Only the Christian is in a position to judge clearly how basically unsatisfying it is for man, both as an individual and as a social being, to have as his ultimate goal the civilizing and humanizing of the world, because he himself has found his own fulfillment in the person of Jesus Christ. . . . . . . . Continue Reading »
The beginning of a New Year is a time to reflect on God’s kindness and goodness to us, but we are often concerned and fearful about the future. What will happen this year? Will we make it through another trial? Can we survive another hard year?In the face of an uncertain future, our hope as . . . . Continue Reading »
What is the role of government?What is justice?Hard questions, but a man should pray what he believes and I weekly pray the following:We beseech thee also, so to direct and dispose the hearts of all Christian Rulers, that they may truly and impartially administer justice, to the punishment of . . . . Continue Reading »
Today marks the one year anniversary of Father Richard J. Neuhaus’s death. At the time of his passing, words failed me . And even now, I still find it difficult to adequately express just how deeply Father Neuhaus impacted my life. My spiritual journey with Father Neuhaus began in . . . . Continue Reading »
A gentleman can be trusted with power, but a cad cannot be trusted even when he appears powerless. It is an essential attribute of American conservatives that often telling a gentleman from a cad is hard.Some men start as gentlemen, but become cads. Some (thank God) of us start as cads, but become . . . . Continue Reading »
At NRO, Jonah Goldber has jumped into the debate , raising some interesting questions that are worthy of consideration. Jonah’s argument takes two parts that I believe can be responded to separately. In the first section, he concedes that the issue is partially a battle over definitions: . . . . Continue Reading »
One small point:It has been claimed that to be opposed to torture and not be a pacifist is inconsistent.Opposition to torture must be (merely) a form of pacifism.I have shown this is false. A man may oppose torture (or the mutilation of corpses) on the grounds that torture is a form of blasphemy. . . . . Continue Reading »
Readers of First Things will no doubt be interested in an upcoming event featuring longtime contributors and board members David Novak and George Weigel. The good Rabbi will be at Georgetown University on January 21 to discuss with Weigel, Tom Farr, and William Galston his latest book, In Defense . . . . Continue Reading »
[Note: For more on this topic, see here and here ] When defending the indefensible, it’s generally beneficial to stop when the apologia becomes untenable. The CIA gave up trying to defend the morality or legality of waterboarding—though they may still make a Machiavellian . . . . Continue Reading »
The first ten years of the 2000s (please, no arguments over whether the first decade really ends this year) brought bioethics front and center into national and international prominence as never before. Since this is the time for creating “top ten lists,” I pondered the matter over . . . . Continue Reading »
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