church highlighted the consequences of a lack of disparate Christian viewpoints in an address to an ecumenical gathering of Christian Church leaders in Cologne. The pope, who is making the first foreign visit of his pontificate, reiterated what he called his "firm commitment" to making full Christian unity a priority of his papacy. He told the Church leaders, who included Germany's Protestant Churches as...

WASHINGTON - The Federal Reserve, keeping a watchful eye on the impact of surging oil prices, raised a key interest rate by another quarter-point on Tuesday. ADVERTISEMENT The action pushed the federal funds rate up to 3.25 percent. It marked the ninth increase in the interest that banks charge each other on overnight loans and left this benchmark rate at its highest level since September 2001. When the Fed started its credit tightening campaign a year ago, the funds rate had been at a 46-year low of 1 percent. In its announcement of the decision, the Fed retained a pledge...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Half a million Americans could die and more than 2 million could end up in the hospital with serious complications if an even moderately severe strain of a pandemic flu hits, a report predicted on Friday. ADVERTISEMENT But the United States only has 965,256 staffed hospital beds, said the report from the Trust for America's Health. The non-profit group's state-by-state analysis adds to a growing clamor of voices contending that the United States is not prepared for a large outbreak of disease, whether natural or brought on by war or terrorism. "This is not a drill. This...

Union employees at Reuters are stepping up their campaign against the wire service's outsourcing of U.S. jobs, most recently transferring the editing and caption writing of photos to its Singapore office and some Internet work to Toronto. Members of the Newspaper Guild-Communications Workers of America have distributed leaflets outside Reuters' office in Times Square. Critical ads also have been placed in Investor's Business Daily and the Columbia Journalism Review, and more are planned for the Web.

Ora Mae Magouirk, the 81-year-old Georgia widow at the center of an intense family dispute over her medical treatment and right to live, is growing stronger every day, despite having been denied food and water for nearly two weeks before being airlifted to the University of Alabama-Birmingham Medical Center in Birmingham for treatment of an aortic dissection. Her nephew, Ken Mullinax, 45, of Birmingham, told WorldNetDaily that Magouirk is listed in stable condition, her vital signs are "very good," her blood pressure is normal, and the aortic dissection, the reason for her hospitalization in the first place, is contained. He...

Just a quick post of rejoiceing. With all the bad news with Terri S. and others, just take a minute and thank the Lord. HE IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED! ALLELUIA! For all of my brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, remember that no matter how dark the night, He is risen. Remember that the Word became Flesh, and dwelt among us. Remember that because of the Cross, we have been reconciled to God Rejoice that because of the empty tomb, death and sin have been conquered. Rejoice because God so loved us that He came down and died...

BEIJING, China (CNN) -- China has unveiled a controversial new law that would allow Beijing to use military action against Taiwan if peaceful means fail to stop the island pursuing independence. In a highly anticipated announcement, Beijing on Tuesday released details of the planned new anti-secession bill during its annual session of parliament. A leading Communist party official said force would be a last resort if reunification efforts fail. China has considered Taiwan a renegade province since communist forces drove nationalists from the mainland in 1949, and has repeatedly threatened to use military power against the island if it declares...

Amendment A falls short of `affirmation` Amendment A to the Synod's Constitution has failed to receive the two-thirds affirmative vote of congregations necessary to make it effective, while Amendment B has been affirmed. Amendment A would have changed the wording of Constitution Article XI F 2, dealing with duties of the Synod's Board of Directors. Amendment B adds directors of family-life ministry to those listed in Article V who have membership in the Synod as commissioned "ministers of religion." Both amendments were adopted by last year's Synod convention, but the Constitution requires that constitutional amendments also be affirmed by two-thirds...

Indonesia told foreign troops helping tsunami victims to get out of the country soon and defended tough new restrictions on aid workers, while rich nations prepared to freeze Jakarta's debt repayments. Vice President Yusuf Kalla said foreign troops should leave tsunami-hit Aceh province on Sumatra island as soon as they finish their relief mission, staying no longer than three months. "Three months are enough. In fact, the sooner the better," Kalla was quoted by the state Antara news agency as saying. The armed forces of Australia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and the United States have all rushed task forces to Aceh...

WASHINGTON -- The Senate Judiciary Committee, led by newly elected Chairman Arlen Specter, will hold what are likely to be highly combative hearings today on whether to confirm President Bush's choice, White House Counsel Alberto R. Gonzales, as attorney general.