Accuracy in Media? Among the first things that First Things is surely committed to are accuracy and fairness. Richard John Neuhaus’ references to my September keynote address at the Future of the American Church Conference in Washington, D.C. (The Public Square, January) fail on both counts. It . . . . Continue Reading »
Jews and Christmas How does one respond to the late—and highly respected—Jakob Petuchowski’s eloquent critique of those Jews who oppose the display of religious symbols on public property (“A Rabbi’s Christmas,” December 1991)? Not easily. But let me try. The story has been told . . . . Continue Reading »
Why Christian Mission? While I agree with Richard John Neuhaus that Redemptoris Missio is highly important (“Reviving the Missionary Mandate,” The Public Square, October 1991), I worry that it is not nearly as “profoundly countercultural” as he believes. The six reasons he discerns that the . . . . Continue Reading »
“Talmudic”—Properly Understood In his otherwise fine article, “Why the News Makes Us Dumb” (October 1991), John Sommerville writes, “Belief in the first amendment is not to be questioned. In fact, the faithful show their devotion by a hundred Talmudic expansions on that simple . . . . Continue Reading »
The Evils of Capitalism While I agree with some of Peter Berger’s observations in “Capitalism: The Continuing Revolution” (August/September), I disagree profoundly with his model, several key assumptions, and his conclusion. First, the model. One of the reasons that economists tend to disagree . . . . Continue Reading »
Defending Atheists I rubbed my eyes in disbelief as I read Richard John Neuhaus’ contentious article, “Can Atheists Be Good Citizens?” (August/September) I hope that this is not the opening salvo by neoconservatives to deny nonbelievers their legitimate rights as citizens. To maintain that . . . . Continue Reading »
Decter Pro and Con Midge Decter’s “Farewell to the Woman Question” (June-July) was a superb little piece. She cuts through the two decades of self-deception, bullying, and patronizing since the so-called Sexual Revolution established its tyranny over American social life. Decter reveals the . . . . Continue Reading »
Religion in the Public Square I found a number of the statements in the symposium “Judaism and American Public Life” (March) thoughtful and provocative. An important distinction, however, was left undrawn or at least inadequately drawn both by the classical separationists and by those whom we . . . . Continue Reading »
Defending KaganOne can, of course, differ with the thesis of Donald Kagan’s Pericles of Athens and the Birth of Democracy, but to suggest (as the April editorial, “How Democracy Came About and How It Might Be Sustained,” does) that the work has anything in common with . . . . Continue Reading »
God & Man at College In George Marsden’s “The Soul of the American University” (January), he proposes two remedies for the decline in religious life in the university: the demand for a true pluralism and the building of an alternative higher educational system in “various Christian . . . . Continue Reading »
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