Human exceptionalism is under furious assault on many fronts, with advocates who seek to dismantle it, zealously looking for any and every sign that we are no different, really, from animals.One of the newest memes in this regard is that animals are moral beings—just like us. I bring this up . . . . Continue Reading »
Uh, thanks for sending me this, Nathaniel. I mean, it is May already. And heaven knows you don’t want to leave these things till the last minute. I think I like this idea of Thomas Kinkade’s, of calling yourself “Painter of Something” and then trademarking the name. . . . . Continue Reading »
Larry Arnhart explains that a Darwinian conservative believes that religious belief can be socially useful and, for that reason, salutary. A metaphysical conservative, such as ME, believes that religious belief can actually be true. He adds that Hume and Tocqueville agree with him and not ME by . . . . Continue Reading »
Amy Welborn makin’ sense : I am intrigued by comments here and there asserting that the opposition to Barack Obama’s role in Notre Dame’s commencement must be nothing but politics at work. Politically motivated. Obviously and clearly. Usually “hacks” is used at least . . . . Continue Reading »
Well, almost personal. I never tortured anyone except some unfortunate members of a concert audience who had to hear me play the piano on an off-night. But my family did. Apropos of my First Things essay this morning on torture, it seems worth mentioning a not-so-hypothetical case.Two of my . . . . Continue Reading »
I have oft asserted that the embryonic stem cell debate is not the far end of the instrumental use of unborn humans, but the launching pad. Once the principle is established that early embryos can be used as a natural resource, it won’t be long until gestated nascent human life is also . . . . Continue Reading »
Something to lift Rod out of his necrosexual funk : urban chickens have hit Drudge . . . . . Continue Reading »
At Public Discourse Mary Graw Leary provides a guide for responding to “sexting,” when children take and send sexually explicit pictures of themselves. A sample: Before there can be any intelligent discussion about self-produced child pornography, there must be a common understanding of . . . . Continue Reading »
A tattooed man plans to donate his skin to the Australian National Gallery when he dies. From the story: An Australian man whose body is covered in tattoos has pledged to donate his skin to the National Gallery when he dies. Retired teacher Geoff Ostling displays his tattooed skin at his home in . . . . Continue Reading »
When science becomes ideology or quasi-religion, it ceases to be science and becomes something else. The brilliant political analyst Michael Barone has weighed in on this concern in a new column (which also deals with gun control, beyond our scope here). He notes that despite the constant . . . . Continue Reading »
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