Matthew Schmitz

C.S. Lewis and G.K. Chesterton have introduced many to the riches of Christianity, but Elliot Milco urges those of us who have benefited from their writing not to linger at the fringes of the faith : Most of us go through a period of inquiry that marks the transition between the thoughtless . . . . Continue Reading »

Michael J. New: After  Roe  v.  Wade , conceptions increased by 30 percent. The National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect has reported that child abuse has increased more than 1,000 percent since Roe v. Wade. The cohort of 14-to-17-year-olds born after the  Roe  v. Wade . . . . Continue Reading »

When Chinese bloggers watched Barack Obama placed his hand on the Bible to swear the oath of office yesterday, many drew the conclusion that religion—-in particular, Christianity—-is the key to democracy’s success. Quartz , the  Atlantic ‘s new business site, reports . . . . Continue Reading »

The New York Times famously—-and tellingly—-greeted Roe v. Wade  by declaring that the Supreme Court had effectively ended the abortion debate. What they did not do, as often claimed, was use the term “settled” or run the headline “Supreme Court Settles Abortion . . . . Continue Reading »

Kevin Walsh of the University of Richmond School of Law writes : The twitterverse is alive with tweets about Justice Scalia’s headgear for today’s inauguration. At the risk of putting all the fun speculation to an end . . . The hat is a custom-made replica of the hat depicted in . . . . Continue Reading »

A friend of mine recently dismissed an argument on the grounds that it was “not incorrect, just passé.” I found this striking: By his standard, we must take care not only do distinguish right from wrong and truth from error, but also intellectual fashion from what is out of date. . . . . Continue Reading »

Readers of “First Thoughts” should also visit and subscribe to Helen Rittelmeyer’s blog , the latest addition to our online lineup. Helen’s started with an uncanny side-by-side reading of  The Brothers Karamazov   and “Arrested Development,” a critique . . . . Continue Reading »

A documentary on abortionist Kermit Gosnell’s well-regarded practice. The video, which includes some images of Gosnell’s many victims, is not for children or the faint of heart. h/t Matt Franck . . . . Continue Reading »

Greg Kandra once praised the fittingness and beauty of standing to receive communion. Now he thinks it’s time to bring back the communion rail : Two years ago, I rhapsodized on the  Feast of Corpus Christi  on the theology behind standing to receive communion, and defended it. . . . . Continue Reading »

Moked , a leading portal for Italian Jews, praises recent statements by Benedict XVI and Paris’ chief rabbi, Gilles Bernheim, in defense of the traditional understanding of marriage. Countering the charge from some quarters that Italian Judaism has been relatively silent, the paper points to . . . . Continue Reading »