“And we know that to them who love God all things work together for good to them that are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 Next month I turn 75. The ubiquitous “they” tell me I’m on a COVID-19 … Continue reading
Faith & Society
J. I. Packer, A Tribute
The Institute for Faith & Freedom pays tribute to one of the major Christian spiritual leaders and writers of the last 75 years—J. I. Packer, who died July 17. Like many of us who are Christians, I first came in … Continue reading
Summer 2020 COVID-19 Data in Pennsylvania: What We Don’t Know
The COVID-19 coronavirus is a novel virus, and everybody who claims they have it figured out is living under an illusion. Our knowledge is growing, but it is still very fragmented. Our local politicians have been cautious because of the … Continue reading
True Diversity, True Freedom—Honoring Conscience
Editor’s note: A version of this article first appeared at TheParagon.net. I’m a Protestant and my friend, Joe, is Roman Catholic. Occasionally, when I discover someone is Catholic, I joke, “Hey, our spiritual ancestors burned each other at the stake.” … Continue reading
J. K. Rowling, Latest Casualty in the War of Transgender Ideology
Editor’s note: This article first appeared at thegospelcoalition.org. The storm surrounding J. K. Rowling’s tweets on women and menstruation is as predictable as it is depressing. That her gracious response has, if anything, exacerbated the fury simply underlines the way civil debate is now … Continue reading
Astronauts, Riots, and Pandemics: 2020 vs. 1969
Editor’s note: A version of this article first appeared at National Catholic Register. In July 1969, three American astronauts landed on the moon. It wasn’t just a great technical triumph. It was a much-needed respite amid social and political chaos. … Continue reading
What is Wrong with Minneapolis?
Earlier this week during a routine arrest Minneapolis police officers knelt on George Floyd’s neck for several minutes, finally killing him. This act fits a long and too-frequent pattern of incidents where police use substantial and often lethal force for … Continue reading
Ravi Zacharias: A Tribute
The apostle Peter instructs Christians: “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (1 Peter 3:15). Beginning with the disciples and the apostle Paul, countless Christians … Continue reading
Burying Memorial Day 2020
The streets were empty. No one marching. The bands weren’t playing. No music, no 21-gun salutes. Where were the old-timers hobbling along in their military uniforms? The flags flew at the courthouse and lined the streets, but the sidewalks weren’t … Continue reading
Heroines of Moral Courage: The Little Sisters of the Poor Against Pennsylvania
This is the third time that the Institute for Faith and Freedom has carried an opinion piece on the Little Sisters of the Poor (LSP) and their Supreme Court fight. This 181-year-old religious order is renowned for its generosity and … Continue reading
The Life-Changing Love of a Mother
If you would have known me growing up, your money would not have been on me to amount to much of anything. I was a self-conscious kid who was constantly teased for my small stature and my academic failings. I … Continue reading
Stories of Faith & Freedom – Podcast
Welcome to our “Stories of Faith & Freedom” Podcast on SoundCloud! We invite you to listen to the episodes below: Episode One: Faith and Freedom · Stories of Faith & Freedom – Episode 1 Episode Two: Today’s episode looks at … Continue reading
Why Not Thank God? Andrew Cuomo and COVID-19
I recently published a piece on Andrew Cuomo and other pro-choice Democrat governors who fight for life in their states against COVID-19. This also includes Pennsylvania’s Tom Wolf, New Jersey’s Phil Murphy, Connecticut’s Ned Lamont, Michigan’s Gretchen Whitmer, and Virginia’s … Continue reading
Warm Hearted Thinking
I do not hate my mom. Many in the media and some friends on social media seem to believe I do hate my mom, as well as other older people with compromised immune systems. For more than a decade my … Continue reading
Unprecedented Times—But Two Things Never Change
Leading a college Career Services Office department for nearly 25 years, you can imagine that I have seen some significant market fluctuations. During those periods, strategic alterations to our action plans were made based on established historical indicators. Well, today, any semblance … Continue reading
Carrying the Cross of COVID-19 this Good Friday
Editor’s note: A version of this article first appeared at The American Spectator. One of my favorite annual rituals for Holy Week is the Via Crucis—the Way of the Cross. Held at the Roman Colosseum, where early Christians were fed … Continue reading
1918: When Another Pandemic Struck Close to Home
Editor’s note: This article first appeared in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. In 1998, the eightieth anniversary of the Spanish Flu pandemic, I was fortunate to hear two survivors relate their indelible experiences. Marian McConkey and Lois Monahan were schoolgirls then, old … Continue reading
Thinking the Unthinkable—and Responding Wisely
In 1994, I was in my first year as director of research for the U.S. Army’s Strategic Studies Institute. Part of our mission was to consider how the Army might respond to various strategic threats. Fifteen very bright people, to … Continue reading
Eerie Echoes of Influenza Epidemic
Editor’s note: This article first appeared at the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Exhibit 1: Elizabeth Sovel Flinn. Born in 1891, she died about this time 100 years ago, age 29, a victim of the catastrophic influenza epidemic of 1919-20, also known as … Continue reading
Higher Education in an Increasingly Diverse Culture
“The direction in which education starts a man will determine his future in life” Plato Howard Mumford Jones, an English professor at the University of Michigan and later at Harvard, long ago commented that American colleges and … Continue reading