Heritage President-Elect Jim DeMint on the Future of Conservatism

Jim DeMint officially began his work at The Heritage Foundation today; he will fill the very large shoes of its founding President, Ed Feulner, in April.

Like many South Carolinians, we are sorry to lose the only authentic and faithful representative this state has had in the United States Senate over the past decade.  Nevertheless, we know that his service to freedom and constitutional government will be carried out on a larger stage and from a place where he will have even more opportunity to save America from those intent on destroying her.  We wish Senator DeMint and his gifted and worthy successor, Tim Scott, every success and blessing for the years ahead.

Slouching From Gomorrah: Remembering Robert Bork

From The Center for Vision &Values

By Paul G. Kengor

It has been a couple of weeks since the death of Robert Bork, which occurred shortly before Christmas and didn’t really get the news coverage that Bork merited.

Bork died at age 85. In 1987, he became a national headline when President Ronald Reagan nominated him to the Supreme Court. He was a judicial conservative, a “strict constructionist.” He warned about the road America was embarking upon in neglecting its Constitutional principles, and saw doom and gloom ahead. He was grimly pessimistic about America generally, dreading modern liberalism’s grip on the nation. Liberalism, Bork insisted, was pushing America toward decline. We were headed to hell in a hand-basket. A decade after his failed confirmation, Bork authored a bestselling book tellingly titled, ”Slouching Towards Gomorrah: Modern Liberalism and American Decline.”

The Depardieu Revolution

"Can a man love his country and hate its government?"

  
By Patrick J. Buchanan

When Socialist President Francois Hollande took office, he swiftly made good on his pledge to raise the top tax rate on Frenchmen who earn a million euros a year -- to 75 percent.

The regime would now confiscate three of four dollars that the most successful Frenchmen earned. Paris also imposes a wealth tax on assets worth more than $1.7 million.

This broke it for Gerard Depardieu, the famed actor and bon vivant who has performed in scores of films in such roles as Jean Valjean in "Les Miserables" and Cyrano de Bergerac.

Federal Court Blocks Enforcement of HHS Mandate Against Michigan Company

ANN ARBOR, MI – The Thomas More Law Center (TMLC), a national public interest law firm based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, announced that yesterday (12/30/12) Federal District Court Judge Lawrence P. Zatkoff of the Eastern District of Michigan, granted its Emergency Motion for a Temporary Restraining Order of the HHS Mandate.  The motion was filed on behalf of Tom Monaghan.  

Tom Monaghan

Judge Zatkoff’s ruling effectively halts enforcement of the HHS mandate against Monaghan and his property management company, Domino’s Farms Corporation of which he is the owner and sole shareholder. Domino’s Farms Corporation manages an Office Complex owned by Monaghan and is not to be confused with Domino’s Pizza. Monaghan sold the Pizza company in 1998 and has no active affiliation with it at this time.

 

The HHS mandate refers to regulations adopted by the Department of Health and Human Services that forces employers, regardless of their religious convictions, to provide insurance coverage for abortion-inducing drugs, sterilization, and contraception under threat of heavy penalties.

Click here to read Judge Zatkoff’s entire opinion.

Iran Intensifies Persecution of Christians; ‘Apostate’ Pastor Jailed Again

From Catholic World News

Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani

Iran has intensified its repression of Protestant churches, as has become the custom at Christmas time.

On Christmas Day, Yousef Nadarkhani was again imprisoned, according to Christian Solidarity Worldwide, a British organization that monitors the persecution of Christians.

Nadarkhani, a Protestant pastor and convert from Islam, was acquitted of apostasy charges in September but found guilty of evangelizing Muslims, for which he must now serve 45 additional days of prison time. His original 2010 death sentence on apostasy charges was not carried out following an international outcry.

On December 27, 50 Christians were detained after authorities disrupted a Christmas gathering at a Tehran home. The 60-year-old pastor remains imprisoned.

The incidents follow the arrest of Saeed Abedini, a Protestant pastor who holds dual US-Iranian citizenship.

98% of Iran’s 78.9 million people are Muslims; most other Iranians are Jews, Christians, Baha’is, or Zoroastrians. 0.02% are Catholic. 

Additional sources for this story Some links will take you to other sites, in a new window.

• Iran: More Christians jailed in annual campaign of repression (Christian Solidarity Worldwide) 

• American Protestant pastor imprisoned in Iran (CWN, 12/20)

• Iran: Protestant pastor acquitted of apostasy charges (CWN, 9/10)

Melanie Phillips to Richard Dawkins: "Oh Do Put a Sock In It, You Atheist Scrooge"

By Melanie Phillips

You really would need to have a heart harder than the five-pence piece in the Christmas pud not to feel sorry at present for Professor Richard Dawkins. 

Christmas must be such a terrible trial for the planet’s most celebrated — and angriest — atheist. All that cheerfulness and pleasure associated with Christianity’s main celebration seems to drive him simply nuts.

Indeed, just a few days ago he lunged into yet another wild denunciation of religious faith. This time, the Chief Inquisitor of Unbelief declared that raising a child as a Catholic was worse than subjecting it to sexual abuse.

London's New Year 2013 Full Fireworks Display

As always, a dazzling display and a fitting finale to a year in which the world was awed by the Diamond Jubilee celebrations for Her Majesty the Queen and the magnificent London Olympics.