Joseph Knippenberg

There has been a lot of talk about Rick Santorum as the “second coming” (so to speak) of compassionate conservatism.  He has spoken eloquently about the needs of the least among us and of the inadequacy of government—any government, however large—in addressing those . . . . Continue Reading »

Stephen M. Klugewicz offers a gentle correction to Rick Santorum’s objection to John F. Kennedy’s vision of church-state relations. Santorum did not have to mischaracterize Kennedy’s words, for there is much to criticize in them as written. In the Houston speech, Kennedy did say . . . . Continue Reading »

Responding to a somewhat intemperate remark by Rick Santorum, Arizona State University’s  Lawrence  M. Krauss tells us ” why we need college degrees more than we need faith .” I could quarrel with him on many grounds, but I’ll focus on this paragraph: An educated . . . . Continue Reading »

The  Politico , not exactly the least favorable of press outlets to the President, has posted a story about the “Quiet Fade-Out” of the much ballyhooed Obama Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.  It issued a very wordy report a couple of . . . . Continue Reading »

For the past few years, I have been associated with the Georgia Family Council’s Gaby Fellowship program.  It’s a great opportunity for undergraduates and recent graduates to be an integral part of a good organization, gain experience in the world of state-level public policy, and . . . . Continue Reading »

Ross Douthat responds to an essay by Matthew Yglesias that itself is a commentary on the argument over Charles Murray’s new book. There’s plenty to discuss, but I’d like to focus on one point that Yglesias makes: The obvious place to look for an explanation of the declining . . . . Continue Reading »

Yes, you read the title correctly.  Chicago Tribune columnist Steve Chapman makes the case for Barack Obama as a defender of religious liberty: The president has gotten deserved criticism for trying to force Catholic colleges and hospitals to buy insurance coverage for something they regard as . . . . Continue Reading »

Although the issue of homeschool student participation in public high school sports isn’t exactly a pressing national concern, it hits pretty close to home in our family—both our kids are competitive club-level swimmers who could contribute to the success of our local high . . . . Continue Reading »

The New York Times calls unwed motherhood “the new normal,” at least for women under 30.  Over at the Georgia Family Council site, I disagree .  The Times reporters attempt a Grey Lady version of evenhandedness, but following Rachel Sheffield , I don’t see how . . . . Continue Reading »

The Obama Admininstration has submitted its response (available here )  to the lawsuit that the Becket Fund filed on behalf of Belmont Abbey College in the matter of the contraceptive mandate.  In essence, the Administration argues that the issues raised in the suit are not yet ripe for . . . . Continue Reading »