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The Freedom of the Church

From First Thoughts

Archbishop Chaput’s article on the First Things homepage deserves broad dissemination. It’s a welcome follow-up to the issue that I blogged about last week . When I reviewed John DiIulio’s new book in National Review , I closed with this: The health of America’s religions . . . . Continue Reading »

Re: The Drum Beats Louder

From First Thoughts

Nathaniel, I’m not so sure about your post on college endowments . Maybe it’s just because I’m dull (a thesis, admittedly, that has floated about this office on more than one occasion), but the questions whose answers you think should be “obvious” seem legitimate to . . . . Continue Reading »

“Remember, you are dust…”

From First Thoughts

Oh wait, we don’t say that anymore . . . It’s Ash Wednesday, which means Lent is upon us. Lent, of course, is a time for penance and self-denial. Fasting and abstinence (from meat, that is), almsgiving, increased devotions. But many Christians, especially from my generation, . . . . Continue Reading »

The Church’s Religious Life

From First Thoughts

The Drudge Report is highlighting this BBC article on the decline of religious life in the Catholic Church. Here’s the basic gist: Newly published statistics showed that the number of men and women belonging to religious orders fell by 10% to just under a million between 2005 and 2006. During . . . . Continue Reading »

Supreme Court 2009

From First Thoughts

Whether you agree with their endorsement or not , this fact seems mightily important: The judiciary is different. On Jan. 20, 2009, six of the nine Supreme Court justices will be over 70. Most of them could be replaced by the next president, particularly if he or she is re-elected. Given the . . . . Continue Reading »

College Endowments

From First Thoughts

On Monday, Nathaniel wrote about college endowments and proposed legislation. The Pope Center for Higher Education Policy debates the question, “Should colleges be required to pay out a percentage of their endowments?” here . . . . . Continue Reading »

Re: Chinese drugs: Who cares?

From First Thoughts

Amanda, the story you linked to caught my eye this morning, selfishly, because the cancer medication that was contaminated and caused the paralysis—methotrexate—is one of the drugs I take (though for arthritis, not cancer, treatment). But I don’t know if pro-lifers should be jumping . . . . Continue Reading »

Interesting reads

From First Thoughts

This New York Times article on Washington think tanks. This article in the current issue of the Weekly Standard on the connection between religion and the death penalty. I’ve been called “religious” once or twice in the past, but, not being a supporter of capital punishment, I . . . . Continue Reading »