Free Republic

Jonathan Glazer, the director of “Zone of Interest” – his movie about the time Nazi commandant Rudolf Höss’ and his family lived next to the Auschwitz concentration camp Rudolph Hess’ Auschwitz – used his acceptance speech for his Oscar for Best International Feature Film to reject being Jewish or the Holocaust as reasons for supporting Israel. He should have also received an Oscar for outstanding exploitation of Jewish suffering. Glazer said: “Right now, we stand here as men who refute their Jewishness and the Holocaust being hijacked by an occupation which has led to conflict for so many innocent people....

ROME — Pope Francis wrote a letter to a group of mostly South American migrants Thursday, calling them “the suffering flesh of Christ.” The pontiff told the 3,000 migrants gathered at Lajas Blancas in Panama en route to the United States that he would like to be there with them personally but instead was represented by a group of bishops from Costa Rica, Panama, and Colombia as well as Catholic pastoral workers. The migrants arrive in Lajas Blancas after crossing the Darien Gap, a dense tropical forest covering over 1,400,000 acres along the border between Panama and Colombia and one...

Alexei Navalny's body reportedly shows signs of bruising that were caused by being held down while he suffered a seizure, raising fears that he was killed on the orders of Vladimir Putin. The wounds are consistent with the Russian opposition leader - who died aged 47 on Friday amid claims he was 'murdered' by Vladimir Putin's regime - having suffered a 'seizure', according to independent outlet Novaya Gazeta Europe. The news outlet spoke to a paramedic in the Salekhard ambulance service, close to the IK-3 penal colony, also known as 'Polar Wolf', where Navalny was being held. Paramedics found bruises...

The sobering truth from Peter is that suffering for what’s right as God defines it is an essential part, an indispensable part, of the normal Christian life. So intent is the Apostle on getting this message across to us that he mentions it in every chapter of his first letter (1:6-7; 2:19-20; 3:13-17; 4:12-16; 5:8-10). This is his message because he’s well aware that, according to many in this world, Christians should be shamed and pressured to conform or be canceled. Peter says, “Don’t give in. Brace yourself to face whatever trials come your way with joy.” Wait, what? Please...

I have noticed a world of difference between visiting the depressed and visiting the physically sick. The physically sick will chat with you and will enjoy a prayer at the end of your conversation about their illness and the medical plan to take care of it. The depressed, on the other hand, want to talk to you about God. They weep over their sins. They look to the words of the pastor as if life were in them. Their eyes contain tear-filled expectations, simultaneously expressing grief and hope.If we evaluate these types of sicknesses—mental and physical—it is easy to see...

Paul’s strong emphasis on the central points of Christ’s person and work is designed to elevate the thinking of Timothy above the concerns any might have for safety and acceptance in this life, if at the same time it means proving untrue to Christ. We must remember—see the eternal covenantal purpose of God as centered on Jesus Christ—so that nothing in this life can draw us away.One specific concern that Paul has is the power of physical and political intimidation to make us forget. He already has admonished Timothy not to be “ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or...

New York is in a state of decline — with a worsening quality of life tied to sky high costs of housing, rampant crime and an unrelenting migrant crisis, according to a new poll. Fifty-seven percent of 804 registered voters who participated in the Siena College Poll released Tuesday said the quality of life in the Empire State is getting worse, while 27% said it was the same and just 14% said it was better. “A huge majority of Republicans, a large majority of independents and a plurality of Democrats all say the quality of life in New York is...

Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things (1 Cor. 13:4-7).Trials test us and can thereby strengthen our love for God and others. Yet, it is so easy for believers to fall into the flesh, react in the flesh, and try to solve the problems in the flesh. Oh, the mercy and faithfulness of...

Christ could have chosen many ways for us to get to heaven; in His infinite wisdom, he chose the CROSS. Today just about everyone wants a Christianity without the cross. How we react and act before the cross in our lives will determine OUR ETERNAL DESTINY. St. Teresa of Avila said that once you DECIDE TO SUFFER, there is no more suffering. It is the resistance to suffering that cause us to be uncomfortable. St. Therese of the Child Jesus on her death bed with great sufferings, and even the dark night of the spirit, said: “I have reached the...

In this post-election haze, many conservatives are understandably confused. If the economy was such a high-priority issue, and the Democrats were mostly responsible for the runaway inflation -- why didn’t the Republican’s win more seats? Efforts to lay the blame at the doorstop of Donald Trump is pointless and a wasted exercise. Pointing to abortion as a key issue deflects from the real issue at hand. The cause of the election loss is relatively simple -- Americans have not suffered enough pain with this economy -- yet. Inflation hits everyone -- it is an indiscriminate irritant that impacts people regardless...

