Free Republic

VATICAN CITY — The supreme pontiff of the Catholic Church issued a sharp criticism of the Almighty Creator of the universe this week, as Pope Leo XIV publicly condemned God for instituting the death penalty.When asked by the media to comment on critics of the death penalty, the pope singled out the Lord, offering a stinging critique of the Almighty for instituting capital punishment and questioning whether or not God was actually pro-life."I question God's moral standing here," Pope Leo told reporters. "Someone who says, ‘I'm against abortion,' but says, ‘I'm in favor of the death penalty,' is not really...

Science and religion have never been easy bedfellows. As Thomas Jefferson put it in 1820, priests “dread the advance of science as witches do the approach of daylight”. Five centuries of scientific breakthroughs — from Galileo to Darwin to Crick and Watson — have eroded our belief in the divine. But now, according to a new book, a “great reversal” is under way. Science, its authors argue over 580 pages, has come full circle and “forcefully put the question of the existence of a creator God back on the table”. In a striking challenge to the academic consensus, two French...

'G-d always loves me'. Lyrics of faith top Israel’s 5785 song chart Sasson Shaulov’s rendition of ElaytZur’s ‘Tamid Ohev Oti,’ with its chorus declaring ‘The blessed G-d always loves me,’ was voted Israel’s 5785 Song of the Year. Israel National News. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEmjeU-62PM

Hollywood celebrities have reacted to the tragic shooting of political conservative activist Charlie Kirk - which occurred on Wednesday while he was speaking at a Utah Valley University event. Kirk, 31, passed away after being shot in the neck by a single bullet while addressing a crowd outside on the campus - leaving behind his wife Erika as well as their two children: a daughter, three, and son, 16-months-old. Chris Pratt was just one of the stars who took to social media to offer thoughts on the assassination and penned on X: 'Praying for Charlie Kirk right now, for his...

From time to time, I’ve heard atheists incorrectly try to refute that a creator God exists because of all the evil and suffering in the world. But as atheist Richard Dawkins says, that’s flawed thinking: “The problem of evil, to me, shouldn’t be a real problem because you just say, ‘Well there’s an evil god,’ and so that’s a lesser question.”The thornier issue is the question of evil and a God that’s supposedly infinitely benevolent and good. That, as I’m sure you know, has been debated endlessly with lots of both real and digital ink spilled (see my latest discussion...

Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., a self-professed Catholic who supports abortion, shocked listeners this week when he declared it “extremely troubling” to say rights come from God rather than the government. “The notion that rights don’t come from laws and don’t come from the government, they come from the Creator — that’s what the Iranian government believes,” Kaine said Sept. 3 during a Senate hearing. “So the statement that our rights do not come from our laws or our governments is extremely troubling.” Bishop Robert Barron of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, blasted Kaine’s comments as “outrageous and really so dangerous...

I want you to trust every word of the Bible . . . . . . even from the very first page.

The headline read: “If We Really Did Have a ‘Creator,’ He Certainly Wouldn’t Have Been Very intelligent.”Say what?!The headline -- and story -- were on a site called The Daily Galaxy, of which I know nothing. But the piece and its banner were spawned by a remark Neil deGrasse Tyson made during one of his many public talks/interviews. At one point, Tyson actually stated, “If we had a creator, I’d have to say that the creator is pretty stupid.”Unlike Neil deGrasse Tyson Himself, of course. I mean, he’s brilliant.Tyson also magnanimously stated: “I have no problems, if as we probe...

Jesus told the Jews of His day that their judgment would be much more severe than that of Sodom and Gomorrah, because they had received a much greater revelation of the truth (Matthew 11:20-24). The same applies to America in this century. No other nation has had the same access to the Word of God that has been granted to the American people…Our judgment for rejecting it will be correspondingly severe. Many Christians do not realize that God's judgment does not begin with the people of the world, but with the people of God. Peter told the Christians of his...

In Philippians 4:7 we have a wonderful promise: “The peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” It is important to note the context of this promise, because that’s where we find the condition: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (verse 6). God’s peace is promised to guard those who pray—with thanksgiving—about everything. This peace will transcend our ability to understand it.

