Editor’s note: This article first appeared at the Institute for Family Studies. “I’ve read that sexual activity has been declining among teenagers. Is this still going on? If so, does this apply to teens who are part of my religious … Continue reading
Faith & Society
The Self-Absorbed Nine and the One Who was Grateful
All the turkey-time trappings of the Thanksgiving holiday tend to numb our sincere reflection. But this is a perfect time to consider whether we are thanks-giving or ungrateful people. Being grateful isn’t natural. Gratitude, for all its merit, is not … Continue reading
Remembering Jackie Robinson
Fifty years ago today, one of the greatest icons in American sports history died. Jackie Robinson, a phenomenal athlete who lettered in four sports at UCLA, was only 53. After numerous health problems including heart disease, diabetes, failing eyesight and … Continue reading
Averting Nuclear Armageddon—in October 1962 and Today
Editor’s note: A version of this article first appeared at National Catholic Register. It is ironic and scary that 60 years after the Cuban Missile Crisis that brought the world’s two superpowers to the brink of nuclear Armageddon, President Joe … Continue reading
A Scholar and a Gentleman: Remembering Ken Starr
I first met Ken Starr at the Department of Justice in 1990 while serving as the department’s assistant director of legal policy. A young lawyer only 10 years removed from Grove City College, I was surrounded by a new generation … Continue reading
The Light Continues to Shine Brightly
Note: The Honorable Kenneth Starr, then president of Baylor University, reflects on faith. This speech was given at Grove City College, in Harbison Chapel, for the inauguration of The Honorable Paul J. McNulty ’80 on March 23, 2015. The video … Continue reading
Mikhail Gorbachev Meets His Maker
Editor’s note: This article first appeared at The American Spectator. When I heard about the death of Mikhail Gorbachev, I sighed. He was one of the final remaining pivotal figures in the end of the Cold War: Gorbachev, Ronald Reagan, … Continue reading
What is Truth? Compromising for the Culture
Who better than the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) to report on a conference of Anglican bishops? The BBC is satisfied that the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has brokered a compromise on one of the most controversial issues of the … Continue reading
Which is more extreme? The evolution of abortion positions
In the land of the mainstream media, conservative and Republican positions on so-called “culture war” issues are always “extreme,” while they rarely raise such concerns about liberal and Democrat positions. They then “helpfully” suggest ways that Republicans could attract more … Continue reading
Friendship, Not War, Is the Antidote to Niceness
Christians are known for being nice, or at least trying to be. But some reject niceness, saying it’s outmoded. They see a fool’s errand in trying to persuade a culture that has turned decisively hostile against Christians. The case has … Continue reading
Ukraine’s Freedom Fighter
Editor’s note: A version of this article first appeared at The American Spectator. “Two visions of the world remain locked in dispute,” said President Ronald Reagan in July 1983. “The first believes all men are created equal by a loving … Continue reading
One Hundred Years Ago, ‘Following the Science’ Meant Supporting Eugenics
Editor’s note: This article first appeared at National Review Online. In the 1920s, when he was still an agnostic, C. S. Lewis noted in his diary his latest reading: “Began G. K. Chesterton’s Eugenics and Other Evils.” A controversial English Catholic writer, … Continue reading
The Measure of a Machine: Is LaMDA a Person?
In June 2022, Google suspended engineer Blake Lemoine from his work in artificial intelligence. Having previously assisted with a program called the Language Models for Dialog Applications (LaMDA), Lemoine was placed on leave after publishing confidential information about the project. … Continue reading
1776 and Slavery
Many progressives today are eager to redefine America not as starting in 1776, which is literally when the very title “United States of America” began, but in the year 1619, before Plymouth Rock and before John Winthrop and the Arabella … Continue reading
What Reversing Roe Really Means
Editor’s note: A version of this article first appeared at The American Spectator. Throughout the 2015-16 campaign for the Republican presidential nomination, I urged conservatives not to nominate Donald Trump. When November 2016 arrived, I did not vote for Donald … Continue reading
A Call to the Church: Teaching post-Dobbs
So now it is official. The Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization has overturned Roe v. Wade, and the legal issue of whether and how to restrict abortion has been returned to the states. I cannot … Continue reading
“Cat’s in the Cradle” Father’s Day
The haunting refrains of Harry Chapin’s song “Cat’s in the Cradle,” like “planes to catch and bills to pay … when you coming home, dad?” started to play in my mind recently. A Fortune 500 company recruiter asked to join … Continue reading
The Abortion States of America
Editor’s note: An early version of this article first appeared in Crisis Magazine last October. Roe v. Wade and so-called “abortion rights” are facing challenges unlike any time before. The chances of abortion being sent back to the states are … Continue reading
Christian Leaders and Controversies: The Case of Francis Collins
There is always a dilemma for Christians in best handling and reacting to the positions and counsel of Christian leaders. Often these are people we have grown to trust and respect as followers of Christ. Their convictions at times are … Continue reading
Yes, I Am My Brother’s Keeper—And So Much More
For the first time in our lives, we have experienced a universal international event, known as Covid-19. The World Series doesn’t come close to being a global event. The World Cup and the Olympics are much more global, but even … Continue reading
