I am often called a bioethicist—although I don’t call myself one. Why? I write a lot about bioethical issues and some people pay attention to my opinions—some in support and others in opposition. Voila—I’m a bioethicist!The bioethics movement sees this . . . . Continue Reading »
I have just finished reading Lionel Trilling’s 1940 Partisan Review essay “Elements That Are Wanted.” More than sixty years after its publication, it remains a galvanizing read, though perhaps now in a different way. For a thorough account of the piece, and its important . . . . Continue Reading »
Second in line On the Square today is theologian Francesca Aran Murphy ‘s reflection on Lenten fasting. A Lent-long abstinence from meat, she submits, is not an exercise in trendy vegetarianism, but an ancient practice rooted in the desire to reset our spiritual sensibilities. Here’s the . . . . Continue Reading »
On the Square today, Meghan Duke draws an intriguing connection between the radical trust required by both the bond of marriage and anticipation of the end-times. Save the date. On May 21, 2011, my brother is getting married. Or Christ will return to the earth to pronounce final judgment. It . . . . Continue Reading »
I had the pleasure of seeing the play Arrah-na-Pogue at New York’s Storm Theatre last night. Monica Weigel wrote a lovely review of it for us yesterday, and I couldn’t agree with her more: Set during the Rebellion of 1798, the play, billed as a “classic Irish comedy,” . . . . Continue Reading »
I’m not against it and might even help pay for it. But as a viewer , not a tax payer. . . . . Continue Reading »
Compared to the tempestuous beginning of upsets, blowouts, and close-calls, Round 2 proved to be rather tame. The powerhouse books trampled their competition without much effort. (The lone surprise—at least for me—was finding Les Miserables besting The Great Gatsby .) [caption . . . . Continue Reading »
I have a new piece out on IVF in the CBC’s newsletter. It deals with IVF—which I don’t oppose assuming proper regulations and reasonable restraints. Alas, that is not what we have—particularly in the USA, where the baby making industry is creating its own mini . . . . Continue Reading »
Admittedly, Mr. Kurzweil is our most out-there techno-optimist . But it does make you think that maybe our worry about “peak oil” and nuclear meltdowns is all just a phase. I’m still not looking for a techno-collapse, although I’m somwhat worried about the various uses to . . . . Continue Reading »
I am going to get in some trouble for this post, as it could bruise some feelings. That isn’t my intent. Rather, it is to show how a supposedly “compassionate” assisted suicide can more than bruise the feelings of other people struggling with terminal and disabling . . . . Continue Reading »
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