In the current issue of National Review, Rich Lowry and Ramesh Ponnuru try to develop a respectable argument that President Obama is un-American . They dismiss the literal version that defines Birtherism. And they stipulate that the president and his allies want sincerely to improve the lives of . . . . Continue Reading »
While reading Jody Bottum’s reflections on Catholicism and modern France , I found myself disagreeing. I’m inclined to think that we have a great deal to learn from France. There is, of course, a lesson about the dangers to faith when the Church becomes intertwined with political . . . . Continue Reading »
Lauren Weiner has some criticisms and recommendations for the American Academy of Arts and Sciences: The most recent crop of inductees is interesting. Among the choices for 2009 were Robert Gates, Colin Powell, appellate judge Harvie Wilkinson, historians James McPherson and Robert Caro, Emmylou . . . . Continue Reading »
Perhaps a better title would be something like Don’t Allow the Crusades to be Thoughtlessly Added to a Parade of Christian Horribles without Knowing More about It, but I wanted to get your attention.Rodney Stark’s God’s Batallions is an outstanding book designed to help the . . . . Continue Reading »
Since Mary Rose pointed out some great photos of the current blizzard, I thought I’d inform the readers who aren’t on the East Coast that New York has two feet of snow. (Via: The Worley Gig ) . . . . Continue Reading »
The photographer of this shot noted: “A saintly statue adorned with fur hat and stole.” See more photos of New York’s snowy adornments here . . . . . Continue Reading »
Kelly Kulick, a 33-year-old professional bowler, had already won the Professional Bowlers Association Womens World Championship and was looking for a new challenge. Since a new PBA rule allowed her to qualify for the mens tournaments she signed up for the Tournament of . . . . Continue Reading »
A new survey of 2,508 Americans conducted by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute asked 39 questions intended to evaluate the impact of a college education on peoples beliefs. The results are as discouraging as they are predictable: Conventional wisdom holds that there is a strong connection . . . . Continue Reading »
[Note: Every Friday on First Thoughts we host a discussion about some aspect of pop culture. Todays theme is music from the 1980s. Have a suggestion for a topic? Send them to me at jcarter@firstthings.com ] I hail from Generation X while my sixteen-year-old daughter is a member of Generation . . . . Continue Reading »