Free Republic

Putting baby Jesus in zip ties places the Christmas story as a polemic against the Trump administration and its immigration law enforcement. Here in Dallas and elsewhere, individuals have been motivated by these narratives to attempt to kill ICE agents. Despite the virtues signaled by many Christian pastors across the United States, the demonization of law enforcement is not consistent with the teaching and praxis of Jesus. In fact, Mary and Joseph conformed to difficult imperial mandates compelling them to move and register in the hometown of Joseph. Herod is the dark evil figure of the Christmas story, and the...

Joe Campbell, a Pentecostal preacher who for half a century ministered to thousands of children across four states, has been arrested on child sex abuse charges, the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office said Wednesday. Campbell was charged with one count of first-degree rape and one count of lewd or indecent acts to a child under 16, according to the charging document. U.S. marshals arrested him Wednesday morning at Camp Bell, his children's camp in Elkland, Missouri, and took him to the Greene County jail in Springfield, where he was awaiting transfer to Oklahoma. If convicted, he faces up to life in...

Join with fellow FREEPERS across the world to pray for AMERICA: For those in Authority in Government, Family, Military, Business, Agri-Business, Healthcare, Education, Churches, Technology, Religious Freedom and the Media. "I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone: for kings and all those in authority that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness." (1 Timothy 2:1-2) Religion Forum threads labeled [Prayer] are closed to debate of any kind.

A Brooklyn pastor pleaded guilty Tuesday to embezzling $3 million over seven years from a day care associated with his church. The Rev. Paul Mitchell, 60, admitted in federal court that he broke the Eighth Commandment — “Thou shall not steal” —while leading East New York’s Changing Lives Christian Center. Prosecutors accused the pastor of pocketing money intended for the supervision and personal development of young people in the church’s care. Officials said he even used the embezzled funds to purchase his fiancée’s engagement ring. “The defendant treated his organizations’ accounts as his own personal piggy bank, stealing millions of...

Last week, the National Association of Evangelicals published its monthly newsletter, whereby it heralded the Christmas season not by celebrating “joy to the world” but by repeating its annual Yuletide claim that because Christ was a “refugee,” all Christians are obligated to welcome all immigrants (regardless of status) into our country, our towns and our neighborhoods. How are we to do this? How exactly are some 60 million American evangelicals purportedly represented by the National Association of Evangelicals to welcome the “sojourner” and “foreigner” in our midst? What practical steps does the association suggest we take?

The Gospel Coalition (TGC) sounded the alarm over a growing number of Protestant intellectuals, pastors, and influencers converting to the Catholic faith. Written by TGC’s Andrew Voigt, the article is framed as a strategic response to stem the tide of conversions. It warns of the effectiveness of Catholic apologetics, particularly online, and urges Protestants to develop a more robust counter-narrative. According to Voigt, Protestant apologetics has focused more on addressing atheism and secularism while Catholic evangelization efforts have been more directly aimed at engaging Protestants. An Italian Protestant pastor, Leonardo De Chirico, is quoted in Voigt’s article as saying that...

A Chicago-area church has updated its already controversial nativity scene following damage from vandalism and inclement weather, removing Joseph, the father of Jesus, and replacing him with a memorial to those who have been affected by raids and arrests conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. Lake Street Church of Evanston, Illinois, made headlines earlier this holiday season with a nativity scene that depicts baby Jesus as lying in a manger with his hands zip-tied together. The infant is wrapped in what appears to be an emergency blanket. Mary and Joseph are standing near the manger wearing gas...

A Christmas show at a church in Plano, Texas, has become a flash point in America - a Rorschach test in today's hyper-political culture. The 'Gift of Christmas' at Prestonwood Baptist Church, as the nearly two-hour extravaganza is called, has become one of the most well-known holiday shows across the US, mostly thanks to social media. People seem to either love or loathe the 'Vegas-style' production at the mega church- complete with a flying Santa Claus and live camels and sheep- with tickets selling from $20 to $71 per person. 'Tell me how a family of 4 has to spend...

In an age of moral confusion and cultural uncertainty, people are drawn to those who actually believe what they say—who live as if their core convictions are real and unshakable. This may explain the quiet shift unfolding in England. For the first time in centuries, the Catholic Church surpasses CoE in active attendance. Among young people, Catholics outnumber Anglicans. In London, the shift is even more pronounced. The tide is turning—and it’s not turning toward trendy liturgies or progressive theology but toward clarity, continuity, and conviction. Every Anglican worldwide, and every Episcopalian in the U.S., knows that even after 500...

A majority of pastors are now using artificial intelligence to prepare their sermons, with ChatGPT and Grammarly reported as the top two AI tools, new survey data shows. "ChatGPT is the most visible generative AI tool that can engage in human-like conversations and assist with a wide range of tasks, from answering questions to generating content," researchers wrote in "The 2025 State of AI in the Church Survey Report" prepared by AiForChurchLeaders.com and Exponential AI NEXT. "As the most popular AI tool among church leaders (26%), ChatGPT is being used for applications such as sermon preparation, research, and crafting church...