One of the most distinctive doctrines in Orthodox theology is that of theosis – divinization – becoming “like God.” Those who inquire into the faith likely stumble across this teaching fairly early, and, no doubt, some are drawn to it. Of course, there are those who run away from it and fear that it is saying something that it isn’t. Perhaps the most attractive aspect of theosis is the unabashedly positive note that it places in the midst of salvation. Whereas many Western treatments of salvation major in “not going to hell,” theosis gives tangible content and a goal that...

Popular New Age thought postulates that everyone has a “god within.” It’s a pleasant way of saying that we’re all special while making “god” to be rather banal. But there is a clear teaching of classical Christianity regarding Christ-within-us, and it is essential to the Orthodox way of life. We should not understand our relationship with God to be an “external” matter, as if we were one individual and God another. Our union with God, birthed in us at Holy Baptism, is far more profound. “He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.” (1Co 6:17) God...

If you only watched corporate media’s coverage of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Organization abortion case before the Supreme Court last week, you’d think very few people still believed in Christianity and its values, prominent among which is the belief that life is divinely created and precious. But a recent poll suggests the majority of Americans do express a belief in God.In a survey of some 6,500 American adults, Pew Research Center found that many Americans still hold religious convictions including a deep and abiding belief in God, belief in heaven and hell, and the belief that God is not...

We hear a lot about God and Job's sufferings. The book of Job has 42 chapters and some 99% of the verses talk about Job's sufferings. However nobody knows how long Job suffered and some interpreters think it was a relatively short time. Some think Job suffered for a few months and others think Job suffered only for days. To the best of my knowledge all the events in the book of Job could have occurred within 30 days. If so, then Job suffered a very short time. But here is even better news: After Job suffered and endured his...

The film begins in Lafayette Indiana, where a young man by the name of Jeremy Camp (KJ Apa) heads to Calvary Chapel College in Murrieta, California. The first night he gets settled in, Jeremy goes to a Christian concert to see a Canadian band called “The Kry”, and meets its lead singer, Jean-Luc Lagoie (Nathan Parsons). Jeremy asks Jean-Luc how to make it. Jean-Luc tells Camp that “it’s not about making it. It’s about what our songs give people.” Then he asks Camp, “So what do you want to give people?” This question forces Camp to see where his priorities...

There is still a stigma in our culture about pregnancy loss, miscarriage, and stillbirth. Here are three reasons not to keep it a secret.Meghan, the duchess of Sussex, revealed last week in a New York Times opinion article that she suffered a miscarriage last summer. Recently, supermodel Chrissy Teigen was also open about her grief over her pregnancy loss. While there is still a tendency in our culture to conceal pregnancy losses, I applaud the willingness of these well-known women to share their stories, and hope that their examples will help mothers and families in the same situation to be...

“Giving Thanks in--and for--2020” (Philippians 4:6-20) We have come together today to celebrate America’s Day of National Thanksgiving. This is the time every year when we gather in our churches to give thanks to God for his blessings on our country. However, this year is 2020. And if you listen to most folks, you would think there is nothing to be thankful for this year. But is that really the case? Today I want to tell you that it is possible to have a happy Thanksgiving this year, under the theme, “Giving Thanks in--and for--2020.” All of our readings today...

Some years ago I was in hospital for a time and not in the least bit happy about it. One sleepless night I was walking the halls of the unit, unable to sleep, and tempted with self-pity. I thought to myself (in rebuke), “Father Arseny endured the Soviet Gulag with more hope and patience than you’re bringing to this.” Father Arseny is the figure in the book by the same name that relates the story of an amazing Russian priest who was a true saint of his generation. My inner conversation continued, “God gave Fr. Arseny the grace to endure...

Michelle Obama has revealed she is suffering from “low-grade depression” due to worries over the coronavirus pandemic, racial injustice and the Trump administration. The former First Lady, 56, made the remarks in the latest episode of The Michelle Obama Podcast released on Spotify on Wednesday. Mrs Obama said she has been struggling with her exercise routine and sleep. “I’m waking up in the middle of the night because I’m worrying about something or there’s a heaviness,” she admitted. “I try to make sure I get a workout in, although there have been periods throughout this quarantine where I just have...

Blessing In Disguise. It’s Evil Social distancing is not something to celebrate. It is, according to the experts, what we must do right now. But it’s a necessary evil, not a societal good. As the U.S. government’s “30 days to slow the spread” order expires, with no indication that President Trump plans to extend it, it’s time to start asking whether it was worth it. Have the extreme social distancing and economic measures to which we have subjected ourselves accomplished the desired result? Was any of it even necessary to begin with? It’s a question we’ll be debating for years....