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Christianity and the history of freedom
Christ came to set captives free, the Scriptures say. The work is not yet complete, but the record of accomplishment is impressive.‘If you are really sick, call 911’
Why do many doctors’ offices have answering machines with this initial response? Price controls. Why does it take so long to get an appointment, if one is even available? Price controls. What will happen if our next president, in the name of universal health care, increases third-party responsibility for medical care? More price controls.Washington’s unpopular war on energy
Most Americans have little faith in the federal government to represent their interests. Who can blame them, when their fears are constantly affirmed by Washington’s shenanigans? According to polls, presidential and congressional approval ratings are hovering around an all time low. Just 17 percent of American voters believe the federal government represents the will of the people.One million reasons for radical education reform
More than 1.23 million high school seniors will fail to graduate in the class of 2008, according to a new study conducted by the Editorial Projects in Education (EPE) Research Center. Now that the drama over the Democratic nominee has subsided, the presidential candidates must return to issues that threaten to hobble America in a global economy: namely, millions of future adults who are not acquiring the skill sets that will enable them to compete.A new vision for America's black men
Tens of thousands of black St. Louis residents gathered at the June 1st 'Call to Oneness March" to protest against the rampant crime that continues to shackle generations to nihilism and self-destruction. An estimated 50,000 people marched. But we are left today with the "now what?" question. Calls for black men to embrace "individual responsibility" without defining what "responsible" means makes matters worse. What is needed is a more radical call to go beyond the individual self and demonstrate some concern for others.Overspending, incentives and freedom
It is becoming clear that many Western countries are plunging into economic recession. Instead of lamenting the situation, we should ask: What can we learn from this? What does the experience of the past 20 years teach us? The title of the lesson might be, "The dangers of reckless spending." It is true that the current crisis was ushered in by events in financial markets. But root causes go deeper, and they touch practically all of us: our ways of living and attitudes towards life--towards acting, owning, and being.Cardinal Alfonso López Trujillo: Defender of the family as human capital
A Mass was held in Rome yesterday commemorating the death of Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo, one of the Church’s staunchest defenders of the family and the inestimable value of human life from the moment of conception.Bringing good out of evil: Economic justice in Myanmar
Myanmar's government must show itself to be legitimate, not only by temporarily welcoming aid workers, but also by permanently opening up its borders to trade and joining the international community.The family is a fiscal issue
In the modern world of consumer choice divorced from any moral grounding, family policy can seem hopelessly divisive. Some argue that "alternative family forms" are simply private lifestyle choices, comparable to our choices of curtains, cuisine or music. The choice to have children inside or outside marriage is just another personal choice for each individual to make privately. But a recent report from the Institute for American Values shows that these seemingly private decisions can have serious, and expensive, costs for taxpayers.Moving on, without Wright
It is time to retire Rev. Jeremiah Wright and his bad theology back to the obscure theological cave from which they briefly emerged from hibernation. Black liberation theology and "the black church" are not synonyms.Benedict's 'Grey Eminence'
The greatest influence upon Pope Benedict's social thought – his grey eminence – is a French Jesuit theologian who died 17 years ago.United Methodists on the road to renewal
Methodism has historically been characterized by rapid renewal, reform, a holistic love and care for the poor, and always by its vibrant evangelical proclamation. Let it again be so.