All entries by this author

Is It Possible to Be a Moral Conservative in 2012?

Mar 10th, 2012 | By

In a recent article in Time magazine, David Von Drehle posits that there is a conservative identity crisis in America today.  The term ?conservative? is a popular term in America.  Indeed, Von Drehle shows that according to polls, conservatism is the most ?popular philosophy in the US:  2 in every 5 Americans say they embrace
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The Judeo-Christian Tradition and Capitalism

Mar 3rd, 2012 | By

We live in an age where the state is taking control over more and more facets of our lives. The old saying of a paternalist state that cares for us from cradle to the grave is not that far off the mark. The free market economy is not that free anymore; it is a highly regulated market where the state controls and regulates almost every facet of our financial lives. This highly regulated form of capitalism is a result of sin.



Dr. Lawrence Egbert: The New Dr. Kevorkian

Feb 25th, 2012 | By

A retired anesthesiologist, Lawrence Egbert is an 84-year old doctor, who is in some ways the current public face of doctor-assisted suicide as a movement. He has replaced Dr. Jack Kevorkian as the symbol of this controversial practice.



Religious Liberty vs. The State

Feb 11th, 2012 | By

Near the end of January 2012, an extraordinary development affecting the cause of religious liberty occurred and the media hardly reported on it. In my judgment, it is one of the most underreported stories in recent memory. For the first time in American history, the state is ordering religious institutions to provide insurance coverage for employees that must include contraceptives, including those that may induce abortion.



The Buffett Tax: Evidence of a Lack of Leadership

Feb 4th, 2012 | By

Since World War II, the federal government has been distributing more benefits to more people without mandating higher taxes. The result is a welfare state with ever-growing dependency on the government?at all levels. As public policy, this formula is now bankrupt?and will soon result in the bankruptcy of this nation.



Are You Guilty of Speciesism?

Jan 28th, 2012 | By

One of my favorite writers is Andree Seu, who writes for the magazine World. In her most recent column, she writes of reading through a bird magazine she bought at a local PetSmart store. One article particularly in this magazine caused her to write of the author: ?. . . by the end of her remarks I felt just a little bit ashamed of being human??



Mitt Romney?s Wealth and the State of the Republican Party

Jan 28th, 2012 | By

The rather shocking outcome of the South Carolina primary is a metaphor for the state of the Republican Party. During the campaign in South Carolina and especially during the major debate right before the primary, the wealth and taxes of Mitt Romney seemed to be the primary issue.



The Pernicious Nature of Gambling

Jan 21st, 2012 | By

Once again, the pernicious issue of gambling is raising its ugly head in the state of Nebraska, the state in which I live. It is important to refresh our collective memories on the nature of gambling and its indisputable effects on culture and society.



Tim Tebow and Evangelicalism

Jan 21st, 2012 | By

Jon Meacham, associated with Time magazine and an important American writer on religious issues, has written that Tim ?Tebow is perhaps the most significant Evangelical Christian in the country. Depending on your point of view, his rise is a thoroughly American story of honest conviction or of ostentatious piety, of faith and family or of aggressive sectarianism??



Israel?s Changing Population

Jan 14th, 2012 | By

The mixing of political and religious ideas is central to understanding Judaism and the modern state of Israel. Thomas Friedman, in his book From Beirut to Jerusalem, argues that there are four distinct groups of Jews within modern Israel (and the world).