Sigh. Once again someone has written that human beings only think they have free will, when in “reality,” implacable physical forces create the illusion that we have the power to decide. Under this view, every decision we make and act we perform is forced unseen upon us by . . . . Continue Reading »
1. I don’t think Santorum will be complaining about not getting enough questions at the next debate. 2. So does Bachmann drop out this week? It looks like she will be lucky to finish fifth. The Iowa Republican Caucuses are about the friendliest electorate that she can . . . . Continue Reading »
This is a useful, if flawed, tour d’horizon of the top ten potential religion and politics flashpoints in the upcoming year. I’ll note my quibbles and quarrels in each instance. 10. Occupy Wall Street and the Religious Left: Missed Opportunity? One might surmise that OWS could . . . . Continue Reading »
. . . for taking an interest in our blog. HERE’S another post on Dreher’s going home, which isn’t meant to be critical at all. I certainly agree with Gene Callahan that comparing a real town with a movie town isn’t fair. But the truth is I know less about Rod’s real . . . . Continue Reading »
1. Gingrich is coming across very whiny about all the negative ads that people wouldn’t air if they had to show them to their grandchildren (or something), and anyway, who are you going to believe on Freddie Mac, your eyes, common sense, and the evil Mitt Romney ads . . . . Continue Reading »
R.R. Reno on some of his favorite First Things articles from 2011 : “Thinking About Aging” (April). I am disposed to reject anti-aging research as just another example of our modern, self-deifying fantasy. But Meilaender reminded me that Christianity does not think of death as natural, at . . . . Continue Reading »
Here. He says conservatives like Dreher and Douthat are foolish to hail him as some kind of truth-teller to and about conservative elites, that the reality is he is an enabler of American personal irresponsibility and what’s more, a force for political evil. . . . . Continue Reading »
1. Pete is turning out to be the best predictor of “caucus dynamics” ever, and without even a statistical model. Santorum, incredibly to me, is having his moment. He certainly had a confident and eloquent day, and the media is laying off his social conservatism, at least a bit, to . . . . Continue Reading »
You really have to check out this very clever and well-done video, The Fight of the Century . I’m not a fan of rap music, but it’s a supremely verbal musical idiom that works well with the substance of this music video, which is the difference between F. A. Hayek’s free market . . . . Continue Reading »
between putting the baby to bed and watching the Twilight Zone marathon: 1. I saw Romney’s stump speech on television. It is pretty obviously a response to Obama’s Osawatomie speech on inequality by talking about opportunity etc.. I thought Romney’s speech needed . . . . Continue Reading »
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