Free Republic

Water is the predominate feature of the old testament reading, the responsorial psalm, and the gospel reading today as well. The water in these readings are portrayed as healing and the source of all life. In the first reading from the book of the Prophet Ezekiel, the water was portrayed as majestic, fresh and life giving as it flowed out from underneath the temple. The temple of course is where God dwells and all life on earth flows from this source, because God is our creator. All life on earth exists because of water. This is the same with our...

In the rugged hills of Karaman province, Türkiye, a remarkable archaeological discovery has emerged from Topraktepe, the site of ancient Eirenopolis. During recent excavations, archaeologists uncovered five carbonized bread loaves dating back to the 7th–8th centuries CE, including one with a depiction of Christ and a Greek inscription translating to, “With our thanks to Blessed Jesus.”Unlike the traditional Pantokrator imagery of Christ as ruler and savior, this loaf portrays a “farmer” or “sower Christ,” symbolizing the connection between faith, labor, and agricultural fertility. The remaining loaves bear cross-shaped imprints, suggesting their possible use in early Christian rituals as Eucharistic or...

Vice Prefect: Muslims can also pray in the Vatican LibraryEven in the most important library in Christendom, Muslims do not have to give up their prayers. "Of course, some Muslim scholars have asked us for a room with a carpet for praying and we have given it to them," said Giacomo Cardinali, Vice-Prefect of the Vatican Apostolic Library, to the newspaper "La Repubblica" (Wednesday). The Vatican's book collection contains "incredibly old Korans", Cardinali continued. "We are a universal library, there are Arabic, Jewish, Ethiopian collections and unique Chinese items."

GAFCON, a grouping of conservative Anglican churches across Africa and Asia, said the Church of England's appointment of its first female Archbishop of Canterbury showed that the English arm of the church had "relinquished its authority to lead". "Today's appointment makes it clearer than ever before that Canterbury has relinquished its authority to lead. The reset of our beloved Communion is now uniquely in the hands of GAFCON, and we are ready to take the lead," the alliance said in a statement on Friday.

The claim that Marian devotion in Catholicism is derived from pagan goddess worship—specifically Ishtar, Diana, or Astarte—is a persistent but thoroughly discredited myth rooted in 19th-century anti-Catholic propaganda, most notably Alexander Hislop’s *The Two Babylons* (1853). This narrative, often recycled in modern social media and evangelical circles, alleges that Mary’s veneration as the Mother of God (Theotokos) or Queen of Heaven is a Christianized version of ancient pagan goddess cults. However, linguistic, historical, biblical, and cultural evidence reveals no connection. This compiled text is inspired by discussions with our fellow freepers and I hope offers a detailed, accessible refutation of...

I think if Luther had seen this video, it's entirely possible that he might have kept his 99 problems with the Catholic church to himself. BEHOLD: When you're too woke for Jesus: At the 2025 ELCA Churchwide Assembly, a woman lists all the biblical texts that "say things about women and girls that we now recognize as harmful" and which advance "sexism and the patriarchy." Last 40 seconds especially #ELCA #Lutherans pic.twitter.com/gUIZP28Gof— Protestia (@Protestia) September 25, 2025In the ... ELCA, we believe all people are created equally in the image of God. God intends for everyone to flourish. But because...

After decades of declining attendance and dwindling faith in much of the Western world, Roman Catholicism could be witnessing an unexpected revival. ...the renewal is coming from the unlikeliest of corners: Gen Z. For these young people, whose life online is often impossible to parse from their “IRL”(In Real Life) existence, this move towards faith is at least partly due to the growing ecosystem of Catholic personalities on social media: clergy and layfolk alike, preaching, teaching, meme-ing and streaming – influencing teens and young adults. France has become a hotspot for this youthful turn towards God. Baptisms among 18- to...

Pope Leo to preside at ecumenical commemoration of modern martyrsPope Leo will join with representatives of other Churches and Ecclesial Communities on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross for an ecumenical ceremony commemorating 21st century martyrs and witnesses of the faith. Pope Leo XIV is set to preside at a prayer service to remember the many Christians of our time who have been killed on account of their faith in Christ.The Holy Father will be joined by representatives of other Christian Churches and ecclesial communities for an “Ecumenical Commemoration of Martyrs and Witnesses of the Faith of...

Genesis 25 describes the infertility suffered by Rebekah (and Isaac), Isaac’s subsequent prayer and God’s affirmative response. …Isaac is exceptional among the patriarchs for foregoing polygamy, even when faced with a barren wife. Only he relies on prayer to solve his problem. …The biblical narratives present Rebekah in an especially active role, both in the story of her difficult pregnancy, in which she goes to consult with YHWH on her own, and in the story of the blessing of Jacob and Esau, in which she defies and manipulates her husband…

Why Does Torah Talk About Punishment? A Jew, the Torah says again and again, must connect to G‑d from the heart. When you serve G‑d out of fear of retribution, you may be better off than someone who does not serve G‑d at all, but you’re not serving Him from your heart. You are serving Him only to avoid pain. If so, why do you need to know about punishment—whether in this world or in the afterlife and Gehinnom? Why do the classic works on Jewish ethics find it necessary to discuss these things? Simply because you need to know...

