Free Republic

The semantics of immersion Some good conversation has come up lately about baptism. For the sake of clarity, I'm simply going to refer to it as immersion, because that is what the word meant to the first century believers. Why it has been transliterated in most Bibles rather than translated into English, I don't know. But the meaning of the word is really not in dispute by anyone. The semantics of Christian immersion is far more divisive than the Biblical treatment of the subject. No doubt some will read a few sentences and either assume I'm one "position" or the...

An excuse is worse and more terrible than a lie, for an excuse is a lie guarded. Pope John Paul II As the family goes, so goes the nation and so goes the whole world in which we live. Pope John Paul II Do not abandon yourselves to despair. We are the Easter people and hallelujah is our song. Pope John Paul II From now on it is only through a conscious choice and through a deliberate policy that humanity can survive. Pope John Paul II Have no fear of moving into the unknown. Simply step out fearlessly knowing that...

One thing I've been thinking about is where the blame lies for the current state of factionalism in Christianity. As a parent, I don’t tolerate my children blaming someone else for their own unloving actions. “He started it,” I hear. When I follow up on the story, I usually find out a little more than I wanted to know about the ability of children to think like lawyers, and present the facts as skillfully as any defense attorney. But my children also know the response they will get from me. I always point back to their God-given responsibility for their...

If creeds are so useful for the truth they may contain, but are not authoritative for our salvation, then we might as well call Moby Dick by Herman Melville a creed. Scripture is quoted in the novel, so it contains some inerrant truth, right? People view creeds as watchdogs to protect a group from heresy, but if the creed has no real authority, then it is a toothless watchdog. One bit of prose is as good as another, provided there is some semblance of truth in it.As long as we are all free to dissent with this phrase or that...

It's my experience that one of the most kind and useful things we can do to facilitate edifying relationships with other believers is to assume they have good motives. When I don't recognize that a fellow Christian is sincere in what I perceive to be his error, it is far too easy to dismiss him or demonize him. Too often, I've treated a brother in error as if he is a brother wanting to be in error. The truth is that there is no other kind of brother but a brother in error while we are in this human body,...

he powerful outcry over Terri Schiavo, the brain-damaged Florida woman whose case has provoked a national debate over whether she should live or die, is a testament to the growing alliance of conservative Roman Catholics and evangelicals who have found common cause in the "culture of life" agenda articulated by Pope John Paul II. In their fight to keep their daughter alive, Ms. Schiavo's parents, who are Catholics, have been backed by an ad hoc coalition of Catholic and evangelical lobbyists, street organizers and legal advisers like the Rev. Frank Pavone, the Catholic priest who runs a group called Priests...

I think President Bush's use of "coalitions of the willing" as a replacement for rigid treaties and lines of demarcation between allies and enemies makes an interesting application to our Christian cooperation with each other. This is particularly true in the sense that modern believers in Christ have factionalized themselves with their own rigid and outdated creedal "treaties," whether written or unwritten.

Tolerating error In recognizing the brotherhood of all who have put on Christ, one sincere concern of some good friends has been that I may be tolerating error--that I may come to accept the errors of denominationalism or the deeply divided "religious world." Rest assured, I'm not. I still remain just a Christian, not a hyphenated or a sectarian one. But there is a world of difference between tolerating an error and tolerating a person who is in error. ...

You should worry if your kids aren't squabbling, say the experts. Home is the lab where children can try out behaviors.There's a reason the Felicity Huffman character on ABC's hit show "Desperate Housewives" has resonated with viewers, no doubt a good many of them parents. She's the one who went from high-powered career woman to stay-at-home mom with four kids, three of them out-of-control boys who do nothing but argue, fight and generally wreak havoc wherever they go.The incessant sound of their children's bickering can drive many real-life parents to play a game of "Can you top this?" with other...

String Of Beads Lanna Perry 1st March 2004 Sydney Australia My children, like a necklace is joined together, so I am calling My body, My children to come together. For if one bead is missing from a necklace, is it complete and functioning fully as it was created too? Surely Not. My children, you are like a string of beads. You are called to work together. For a necklace cannot be a necklace with one bead alone. A necklace cannot function completely without all of the beads being joined together. Yes, one bead alone has much beauty, but how much...

Prominent Jewish and Catholic leaders meeting in New York yesterday said the spirit of respect and cooperation between the two religions forged by Pope John Paul II is now so strong that it would continue beyond his papacy. "I am optimistic that what this pope has done for the last 26 years cannot be reversed," said Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Vatican council responsible for Jewish-Catholic relations. He added that "everyone can only be happy about the progress that has been made, which is so important for peace in the world." The World Jewish Congress is hosting the two-day...

