In March of 2013, a debate began here about Alister McGrath’s claim that C. S. Lewis wrongly dated his own conversion to Theism. Since then, an unpublished autobiographical manuscript about that conversion has come to light, establishing with some precision the time period when that conversion actually took place… . Continue Reading »
Given the ruckus over Pope Francis’ comments on homosexuality, one could make the mistake of thinking he had announced a revolutionary change, not restated basic Christian doctrine … . Continue Reading »
When I began columnizing, in the Paleolithic Period when a correcting IBM Selectric II typewriter seemed the ne plus ultra of technology-for-scribes, I collected quotable quotes in a plastic box, for possible insertion into columns in the manner of my friend, Dr. George F. Will. Rooting around the yellowing scraps in that box recently, I came across a gaggle of zingers that went unused, but which it seems a shame not to share with readers and posterity. So, for a little summer levity, here we go … . Continue Reading »
Few of us can imagine or understand the depravity of Ariel Castro’s heart. Castro is the Cleveland man who recently was arrested for kidnapping, raping, and imprisoning three women for over a decade. He impregnated the women he held captive and beat one of them until she miscarried. Ariel Castro is obviously sick, obviously broken, obviously enslaved by the forces of chaos and evil in a way that few of us have ever witnessed… . Continue Reading »
Timothy Michael Law is a scholar interested in history, theology, and religion. Last month Oxford University Press published his book on the Septuagint, When God Spoke Greek: The Septuagint and the Making of the Christian Bible. I recently got the chance to talk with Law about his new book and the importance of the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament to contemporary churches… . Continue Reading »
Of all the challenging things Francis has said since becoming pope, none has been more quoted than this line: “How I would like a Church which is poor, and for the poor!” Simple and direct, it perfectly captures the spirit of Francis’s new pontificate. And what gives it such power and meaning is the personal witness behind it… . Continue Reading »
Millions went to the polls last Wednesday in the small Southern African nation of Zimbabwe in a general election that pits the incumbent, Robert Mugabe, against a divided opposition. Mugabe has held power since 1980, and, at 89, he shows no signs of yielding it. As David Coltart, member of the opposition and Minister of Education, Sport, and Culture, urged his supporters last Tuesday night… . Continue Reading »
When the Dutch prince William of Orange took the English throne in 1688, he sparked a poetry war. Originally a supporter of William, the journalist John Tutchin became disenchanted and in “The Foreigners” attacked the Dutch as a people “void of Honesty and Grace, / A Boorish, rude, and an inhumane Race” and chided his countrymen for giving to such “excrement” a “Portion in the Promis’d Land, / Which immemorially has been decreed / To be the Birth-right of the Jewish [that is, English] Seed.” Daniel Defoe, a Whig supporter of the Revolution, responded with a poem of his own … Continue Reading »
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests are a new front in the struggle for religious liberty. The requests, by which citizens can obtain copies of public documents, have already been invoked by the Diocese of Pittsburgh to request “information … about how federal officials decided what contraceptive procedures and medications should be covered under the mandate.” Groups such as Cause of Action and the National Organization for Marriage have also filed FOIA requests concerning IRS targeting… . Continue Reading »
A Utah state senator, Aaron Osmond (10th District, Jordan), has proposed eliminating compulsory public school education. He is a member of the senate’s education appropriations committee. Critics suggest”among other things”that he is out to reduce the billions of taxpayer dollars required for public education. (He is also a nephew of Marie and Donnie Osmond, but that is unrelated to his political life in service to furthering Utah education endeavors.) In any case, we should look at his idea. Sen. Osmond complains that compulsory education… Continue Reading »
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