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On the Square Today

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Ashley Thorne on unbiasing American history : How do American colleges and universities teach American history? Conservatives may have a ready answer: poorly. But a ready answer can just as readily be deflected. At the National Association of Scholars (NAS) we decided to find out, as precisely as . . . . Continue Reading »

On the Square Today

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R.R. Reno on Benedict and the next pope : Ratzinger fought an intellectual battle for sanity in the long decade of theological insanity that followed the Council. When he was appointed as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith by John Paul II in 1981 he was no longer a young turk . . . . Continue Reading »

On the Square Today

From First Thoughts

Russell D. Moore on an Evangelical’s perspective of Pope Benedict XVI : With Pope Benedict XVI’s shocking resignation this morning, Evangelical Christians might be tempted to see this the way a college football fan might view the departure of his rival team’s head coach. But the . . . . Continue Reading »

On the Square Today

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Wesley J. Smith on happy-face statism : For the last decade, some social scientists have been arguing that “happiness measurements” should replace or supplement established economic standards to judge a society’s “success.” Many environmentalists also support the idea as a . . . . Continue Reading »

On the Square Today

From First Thoughts

Leroy Huizenga on banning contraception : “Ban Contraception?” the banner ad said, urging viewers to click it in order to tell Congress to “support women’s health!” The suggestion that cultural conservatives want to make birth control illegal is risible. Most social . . . . Continue Reading »

On the Square Today

From First Thoughts

Justin Dyer on the legacy of Baker v. Nelson : In a pair of high-profile cases scheduled for oral argument in March, the Supreme Court of the United States will weigh in on the current political and legal debate about same-sex marriage. As novel as it all seems, the issue of same-sex marriage first . . . . Continue Reading »

On the Square Today

From First Thoughts

Eleanor Pettus on a Bible that keeps us apart : It should come as no surprise to anyone that Protestants place a high value on Scripture. Examples of this attitude abound: the popular Awana program gives an award to second graders who have memorized 150 Bible verses. “Bible quizzing” . . . . Continue Reading »

On the Square Today

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William Doino Jr. on the Christian dreams of Roberto Clemente : When baseball legend Roberto Clemente died in a plane crash in 1972, on a mission of mercy to victims of a Nicaraguan earthquake, the world not only lost a great man, but someone with extraordinary dreams. Well before his passing, . . . . Continue Reading »

On the Square Today

From First Thoughts

Anna Broadway on sex trafficking at the Super Bowl : When sports fans descend on New Orleans this weekend, they will encounter not just the city’s legendary hospitality, but very possibly opportunities to buy sex as well. If they do so, those men—johns, as they are often called—may . . . . Continue Reading »

On the Square Today

From First Thoughts

Russell E. Saltzman on finding his inner gun owner : I am getting in touch with my inner gun owner, that primal part of my reptilian brain that says “I must weaponize.” Blame it on the Obama administration, I say. The president’s proposals of firearm abatement got me thinking: If I . . . . Continue Reading »