Chuck Girard, the founding member of ‘Love Song’- one of the first Christian rock bands and one of the most prominent ‘Jesus Music’ artists- passed away on Monday at the age of 81. His wife shared on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/chuckgirardmusic/): This is Chuck’s wife, Karen. It is with great sorrow, yet also great joy, to let you know that Chuck has moved to Heaven and will be eternally with Jesus! He left this earth at rest and in total peace, surrounded by family. We praise the Lord for His great mercy and for His gift of Chuck’s music, message, and heart....

Five hundred years have passed since the Reformation began, and yet the influence of the Roman Catholic Church remains strong. I’m not referring to the mammoth oligarchy that seeks to dictate the lives of an estimated one billion people, but rather its continuing influence upon churches outside its realm, including many that adhere to the inspiration and inerrancy of Scripture. While attending Talbot Seminary, I wrote my master’s thesis on Roman Catholic Justification in the Light of Scripture. In my study, I discovered that Catholicism’s key departure from Scripture was its firm insistence that God’s justification of sinners happens at...

Today's video is a reflection on the 40th anniversary of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn’s chilling speech, "Men Have Forgotten God." There are many sobering parallels between the collapse of spiritual life in Soviet Russia and today’s cultural crisis in America like how the rise of materialism, scientific atheism and nihilistic worldviews are contributing to a decline in faith especially among Gen Z. If you've ever wondered why belief in God seems to be fading, and what can be done about it, this is a conversation you can’t afford to miss... As a special gift Dr. Meyer would like you to download his...

The account of Peter walking on water is one of the most remarkable and faith-inspiring narratives in the New Testament. This event, recorded in the Gospel of Matthew, not only demonstrates the miraculous power of Jesus but also provides profound lessons about faith, doubt, and trust in the Lord.

St. Peter and St. Paul are two of the most well-known saints and are often spoken of as the two men most responsible for spreading the Christian message in the days of the early church. As to why they are celebrated on the same day, legend has it that they were executed on the same day under the command of Emperor Nero and buried in Rome. (Although historical accounts cite Peter being martyred in 64 AD and Paul in 67 AD.) Because of his Roman citizenship, Saint Paul was beheaded. St. Peter was reportedly crucified upside down because he said...

The Cyrus Cylinder is an ancient clay artifact from the 6th century BCE, associated with Cyrus the Great, founder of the Achaemenid Empire. It is considered one of the most significant inscriptions from the ancient Near East and is often regarded as a declaration of enlightened rule. The language is Akkadian. The script is Cuneiform. Akkadian was the diplomatic and administrative language of the region, even though Cyrus himself was Persian. The use of Akkadian ensured the text would be understood across Babylon and other parts of Mesopotamia. The Cyrus Cylinder was created after Cyrus’s conquest of Babylon in 539...

Community of (actual) Amish pick up and move building in New York. This was from a few years ago (2022), but did a search but didn't see it posted here even back them.

Around noon on Thursday, as I walked along L Street in downtown Washington, my phone exploded with the news of white smoke in Vatican City. We all knew that it was coming. And in fact, the conclave that elected Pope Francis took about the same time as the most recent one that elected Pope Leo XIV. I wondered if holding the largest conclave in history—one hundred and thirty-three cardinals—might make for a longer one, but that was not the case. Cardinal Nichols of the UK told reporters this week that the entire experience was "immensely peaceful." To be elected to...

Question to ChatGPT: During World War II, when American Military Chaplains who were Catholic Priests would conduct services for Protestant servicemen, when Protestant chaplains were unavailable and only the Catholic chaplain could preside, were the services broken out separately for the five largest mainline Protestant denominations, Episcopalian, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Methodist and Baptist, or were there single, unified Protestant services, corresponding with the Protestant section of the Army Navy Hymnal of 1942? Reply from ChatGPT: During World War II, when Catholic chaplains (who were ordained priests) conducted services for Protestant servicemen in the absence of Protestant chaplains, they generally conducted unified...

NEW YORK, NY — According to sources, a group of Episcopalian parishioners has found a strange old book hidden underneath one of their church's pews. The book, labeled "Holy Bible" on the front of it, was apparently unknown and completely foreign to everyone at the church, leaving leaders in fear that the church may have been infiltrated by right-wing religious extremists. "It contained strange text and verses we had never seen before," said Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe. "Just a cursory glance through this ‘Bible' was troubling. It appears to speak of an almighty deity none of us are familiar with...