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Universal human equality

My First Things blog post asserting that the widespread belief in universal human equality could be a potentially saving grace in the cultural controversies of our time has generated a lot of comment, for which I thank my correspondents. Based on what people are telling me, I think there has been . . . . Continue Reading »

Fr. Fred Dailey and homosexuality

Catholic blogger Gerald Augustinus of Closed Cafeteria links to this ABC story about Fred Dailey, 59, a Catholic priest in Utica, New York, who had been scheduled to head a Catholic Relief Services mission in Lesotho: "On July 18, Daley was suddenly withdrawn from his mission to Lesotho by its . . . . Continue Reading »

Christian morality, torture, and embryos

It hasn’t received that much coverage over here, but a recent Guardian editorial raised the possibility that the intelligence used to break up the terror plot in London was obtained, at least in part, by Pakistani torturers. This has already led some anti-torture voices to call into question . . . . Continue Reading »

Equality-of-life ethics

Regarding Michael Novak’s post about Heather Mac Donald’s discomfort with talk of God: I too have grappled intellectually with how to analyze crucial concepts of right and wrong, good and evil, in a society that seems so pluralistic morally that it frequently appears not to be a true . . . . Continue Reading »

George Soros and Ned Lamont

The ancient Roman sage Seneca recounts a popular insight: "You’ve as many enemies as you’ve slaves." People are not automatically antagonistic and resentful, but the arrogance, indifference, and cruelty of the powerful can make them so. Modern American liberalism has tended to . . . . Continue Reading »

Commmonweal and First Things

Commonweal magazine has posted an item on its blog, replying to my item replying to their items ( here and here ), replying to Charlotte Allen’s item , replying to the last issue of the print version of Commonweal ¯and anyone who can follow all that is smarter than your average bear. I . . . . Continue Reading »

Heather Mac Donald and atheism

Heather Mac Donald opens up one of the most important arguments necessary for this nation to face soon, that is, What is the relation of atheism to Jewish-Christian belief? Her immediate wish is that there were more respect for atheists within the Republican party, or at least a diminishment of her . . . . Continue Reading »

Pope Benedict XVI and war

On August 1, I criticized Pope Benedict XVI’s call for a ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Since then, he has granted an interview to some German journalists in anticipation of his upcoming trip to Bavaria. Asked about the fighting in the Middle East, he said . . . . Continue Reading »

England and foxhunting bans

I’m sure that many Americans were, and remain, somewhat bemused at the passions aroused in England over the subject of foxhunting . Those passions raged in the months and years leading to the ban, culminating in an enormous pro-hunt demonstration in London . The passions remain, embedded in . . . . Continue Reading »

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