Free Republic

Republicans will try to project a moderate image at their national convention next week through prime-time speakers such as California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (news - web sites) and former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani. But the platform on which GOP candidates will run this fall is shaping up to look decidedly conservative, reflecting the views of President Bush (news - web sites) and the party's base. Efforts to insert more moderate language on controversial issues such as abortion and same-sex marriage into the 95-page statement of party principles begin Wednesday when the Republican Platform Committee opens two days of hearings...

WASHINGTON – It was one of the oddest embraces in American politics since Sammy Davis Jr. hugged Richard Nixon at the Republican Convention 32 years ago this summer: George W. Bush and John McCain's back-wrapping bearhug and side-head-smooch on the campaign trail last week. For most of the past four years, McCain and the man who beat him for the Republican nomination in a bitter campaign in 2000, have treated each other like a pair of reversed magnets, members of the same metallurgical family held apart by reciprocal repulsion. Now their locked arms are raising eyebrows. "Don't make people who...

CHICAGO (AP) - Still smarting from a public spat during the Democratic National Convention, labor leaders on Monday tried to shift attention to ousting President Bush. An undercurrent of tension about the future of the labor movement remained at the AFL-CIO executive council meeting here this week, though most union presidents pledged to stop bickering publicly. Andy Stern, president of the 1.6 million-member Service Employees International Union, said at the convention two weeks ago that an effort to restructure organized labor could lose momentum under a Democratic administration. Stern quickly drew fire for his comments and has since tried to...

Every five years, a herd of perpetually disgruntled minority journalists gathers together to decry the lack of "diversity" in the media. This week, thousands of them will huff and puff in unison at the "UNITY: Journalists of Color, Inc." convention in Washington, D.C. Both President Bush and Sen. John Kerry are scheduled to give their "I Love Diversity More Than The Other Guy" speeches at UNITY on Thursday and Friday. The Asian-American Journalists Association will complain about the lack of Asian-American male television news anchors. The National Association of Hispanic Journalists will attack the radio industry for not hiring enough...

Not sure how to put this . . . and am more than a little distressed, if not outraged. BASICALLY, as I am reliably given to understand--a denominational meeting--ostensibly to give oversight to a very powerful Asian missionary team--is meeting now and especially critically Thursday evening--regarding the mission work in a significant Asian country. THE MISSIONARIES ON LOCATION AND THE LOCAL TRIBAL PEOPLES (Hmong) ARE ALL IN INCREDIBLE LOVING AND EFFECTIVE FUNTIONING UNITY. AND A GREAT WORK FOR GOD IS GOING FORWARD ON A NUMBER OF FRONTS. However, pontifical sorts at denominational headquarters and evidently USA side tribal indivduals are...

BOSTON - With a "Kerry-Edwards" placard in her lap, three Democratic Party pins on her jacket and a Louisiana delegation sign swaying above her head, Cynthia Morrell is the picture of Democratic unity. But don't get her started about the campaign's decision to pull ads from her state. "A state like mine can't just be tossed away," she says from her front-row floor seat at the Democratic Convention. "We have a good chance of winning if they take us seriously." Kerry has eliminated or reduced his ad campaign in Louisiana, Arkansas, Virginia, Missouri and other states to meet needs elsewhere,...

Vienna, Va., July 23--(RNS) Leaders of the New Thought movement used their annual conference as an opportunity to encourage a nontraditional spiritual quest. At a morning session of the 89th Annual Congress of the International New Thought Alliance, held July 18-23, speakers suggested new ways to approach the metaphysical path on which they walk. In a speech titled "Thinking With NewER Thought," the Rev. Noel McInnis of Wilsonville, Ore., supported the congregational singing of a revamped version of "Let There Be Peace on Earth." "We just need to make over the old song," said McInnis, an ordained minister of Religious...

The Straw That Broke the Donkey’s Back By Hunter Baker Published 7/19/2004 12:07:02 AM Back when I was working as director of public policy for Georgia Family Council (GFC) a few years ago, I received a phone call from Eli McKenzie, president of Citizens for Community Values (CCV) in Atlanta. McKenzie's group focused its efforts on inhibiting the advance of pornography. I knew the group had excellent downtown office space and that McKenzie happened to be an African-American. He called me to forge an alliance for installing Internet filters on public library computers. I readily agreed. As a longtime library...

My fellow Bishops, Priests, Deacons, Laity and other distinguished guests at this annual Forward in Faith North America gathering, greetings in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ! Coming to the subject of unity, I’m reminded of the challenges before us by the story of a man stranded on a South Pacific island. He was finally discovered when an oil freighter passed by the area noticing smoke from his fire. The ship dropped anchor. The curious captain of the ship came ashore. He noticed three huts on the beach. He asked the survivor what they were for. The man explained...

