Traditional Christians oppose torture based on their understanding of Divine Revelation and centuries of experience learning the corrosive effects torture has on the society that justifies its use.
Traditional conservatives should oppose torture because giving the government power to torture is dangerous. War is a public act and can be judged by the public. There is some lev...
Read More...
After 9/11, it became very fashionable for atheists to say, “Religion is the cause of all evils in this world; if we just got rid of religion, we would solve a lot of our problems.” (in fact, I had some guy say this to me at a wedding I attended recently—what a time to bring up religious controversy—at a wedding of all places!)
I once heard someone respond thusly: ...
Read More...
I just saw the movie Avatar and there are many things to say about the movie. One, of course, is the amazing visuals. It definitely set a new standard in special effects technology for movies, on par with what The Matrix did when it first came out. “Gorgeous” doesn’t even begin to describe it. Secondly, the plot was pretty good—a little predictable at times, but it ...
Read More...
Mr. Ben Nelson is a jolly old United States Senator for Nebraska. He was fighting for principle in opposing abortion funding in the health care reform moving through Congress.
Now he is backing health care reform without the language he originally demanded.
It would be easy to caricature Senator Nelson's move unfairly. Some will say he is a Judas for betraying his ideals ...
Read More...
Office of the White House
Czar for Celebration and Jollification
Alcibiades Antinous, Director
RE: The White House Christmas Crèche
Someone must tell the President that his display of the Christmas crèche is inconsistent with our recent policies regarding holiday celebrations in the United States.
The display of the crèche will self-evidently lead to an Iranian s...
Read More...
The Lord Jesus said:
"43 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those wh...
Read More...
Switzerland should not have banned minarets. It was both wrong and stupid, which is something even for government. Condemnations will be loud and are deserved. Meanwhile in November a Russian priest has been martyred in Moscow for the temerity of disagreeing with the Islamic religion or Putin’s oligarchy.
Few will notice or care.
It is sad commentary on the state of E...
Read More...
The intellectual habits of a good leader for the United States are hard to describe. What are the similarities between successful chief executives such as George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Harry Truman, and Ronald Reagan?
It is important to remember that the United States is not a business. The skills needed in a good chief executive officer are not al...
Read More...
Featured Essay
This was a bad and unhelpful book.
It was not bad because it was simple. Goldwater (or his ghost) used fewer pages in Conscience of a Conservative and said more. It was not bad because it was autobiographical. Though I don't like his politics, President Obama confessed more and said it better in Dreams from My Father. If you don't believe that this book is bad, then read (re...
Read More...
Introduction to the Project:
(This is a completed live blog. I have decided not to correct most typographical errors or "fix" it. Some was done as late as 3 AM as I finished the book, but I felt the authenticity of the moment generally better than a smoothed out version.)
I have defended Sarah Palin on numerous occasions against critics. I thought some conservatives turne...
Read More...
The best way to get web hits is to say something loudly.
Our discourse is often as subtle as a teenager with a stuck caps key. We don't just oppose the President's agenda, but WE STAND AT ARMAGEDDON AND WE BATTLE FOR THE LORD.
While that last line got Teddy Roosevelt some cheers, and T.R. would have made a world-class blogger, it was part of a losing campaign. Extreme rhe...
Read More...
President Obama is just returning from China having gently mentioned to the butchers of Beijing that human rights are important. The witness for human dignity will continue in China, but it will not be the soft approach of kowtowing to dictators while speaking softly to them.
How do we know?
The Chinese Catholic bishops and other Christian leaders do not have the luxury o...
Read More...