Join with fellow FREEPERS to pray for AMERICA: For those in Authority in Government, Family, Military, Business, Agri-Business; End to Sex Slavery; Healthcare, Education, Churches, and the Media. Forum threads labeled [Prayer] are closed to debate of any kind.

A Methodist pastor in New York revealed last week plans to transition into a woman and said the 51-year-old now identifies as asexual. Rev. Phillip Phaneuf, of North Chili United Methodist Church in Rochester, made the announcement during a Nov. 23 Sunday service. The personal update was delivered from the pulpit while wearing a rainbow stole. “So I get to announce with joy that I’m transitioning,” Phaneuf said. “I’m affirming to all of you that I am transgender. The best way to put this is that I’m not becoming a woman, I’m giving up pretending to be a man. This...

A worship center for evangelical churches has commenced construction in Qatar, marking a significant spiritual milestone in the history of evangelicals in the country. The project, costing $33.35 million, is expected to be completed in April 2028. Evangelical Churches Alliance Qatar (ECAQ) made this announcement at the General Assembly of the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) held at the end of October in Seoul... The ECAQ stated that the worship center is not merely a building but a base for spreading Christ's message in the Middle East. It will serve as a place for spiritual formation, denominational unity, and worship, testifying...

The United Methodist Church’s financial leaders are sounding the alarm that the denomination is about to be in a world of financial hurt, declaring ‘The church’s financial house is on fire’ during the UMC’s Finance and Administration meeting last week. The ominous comments were made by Bishop David Graves, General Council on Finance and Administration board president, who added ‘My intent is not to create fear but to address the reality with honesty and urgency.” The UMC has lost more than 7500 churches over the last three years, the result of church mass departures and disaffiliations over the denomination’s all-out...

A single mother is challenging a custody order that prohibits her from taking her 12-year-old daughter to a Calvary Chapel church in Maine after a lower court accepted the claim that the denomination is a "cult," granting the girl's father the power to determine which religious activities she's allowed to attend. In combating the December 2024 custody order, the mother, Emily Bickford, is receiving legal assistance from the Liberty Counsel, a Christian legal group that has helped bring the mother's case before the Maine Supreme Judicial Court. "Calvary Chapel is not a cult. This custody order banning Emily Bickford from...

According to recent estimates, there are over 21 million people living in the United States illegally…From a biblical and practical perspective, how should pastors and church leaders respond to this issue? As those who minister in Los Angeles, this question is not hypothetical for us… - If a believer is illegally residing in the United States, he should take active steps to rectify that situation. This may involve seeking legal residence through whatever means are available to him (for which we would recommend consultation with an immigration lawyer), or it may necessitate leaving the United States until such a time...

The Maine Supreme Court heard arguments last week in a case challenging a lower-court order barring a mother from taking her daughter to church because the girl’s father, who never married her mother, claims it is causing her “psychological harm.” Unholy Father Eleven months ago, Matthew Bradeen secured an order from the Portland District Court giving him the exclusive power to decide which religious activities his 12-year-old daughter, Ava, may participate in. Bradeen’s relationship with Ava’s mother, Emily Bickford, ended before Ava was born. Bickford has primary custody of Ava; Bradeen has visitation rights. Bickford and her daughter have been...

Race dominates nearly every conversation today. From identity politics to corporate boardrooms, racial identity has become the primary lens through which people view the world. But when the Church adopts these ideologies, allowing earthly identities to take precedence over unity in Christ, it signals a severe distortion of biblical truth. How did we get here? How did we move from the biblical concept of one human race, made in the image of God, to a world where race divides, dominates, and distorts everything—even within the Church? The answer lies in the rise of modern ideologies, such as Critical Race Theory...

BOMBSHELL: US Catholic Bishops Give $1 Million to Marxist MovementA new investigative report from the Lepanto Institute exposes significant financial support by the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD), an initiative of the US Catholic Bishops, for organizations deeply connected to socialist and Marxist movements. The report details how, under the banner of community land trusts (CLTs), millions of dollars have been funneled to groups whose founders and leaders openly advocate for socialist and Marxist ideologies. “The very concept of CLTs emerged among self-identified socialists looking to remove land from speculative markets and promote collective ownership,” said Michael Hichborn, president...

, at a recent, very crowded Sunday night mass at St. Joseph’s Church in Greenwich Village, Father Jonah Teller, OP made a simple announcement indicating that times are changing. According to Teller, the number enrolled in the parish’s Order of Christian Initiation of Adults — the process in which adults convert to Catholicism — had tripled since last year, with roughly 130 people signing up. ... There’s a similar story at St. Vincent Ferrer on the Upper East Side, where their OCIA numbers have doubled since last year, swelling to nearly 90 people. “We’re out of space and exploring adding...