Wed, Jul 07, 04 newsletter events chaplain locator » our Shepherd-in-Chief » JPII to Military Fulton Sheen - NEW Q&A Forum military saints » military ethics on the issues » recommended » care package submit mass intention testimonials » prayers & meditations answering the call to chaplaincy » over there streamed video real audio photos archived articles email the webmaster   • Archbishop Prays for Fr. Timothy Vakoc at Military Chaplain Mass • Abortion vs. War by Fr. Frank Pavone • Major Paul Ross: from Egypt • Post-Modern Terrorism By Dr. Earl Tilford • George Weigel: Abu Ghraib and just war...

From Sunday, July 18 to Friday, July 23, 2004, the 89th International New Thought Alliance (INTA) Congress will be held at Sheraton Premiere Tysons Corner, Vienna, VA. This year's theme is "The Power of One: Coming Together as Love." INTA Congress programs on prosperity, healing and interfaith will include individuals from all New Thought movements coming together for dialogue, support and growth. Highlights include spiritual leaders Mary Tumpkin, Walter Starcke, and best-selling author Iyanla VanZant among many others, along with outstanding local and national musicians and an interfaith service. Highlights include an Interfaith Service on Sunday July 18th and a...

VIENNA, VIRGINIA -- As a part of a week-long gathering of New Thought leaders coming from around the world beginning July 18, 2004, the 89th International New Thought Alliance (INTA) leadership will be honoring Bishop William E. Swing for his groundbreaking work to stop religiously motivated violence. The Congress will be held at the Sheraton Premiere Tysons Corner, Vienna, Virginia from July 18 -23. Rev. Swing has gained national attention due to his innovative leadership of the drive to establish a United Religions body to promote religious harmony throughout the world through small circle dialogues among diverse populations. Bishop Swing...

Unity Launches `Office of Prayer Research' Linking Science, Faith (RNS) Unity, an interdenominational organization known for its emphasis on prayer, has announced a new Office of Prayer Research that will be a resource to foster scientific research on the effects of prayer.

Why I Am Not a Calvinist I debated several different titles in regards to this particular subject and too many of them failed to convey the true gist of what I wanted to communicate. However, I recognize that this title creates an air of controversy that the careless reader might stumble over - but I have decided that any injury they might receive is more a product of their unrelenting agenda than it is a result of reading the following few paragraphs. I am not a Calvinist first and foremost for one reason – I find no value in saying...

Republican pollsters say so far, the numbers among Republican voters don’t send up any red flags for Bush's supporter. An Annenberg Public Policy Center (search) survey conducted between May 17 and 23 showed GOP support for the president was strong, with an 85 percent favorable rating. While Republican lawmakers’ approval ratings as a group generally go down when the president’s numbers go down, Ed Goeas of the Tarrance Group said he does not foresee any chiseling away of the conservative base, on or off the Hill. "There is certainly hand-wringing when there is bad news in Iraq," he said. "But...

To all Freepers: We need to stand tall and weather this assault that coming from all sides. The opposition will do anything and everything to get their power back - WE MUST NOT WAIT!!! Everyone here knows what's at stake and we cannot just sit back and allow our opponents and their media cronies to bring the fight to us - bring the fight to them! Spread the word, volunteer, and pray. We can win this - we must win!!

Last night at the DNC "Unity Dinner" John Kerry boldly stated that the United States deserved "a truthful leader." And he said it with a strait face! After all the lies he has told... but he continues to attack President Bush on the credibility issue and in my opinion merely blackens his own credibility in the process. sidebar: I am thrilled to find out today that Richard Clarke's 2002 sworn testimony given to the U.S. House Intelligence Committee may be unclassified and used to nail his lying aye-double-ess!

<p>For Ofelia Arango, a bookkeeper at the Bay Area Pentecostal Church in Contra Costa County, one short sentence is all it takes to describe what has been going on at San Francisco City Hall for the past month.</p> <p>"It's a sin,'' said Arango, one of 600 members in a spirited Pittsburg congregation. "We're not in favor of homosexual marriage. We condemn it. There hasn't been much discussion about this in church, because everyone already knows it's a sin."</p>

In this country, if you want to be taken seriously as a politician, you need to attach yourself to a major political party. Nowadays, those parties are the Republican one and the Democratic one. Many people, myself included, tend to identify themselves with either the conservative or the liberal movement before they identify with a political party. As George Washington warned in his Farewell Address upon leaving the presidency, a system of political parties might divide the country into bitter factions, creating animosity rather than a federal unity. Nevertheless, we’ve been a nation of political parties since the Federalists and...

Feb 14, 10:17 PM ESTIraq Minister Reassures Nations on Unity By SARAH EL DEEBAssociated Press Writer KUWAIT CITY (AP) -- Iraq's interim foreign minister tried to reassure his country's neighbors about his government's commitment to build a united Iraq as officials from its six bordering nations met Saturday in Kuwait City.The meeting of representatives from Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Turkey, Kuwait and Syria plus politically influential Egypt is the first one attended by an Iraqi delegate. The group met four times previously to discuss the repercussions of developments in Iraq on their region.Participants will discuss a proposal by the U.S.-led...