Stefan McDaniel

In the wake of Senator Obama’s acceptance speech last night, readers of First Things will enjoy David Brooks’ delightful satire . A sample: My fellow Americans, it is an honor to address the Democratic National Convention at this defining moment in history. We stand at a crossroads at a . . . . Continue Reading »

Yesterday was the Feast of St. Monica, the mother of St. Augustine. This feast was the occasion on which the the Venerable (soon to be Blessed) John Henry Cardinal Newman preached a characteristically brilliant sermon called “Intellect, the Instrument of Religious Training.” The whole . . . . Continue Reading »

This past Sunday on Meet the Press , Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi claimed that, having studied the matter carefully as a “fervent, practicing” Catholic, she had learned that doctors of the Church have historically had no fixed position on when human life begins; therefore, one . . . . Continue Reading »

OK, I understand the desire to make the consecrated life look attractive, but a religious sisters’ beauty pageant is going too far. There couldn’t be much harm in, say, profiling young and joyful nuns, but surely a beauty contest , no matter how modest and unobjectionable the operative . . . . Continue Reading »

It’s strange that with all the constant chatter about hope in the presidential election, nobody seems to have adverted to the wisdom of the Angelic Doctor . . . . . Continue Reading »

There is no question that illegal immigration into the United States is a serious problem, but looking at Western Europe, where the massive influx of even fully legal immigrants has raised great difficulties, helps put that problem in perspective. One of the most nuanced treatments of the topic is . . . . Continue Reading »

Vigorous criticism of President Bush in conservative circles stopped seeming heretical a long time ago. That Bush’s foreign policy has been disastrous is one of the ‘facts’ that many conservatives feel they must grudgingly grant to their liberal antagonists. No doubt many . . . . Continue Reading »

Two days ago, Amanda linked to Harvey Mansfield’s appreciative discussion of Solzhenitsyn’s Harvard speech . Mansfield endorses Solzhenitsyn’s claim that “Legalism is [the West’s] substitute for virtue: You don’t have to distinguish good from evil and do good . . . . Continue Reading »

Last night I was at a party full of ornery conservatives. At some point the conversation turned to the French, which allowed us to take a break from discursive thought and indulge in the ritual France-baiting that is practically an American bodily function. We finished on an appropriately . . . . Continue Reading »

The ever-lively and independent Mark Shea explains his refusal to vote for either major presidential candidate thus : Millions of babies will be killed whichever of these guys is elected. One will zealously try to make sure the maximum number die in sacrifice to the Culture of Adult Desire. The . . . . Continue Reading »