Free Republic

ISTANBUL, Turkey - Pakistan's legislature unanimously condemned Pope Benedict XVI. Lebanon's top Shiite cleric demanded an apology. And in Turkey, the ruling party likened the pontiff to Hitler and Mussolini and accused him of reviving the mentality of the Crusades. Across the Islamic world Friday, Benedict's remarks on Islam and jihad in a speech in Germany unleashed a torrent of rage that many fear could burst into violent protests like those that followed publication of caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad. By citing an obscure Medieval text that characterizes some of the teachings of Islam's founder as "evil and inhuman," Benedict...

Americans Still Oppose Gay Marriage But only half favor a constitutional amendment to bar it PRINCETON, NJ -- Americans are closely divided in their reactions to the sort of constitutional amendment banning gay marriage that produced considerable fireworks in the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday. Asked whether the Constitution should be amended to define marriage as only between a man and woman -- a move that would preclude states from sanctioning same-sex marriages -- 50% of Americans say they would favor such an amendment, while 47% are opposed. Sens. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) and Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) had a heated exchange...