Archive for the 'Politics & Society' Category

The Foundational Debate on Defining Freedom

Thursday, March 18th, 2021

I wonder if the foundational debate undergirding most if not all debates happening in our culture right now is about the definition of freedom: of whether freedom is to pursue one’s proper end, or whether it’s about denying there is a proper end so that one can pursue whatever they want.

Invisible Hand

Monday, December 7th, 2020

If we’re going to reflect upon the promises and pitfalls of Capitalism in light of the Gospel, we’re going to have distinguish the Hand of God from the Invisible Hand. To distill and paraphrase Catholic Social Teaching recently renewed in the words of Pope Francis, society must not serve markets, markets must serve the common […]

What Are Evangelicals Afraid of Losing?

Monday, September 10th, 2018

To my beloved brothers and sisters who voted for Trump, and to those who can’t imagine why anyone would, I invite you to read this heart-searching article. In the hopes of enticing you, I offer the following highlights… If an election can cause us to lose everything, what is it exactly that we have in […]

Across The Divide

Monday, June 4th, 2018

Recently the Supreme Court ruled in favor of a baker who refused to make a wedding cake for a gay couple. As I’ve read a few articles across the political spectrum it seems clear to me that this decision is not definitive regarding issues related to Freedom of Religion and LGBT rights. Instead, the Supreme […]

Like A Dog On A Leash

Friday, November 25th, 2011

Speak Anthony! Anthony, roll over… roll over! Sit! Stay!… Good boy. Now, wait in this line for two hours. It’s Black Friday and I’m feeling like a dog on a corporate leash. Keep in mind, I am here blogging and sipping on coffee, and watching HGTV, but I feel the call of the pied piper […]

Pray And Pull The Trigger

Sunday, September 11th, 2011

The thematic thread running through today’s lectionary was forgiveness, which struck me as both apropos and challenging on this day, the day of the tenth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on America that fell the Twin Towers, that took down a plane in Pennsylvania, and that took out a wing of the Pentagon. It is […]

Not Unbridled Socialism Nor Self-Help Ideology

Wednesday, September 7th, 2011

From time to time I hear conservatives who profess Christ talk about the need to shrink or get rid of welfare programs because welfare supposedly enables the poor by undermining their initiative to seek a better life. I don’t doubt that to some degree this is true, and I am quite sure that there are […]

Killing Initiative

Friday, April 1st, 2011

While reading a post on how aphorisms tempt us to short circuit genuine analysis of the subjects they address, I came across a comment about how liberal policies are a premiere example of good intentions paving the road to hell. In this comment the commenter stated: While intending to ease the plight of the underclass, […]

A Response to Symptoms of a Social Revolution

Wednesday, November 24th, 2010

I went to Mere Comments, a blog affiliated with Touchstone Magazine, and wrote a response to a post about the aftermath of the Sexual Revolution. I was particularly responding to a couple of commenters who accused the author of building an argument based upon historical ignorance. Specifically, one commenter accused the author of believing that […]

Monsanto Makes the Pantheon

Sunday, November 21st, 2010

I just got done watching “Food Inc.” As a result, I am going to revise my pantheon of major fallen deities. Next to Beelzebub, Dagon, and Baal, I am going to add Monsanto. Is it a coincidence that Mammon and Monsanto share the same first letter? I think not.