Relativism is the bane of our times, although it is still selectively applied. We tell teenagers to try not to have sexual intercourse, but if you do—which we know you will—then please use a condom. Yet, we still know how to be unequivocal in some areas: We tell kids, “Don’t smoke,!”, not, . . . . Continue Reading »
Win some, lose some: The Daily Mail today reports that Lindsay Lohan proposes to convert to Judaism. According to Ha’aretz this morning, Actress Lindsay Lohan is planning to convert to Judaism to show her committment to her Jewish girlfriend D.J. Samantha Ronson, according to the British . . . . Continue Reading »
A group of unhappy professional academic philosophers have submitted a petition to the American Philosophical Association. What are they up in arms about? The opening paragraph of the petition tells it all: Many colleges and universities require faculty, students, and staff to follow certain . . . . Continue Reading »
Another atheist realizes that Darwinism has the bad habit of turning into just another religion. . . . . Continue Reading »
From the Wall Street Journal : The physician-assisted suicide law that goes into effect today in Washington State allows hospitals and doctors to refuse to participate, creating a difficult decision for those who deal with end-of-life care. Voters passed the measure last fall. There are lots of . . . . Continue Reading »
In his recent book, Imagining the Future, Yuval Levin succinctly identified the source of so many of our cultural problems today. It was a real “Bingo!” moment for me: Society has ceased to be primarily about promoting virtue. Rather, our primary drive as a culture today is to prevent . . . . Continue Reading »
For years evangelicals such as Ronald Sider, Jim Wallis, and David Gushee have taken upon themselves the mantle of “prophet”—speaking the truth to power and all that. They have made a career of distancing themselves from the “religious right” because, the story goes, . . . . Continue Reading »
The debates surrounding Proposition 8—California’s constitutional amendment declaring marriage to be between one man and one woman—will reach a head this morning as the state’s Supreme Court convenes to discuss the proposition’s constitutionality. In short, the . . . . Continue Reading »
Thanks to the New Liturgical Movement , I found a beautiful film called Playing Elizabeth’s Tune—The Life of William Byrd . It tells the story of how one of Britain’s greatest composers, a Catholic, kept the favor of Queen Elizabeth in a time of religious upheaval. Narrated in an . . . . Continue Reading »
“Friar Escape,” the New York Post headlines read , but anyone familiar with the life and vows of a Franciscan friar—symbolized by the thrice-knotted rope girding a brown robe—reminds each Franciscan friar that his life is not an escape from sacrifice but an active embrace of . . . . Continue Reading »
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