What does it mean to be a part of the (Roman) Catholic Church? On Sundays, we recite a profession of faith via the Nicene Creed or, in special circumstances, the Apostles’ Creed, the latter of which our godparents also profess on our behalf if we’re baptized as infants. But those of us who went through the RCIA program recite a different profession: I believe and profess all that the holy Catholic Church believes, teaches, and proclaims to be revealed by... Read more
So here’s the deal: my local parish is shrinking, bit by bit. But I keep hearing, “boy, St. [Anonymous] is doing things so much better than we are” and am told that lots of people are jumping ship in order to start attending there instead (they’re only a mile up the road). So today I had someone else serving donuts and decided to check them out, and thought I’d share what I saw and solicit reader comments. First observations: they... Read more
An elementary school at which Family Friendly School policies are established shall collaborate with community partners to develop high-quality, culturally relevant, linguistically accessible, developmentally appropriate academic, athletic, extracurricular, enrichment, or community-based learning opportunities, for students from at least 8 am to 6 pm (or different hours if determined appropriate due to the needs of the community) Monday through Friday during the school year. That’s the key paragraph in the text of the Family Friendly Schools Act as introduced by Sen.... Read more
Let me start by saying that I am not pro-animal cruelty. I object to the intentional injury of animals for sport. I’d even agree that it’s reasonable to criminalize such actions, though I think it’s an open question how harsh the punishment should be, especially since many of the objections cited are a sort of “pre-crime” (many murderers have a past of animal cruelty) and since the focus, in other respects, is reducing the degree to which we imprison people.... Read more
As a bit of preface, I write on three different platforms these days (four if you count my periodic Federalist submissions): this site, Forbes, and my personal JaneTheActuary website. And I’m writing this blogpost here because I’m not in the mood for crafting it super-carefully to be polished and insightful. But Elizabeth Warren released here proposal of how she’d pay for her “Medicare for All” proposal on Friday, after sidestepping the issue in the latest debate, and it’s, well, nuts.... Read more
Were Amazon Synod participants venerating a statue meant to represent Mary? Or were at least some of them worshipping a statue of a pregnant woman meant to represent “life” or “Mother Earth”? And were the defenders of this statue doing so under the belief that this was Mary, or that, on the other hand, the statue was not given any particular sort of veneration but merely one among other symbols of life in the Amazon? Or were they perfectly fine... Read more
Yes, here’s where I get all Jane the Actuary on you, after having dug into the statistics of STD prevalence in the US. And as an initial caveat, of course, no one should be having sex outside of a marital commitment and nothing I write here should be understood as other than an attempt to understand what’s going on in the wider world — and, in fact, the consequences of a moral system in which sex is just a physical... Read more
So the other day, I wrote about STD rates climbing dramatically, but that post was based on the data I had had on hand that went back only to 2014. And as striking as it was, it didn’t make much sense to base any substantial comments on just five years’ worth of data. Were these fluctuations normal? Had the increases been going on for years and years? I was particularly suspicious of the various claims of cutbacks in government spending... Read more
Is it an idol? Is it merely a symbol? Is it an idol-that’s-perfectly-OK-in-the-spirit-of-inclusiveness? The Vatican can’t seem to make up their minds about the carved figure of a woman (actually multiple such carvings, originally purchased at a Brazilian artisan’s market) given a place of honor at various rites during the Amazon Synod. A recent National Catholic Register article reports: “There is nothing to know. It is an indigenous woman who represents life,” said Father Giacomo Costa, part of the synod... Read more
So this is a bit of old(er) news: a report from the CDC in early October shows increase in gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis for the fifth straight year, resulting in an all-time high since the United States began tracking these. CNN has a useful summary report in which they proffer several (contradictory) explanations: Possible factors driving this rise in STD cases, which vary depending on where you live, include a surge in people getting tested and cases being diagnosed and... Read more
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