R. R. Reno

Some friends have been challenging my reasoning. (I know, I know, it’s hard to imagine anyone challenging my reasoning, but who can account for the recklessness of one’s friends?) On Thursday I wrote about Fr. Raymond Schroth’s proposed one-state solution to the Israel/Palestinian . . . . Continue Reading »

In a recent short essay in America, the once influential magazine put out by the Society of Jesus. Fr. Raymond A. Schroth, S.J., offers what he thinks is a lasting answer to the conflict between Jews and Palestinians over the future of the Holy Land. Unfortunately, as he faces this thorny issue, which calls for the delicate exercise of theological reflection and prudential judgment, he offers easy Leftist slogans rather than serious analysis… . Continue Reading »

I recently argued against the idea that tolerance was, in itself, a sign of good citizenship . We need to recognize that we should tolerate what should be tolerated, but not what shouldn’t. Well, that’s a pretty open-ended formulation, and it’s helpful to make some . . . . Continue Reading »

A new book on religion came out recently, America’s Grace: How Religion Divides and Unites Us . Written by Robert Putnam of Bowling Alone fame, along with David Campbell, the book is chocked full of data and charts, along with the Aunt Sue and Uncle John anecdotes that many put into popular . . . . Continue Reading »

After I left the Episcopal Church to enter the Catholic Church a half a dozen years ago, a good and wise friend told me to avoid taking pot shots from afar. Sage advice. But a video by Gene Robinson this is part of the It Gets Better campaign has a line that strikes me as telling, and I can’t . . . . Continue Reading »

Past ages have accepted the preeminent power of faith, and argued over what to believe, not over whether to believe. We tend to wonder whether the passion of belief isn’t a danger, perhaps the danger to be overcome. A recent book by Mark Johnston, Saving God: Religion after Idolatry, revises Christianity to make it is less dangerous… . Continue Reading »

Good for Todd Hartch. The professor of history at Eastern Kentucky University decided to go public, writing a letter opposing the decision by the university president to extend benefits to domestic partners akin to those available to married couples. On Public Discourse, he gives an account of his . . . . Continue Reading »

Well, I’m not surprised. As Joe mentioned last week , the death salesman who created the exhibitions of human bodies is now putting up his specially prepared cadavers up for sale . Gunther von Hagens came up with techniques for extracting fluids and fatty flesh from dead bodies that are . . . . Continue Reading »

OK, OK, I overstated my case with words like “irrefutable” when I commented on Richard Stith’s very interesting insights into the opportunity provided by the federalization of health insurance policy in America. Obviously, the question of the wisdom of federalizing health . . . . Continue Reading »

Today, Richard Stith has an i mportant short article on the front page of our website. He points out that, except for government programs for the poor, our old forms of health insurance, ones that were based more clearly on free market principles, had fairly expansive coverage of elective . . . . Continue Reading »