Almost from its first moments, the 21st century has been plagued by insecurity and doubt; the disputed election of 2000 has given rise to such a pervasive habit of political cry-babyist-conceit that a graceful concession speech has become the grown-up exception rather than the selfless rule. Tolerant America, which managed after the September 11th attacks of 2001 to make clear distinctions between peaceful Muslims and radical Islamists … Continue Reading »
That dramatic event in prospect, the burning of Korans by Pastor Terry Jones and his merry band, became far larger as a story than it could ever have been as a real happening. That pseudo-event has now been canceled. But it is still worth reflecting on, because it reminded us of the rather unlovely shaping of the law, by conservative as well as liberal judges, over the past forty years… . Continue Reading »
So, I spent the weekend watching snippets of What’s My Line?, the game show that, running on television from 1950 to 1967, involved panelists who attempted to guess the professions of unknown contestants and, blindfolded, to guess the names of celebrity contestants … Continue Reading »
The October issue is”such is the way magazines work”in the mail and now available online. It is a full, stimulating, informative, entertaining, and provocative issue, if we say so ourselves. The issues opens with Joseph Bottum’s “Holy War Over Ground Zero,” and continues with three reports, including young and famous pro-life activist Lila Rose’s story of how she came to run undercover investigations of Planned Parenthood facilities … Continue Reading »
Has physics done away with God? A newly release book by Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow says, “Yes.” What is a Jewish or Christian believer to make of this? Is the Creator now out of a job? … Continue Reading »
“The most beautiful painting in the world,” Raphael’s Transfiguration,
belongs not in a museum but in a liturgical setting, the master of pontifical
ceremonies and a scholar of liturgy and sacred art recently declared in
the Vatican’s newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, speaking of a painting that now sits is the Vatican’s own Pinacoteca Museum… . Continue Reading »
Nearly fifty years have past, but the legacy of the Second Vatican Council (it ended in November 1965) still remains a matter of debate. Not surprisingly, studies of the history often become advocacy. The American Catholic Revolution: How the Sixties Changed the Church Forever, by Mark S. Massa, S. J., is no exception. Dean of the School of Theology and Ministry at Boston College, Fr. Massa hangs his history on the old caricatures that have dominated liberal interpretations of modern Catholic history for decades… . Continue Reading »
A radical shift in the Zeitgeist was occurring: authority began to be questioned; a skeptical relativism spread among the intelligentsia; claims about God and moral absolutes were rejected; human belief was perceived to be nothing more than a social-construction; the Christian worldview continued to crumble, its primacy supplanted by secularism… . Continue Reading »
Looking for a head start on making New Year’s resolutions that will work? Watching Jews do it on Rosh Hashanah will give you four months of lead time. It might also give you some insight on which world problems can be solved in the near future, and which ones won’t… . Continue Reading »
Given the degree to which American politics has deteriorated into barrages of sound-bites, it may seem quixotic”perhaps even idiotic”to indulge my biennial habit of proposing Questions Candidates Should Be Asked by Catholics serious about bringing moral reasoning into the public square… . Continue Reading »