How old is the earth? Unfortunately, neither Christian conservative Old Testament scholars nor Christian scientists are in universal agreement. This topic covers a broad spectrum of issues so I am going to try and narrow the focus of the discussion. I will first briefly discuss the biblical aspects of the question, then move on to geology, the flood, and the Grand Canyon… First, how do the "young-earth" and "old-earth" positions view the Scriptures? Let me emphasize right at the start that both young- earth and old-earth creationists bring a reverent and submissive attitude to Genesis. The difference is a matter...

Louisiana's law requiring the Ten Commandments be posted in all public school classrooms was ruled unconstitutional by a federal appeals court Friday, according to the ACLU, a plaintiff in the case. Why it matters: The decision brings clarity to state schools after a confusing year in which state leaders and the courts have issued conflicting guidance on whether educators must abide by the law while the lawsuit was being resolved. The latest: A panel of three judges in the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans, widely considered one of the nation's most conservative, called the law "plainly unconstitutional."...

“The wall of the city was built on foundation stones inlaid with twelve precious stones the first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst.” (Revelation 21:19) Anisotropic vs. Isotropic Gems In the past century, scientists have discovered that gems can be classified as either anisotropic or isotropic, and only recently they have found that cross-polarized light can be used to identify whether a gem is anisotropic or isotropic. Anisotropic stones produce a...

On June 14, 1954, the United States of America officially became a nation “under God” When President Dwight Eisenhower signed a bill to insert the phrase into the Pledge of Allegiance. First designed in 1892, the pledge originally avoided referencing religion... ...In 1953, Louis Rabaut, a Democrat from Michigan sponsored a resolution to add the words “under God” to the Pledge. It failed. But by then, the decision was up to President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Recently baptized as a Presbyterian, he heard a sermon, arguing the words “under God”...set the United States apart from others as a nation... ... the...

<p>The quote, drawn from the biblical Book of Numbers, held deep symbolic weight. While seemingly cryptic at the time, it now appears to have foreshadowed the name and spirit of the military campaign that would unfold just hours later: Operation “Im K’Lavi” “With a Lion’s Heart.” The strikes began during the night, targeting Iranian strategic sites, most notably the Natanz nuclear facility, in a coordinated and extensive air assault.</p>

Satan’s voice always has these three qualities: 1. It Contradicts God’s Commandments 2. It Creates Anxiety Rather Than Peace 3. It Accuses us and Brings us Down …Just like Adam and Eve in the Garden, Satan always lures us away from God’s Commandments. That is why we need to form our conscience well in the 10 Commandments and not just stop at “Thou shalt not murder.” There is much more to that commandment than killing another person. …Always test the voice/decision and to see if it creates peace or anxiety in our hearts. This is a vital part of discerning...

Conviction and condemnation can feel similar for a Christian. Conviction is from God and is necessary for joy. It should be cultivated. Condemnation is from Satan. It is a lie and should be resisted and thrown off. How do we tell the difference in our own lives? How do we help students discern the distinction in their hearts as well? An Example The night Christ was arrested, Peter and Judas both committed big sins. (This example isn’t perfect because Judas wasn’t a true Christian, but he was a professing believer and a member of Christ’s discipleship group. There’s much we...

One of the most controversial cities and professions in our country is Hollywood and the entertainment industry. Christians across the country have, for decades, boycotted entertainment companies, shows, films, and people. They have talked against Hollywood and even stopped their young creative family members and friends from coming to Hollywood to start a career. Why would there be such animosity toward just another city and another industry and another group of people? Especially when God's first act was creation and there are examples of creative people, prophets, and leaders all throughout the Bible. Many Christians in Hollywood believe it's a...

I ask you to look up. Look past the ceiling. Past the clouds. Past the stars that twinkle in the silence of night. And ask this question — not with your eyes, but with your soul: What is this universe?...

Isn’t honoring Mary a Roman Catholic thing? This general ethos can cause Evangelicals to get particularly squeamish around the language of “theotokos” the Mother of God… In the garden of Eden, after Adam had disobeyed God and before he was forced out of the garden, God promised in Genesis 3:15 that a seed would come from the woman, who would crush the head of the Serpent, thereby turning back the curse and putting an end to the enmity between man and God. This Seed, therefore, would need to be a new Adam—a new head of a new human race, since...