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Matthew Schmitz is a former senior editor of First Things. 

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First Links — 2.1.12

From First Thoughts

Komen Drops Planned Parenthood Support Sarah Pulliam Bailey and Ted Olsen,  Christianity Today Steven Pinker’s Wrongness on Dignity Christopher Kaczor, Public Discourse Capitalism and the Hebrew Bible Aryeh Spero, Wall Street Journal Should the Church Have to Dispense Birth Control? . . . . Continue Reading »

First Links — 1.31.12

From First Thoughts

Charles Murray’s Values Inequality W. Bradford Wilcox, Wall Street Journal An Administration’s Against Civil Society Yuval Levin, National Review Catholic Colleges Consider Trustee Roles Libby A. Nelson, Inside Higher Ed Nature, Nurture, and Liberal Values Roger Scruton, Prospect . . . . Continue Reading »

Boxers or Briefs, Mr. Romney?

From First Thoughts

BuzzFeed responds to recent ribbing of Mitt Romney with a helpful primer on “garments,” the underclothes worn by Mormons: Though it’s common in Mormon-mocking rhetoric to use some variation on “magic Mormon undies” to describe the garment ( paging Bill Maher ), . . . . Continue Reading »

First Links — 1.30.12

From First Thoughts

Actually, Gay Marriage Is Discriminatory Patrick Lee, Public Discourse HHS Mandate No Liberal Victory Ross Douthat, New York Times Rabbis Face Off Over Kosher Jesus Randy Boswell, National Post Germany Has Fastest Growing Jewish Population Ofer Adaret, Haaretz Time to Press for Vouchers Charles J. . . . . Continue Reading »

Crackup of the Catholic Left

From First Thoughts

What’s going on with the Catholic left? Michael Sean Winters drew wide notice for his break with the Obama administration over its contraceptive and abortifacient mandate last week, and many eyebrows were raised when the fiercely liberal Cardinal Mahony of Los Angeles began denouncing the . . . . Continue Reading »

Saul Alinsky & Newt Gingrich

From First Thoughts

Michael Kazin and Russell Arben Fox  have critiqued Newt Gingrich’s claim that “The centerpiece of this campaign . . . is American exceptionalism versus the radicalism of Saul Alinsky. ” Like them, I find many contemporary denunciations of Saul Alinsky to be unhinged. . . . . Continue Reading »

First Links — 1.27.12

From First Thoughts

Is Europe More Pro-Life Than America? Austin Ruse, Catholic Thing Anti-Muslim Law Wielded Against Jews Elli Fischer, Jewish Ideas Daily HHS Mandate and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act Ed Whelan, Bench Memos Social Justice Starts with Communities Adam J. MacLeod,  Public Discourse Vatican . . . . Continue Reading »

First Links — 1.26.12

From First Thoughts

Bishops Betrayed David Gibson, Religion News Service An Interview with Mustafa Akyol Haroon Moghul, Religion Dispatches Winning Hispanic Evangelicals Gabriel Salguero, Washington Post The Cornerstone of Religious Freedom Archbishop Timothy Dolan, Wall Street Journal I’m with the Amish on This . . . . Continue Reading »

First Links — 1.25.12

From First Thoughts

The Art of the Non-Apology Tom Jacobs, Miller-McCune The First Sexual Revolution Faramerz Dabhoiwala, Guardian Social Conservatism for Millenial Voters Deirdre Cooper, Public Discourse The Caging of America Adam Gopnik, New Yorker Could Pro-Lifers Retake the Democratic Party? Mark Stricherz, . . . . Continue Reading »

First Links — 1.24.12

From First Thoughts

De Botton’s Anesthetic Atheism Ned Resnikoff Romney’s Tithing Mark Hosenball and David Henry,  Reuters Disability and Joy Charles J. Chaput, Public Discourse Liberal Jurists on  Roe v. Wade Timothy P. Carney, Washington Examiner Bureaucracy’s Creep Against Life Michael . . . . Continue Reading »