Afternoon Links — 10.7.10

Robin of Berkeley reports on the deep hatred for God in Berkeley, California . Catholic journalists try to explain to Vatican officials the nature of communication today . Michele Obama claims that the president carries a picture of Mary Help of Christians in his wallet. The Catholic theologian . . . . Continue Reading »

Communion as a Political Statement

If a politician stood before us and proclaimed, polemically, that his campaign would be entirely without polemics, would we believe him? Or, worse, if he said his campaign would try to avoid politics? Tyranny over language either works or backfires spectacularly in political movements, and each . . . . Continue Reading »

Overcoming Sexual Puritanism

Joe reports that most teenagers aren’t sexually active in America today. In his Bancroft Prize-winning biography of Jonathan Edwards, George Marsden provides some historical contrast. Here is the skinny on pre-marital sex in eighteenth century Puritan New England: “Bundling,” which . . . . Continue Reading »

Scruton on T.S. Eliot and Conservatism

So this week, in political thought today, we’re reading Roger Scuton’s A POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY: ARGUMENTS FOR CONSERVATISM. Here are some excerpts from the last chapter on T.S. Eliot. They’re all relevant to Ralph’s spin on the Straussian theme of PROGRESS or RETURN. The real . . . . Continue Reading »

The Antinomian Gospel

In a recent posting, Tony Campolo effuses about the inclusive ministry of Jesus . Jesus, he writes, “was always reaching out to the marginalized.” Therefore, he concludes, evangelicals need to affirm homosexuals and support the political effort to secure for gays and lesbians “all . . . . Continue Reading »

Obamacare: Let the Exemptions Begin!

What a joke.  Last week there were reports that McDonald’s was going to drop its employees from health insurance coverage because Obamacare would increase the company’s costs.  This was roundly denied at the time, but now, guess what?  The bureaucrats have exempted . . . . Continue Reading »