The Prophetic Pope Comes Home By Rev. Mr. Keith Fournier Deacon and Founder © Third Millennium, LLC One could almost hear an audible universal sigh of relief this past week, being breathed across the entire globe. “Thank God,” we cried inside, “he is home.” Millions paused to express their gratitude to God. Pope John Paul came home from the hospital. It seemed particularly significant to me that this last appointment with sickness and suffering involved intense difficulty with breathing. This Pope has repeatedly called, with great prophetic urgency, for the “two lungs” of the Church, East and West, to breathe...

WALLACE: Did Senator Boxer go over the line in questioning Dr. Rice's integrity? FEINSTEIN: Oh, Chris, I'm not going to comment on that. Each one of us, you know, marches to the sound of our own drummer. And each one of us has strong feelings on various issues from time to time, and sometimes all the time. Having said that, Senator Boxer was within her rights. I don't happen to agree. I happen to strongly support Condoleezza Rice. I don't want to see her diminished in the eyes of the world. I want to see her confirmed. She will be....

While public officials, schools, and the ACLU worked overtime this year to ban every vestige of Christmas from the public square, the recently invented holiday known as Kwanzaa is gaining in popularity among black Americans. These occurrences are not unrelated. In an earlier time, blacks held a strong faith in God. But over the past 40 years, the black community has largely let God slip away. Sure the community has maintained the outer trappings of religion, but the solid morality at its core is nearly gone. Enter a God-hating black racist named Ron Karenga. Born Ron Everett on a poultry farm...

Defending the First Right and First Freedom: A Call for Collaboration Deacon Keith Fournier © Third Millennium, LLC Introduction In1997 I left the American Center for Law and Justice and assumed the Presidency of a Catholic Citizens group with offices on Capitol Hill. I viewed this move as one more “assignment” in a missionary life. We often think of missionaries as going to other nations, and they do. However, the work within our own Nation also requires missionaries, men and women informed by their Christian faith who are committed to building a more just society. After all, the current “culture...

A better question might be, does anyone in America really want to unite? If they do, I don’t see any evidence of it. Sure, everybody is talking about it post election, but in all cases, what they mean is, the other side needs to think more like me… Many have attempted to psycho-babble their way through why we are so divided. But the answer is more obvious than anyone cares to admit. We are divided by design… Modern political campaigns are designed to draw distinctions between candidates, even where no distinction exists. Otherwise, if everyone were truly united behind the...

WASHINGTON - The nation's Roman Catholic bishops voted Wednesday to join a new alliance that would be the broadest Christian group ever formed in the United States, linking American evangelicals and Catholics in an ecumenical organization for the first time. The alliance, called Christian Churches Together in the U.S.A., is set to kick off next year. It would also include mainline Protestants, Orthodox Christians, and black and other minority churches, though with about 67 U.S. million members the Catholic Church would be the largest denomination. "It's not to create some kind of megabody or megachurch," said Bishop Stephen Blaire, chairman...

I am sure I am preaching to the choir today, but there are critical issues at hand that have, in my opinion, not been thoroughly discussed in the run-up to this election. In particular, I speak of an issue that has plagued our country - not coincidentally - since the Vietnam War. During the wars previous to Vietnam, America spoke with one united voice. That unified message was that we are committed to victory, and we will not relent. Today, the single obstacle that stands in our way in Iraq is the 'insurgency' made up of former Saddam regime members...

One Albanian was stabbed to death while at least seven other people were injured in Greece when Greek and Albanian fans clashed following their teams' World Cup qualifier in Tirana, police said on Sunday. Albania were the shock 2-1 winners of the European Group Two game against the newly-crowned European champions. The fatality came on the island of Zakynthos were Panagiotkis Kladis, a 22-year old Greek fan who was born in Chicago stabbed to death a 20-year-old Albanian who was celebrating his side's win, police said. Two other Albanian fans were injured in the same incident. There was clashes too...

NEW YORK (Aug. 26) - In a few words meant to speak volumes, Republicans have extended a welcome to party members who disagree with elements of their platform, a strongly conservative statement of beliefs that includes an endorsement of constitutional bans on abortion and gay marriage. Party leaders working with platform delegates on both sides of the abortion issue settled on a declaration Wednesday night that Republicans "respect and accept" that party members can have deeply held differences. This was a step up from merely recognizing the existence of dissenters, as the initial version of the 2004 platform stated. But...