President Obama’s bioethics council, the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues, has been kept out of the most intense bioethical controversies, such as the Obamacare debate. But, after scientists announced the creation of the first “synthetic life,” Obama . . . . Continue Reading »
Each year, the Center for Bioethics and Culture asks me to prognosticate about the coming 12 months in bioethics. My record was pretty good for 2010. But the CBC refuses to let me rest on my laurels. So, once again, I enter the prognosticating fray—stating what I think will happen, . . . . Continue Reading »
Slate ‘s William Saletan finds a rational basis for the incest taboo: it tends to destroy the family by upsetting the roles people play and the relationships they (are supposed to) have within it. So—he heaves a huge sigh of relief—there’s no slippery slope from approval or . . . . Continue Reading »
Chesterton wisely advised would-be reformers to know what a fence is for before tearing it down. You never know what it might be keeping out. This morning On the Square, R.R. Reno considers the worth of the American Empire and comes to the conclusion—contra Julian Assange—that it should . . . . Continue Reading »
William McGurn has a piece at the online Wall Street Journal asking exactly why Republicans have a hard time providing moral argumentation for tax reductions affecting billionaires. The other side, he points out, have their contentions well in place. In [Senator Bernie Sandners, Vermont] . . . . Continue Reading »
David French has a proposal for Christian parents : I’ve got a deal for you. It’s simple: If you sign up for my program, there’s a roughly 80 percent chance that the man’s happiness will increase substantially. And women, there’s about a 50 percent chance you’ll . . . . Continue Reading »
The look on Pope Benedict’s face is priceless. According to ABC News in Los Angeles : There was a surprising performance at the Vatican on Wednesday, where a group of male acrobats tore off their shirts in front of the Pope. The four Pellegrini Brothers appeared on stage in white suits, but . . . . Continue Reading »
A new report shows that after years of decline, use of marijuana by teens is on the rise : More American high school seniors are smoking marijuana daily now than at any time since the early 1980s, and they’re actually smoking more pot than cigarettes, according to a survey released Tuesday. . . . . Continue Reading »
It makes one’s head spin. NASA has warned that computer models show we may be entering a new ice age. From the report:The Sun is the primary forcing of Earth’s climate system. Sunlight warms our world. Sunlight drives atmospheric and oceanic circulation patterns. Sunlight powers the . . . . Continue Reading »
Suffering With: One of the reasons being human matters morally. Project Open Hand makes sure people with AIDS have at least one good meal a day in and around San Francisco. The meals are delivered daily by volunteers throughout the city and environs. A remarkable organization. Mother Teresa’s . . . . Continue Reading »
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