Democracy is not a lazy person’s form of government. If your idea of good citizenship is watching the dissolution of our society from the sidelines like an insomniac staring at a late-night movie, you need to move to a dictatorship. Democracy is too much work for you. “The price of liberty is eternal vigilance.” Contrary to popular attribution, neither Thomas Jefferson nor Patrick Henry said this first. The truth appears to be less glamorous. John Philpot Curran first said, “The... Read more
I’ve found that evil usually triumphs…unless good is very, very careful. –DR. MCCOY, Star Trek: The Original Series, “The Omega Glory” I’m going to take my time commenting about President Obama’s recent “compromises” on the HHS Mandate. I want to let the fur fly for a while. In the meantime, here are a few facts and a couple of opinions that I want you to think about as we winnow through the political/media chaff. 1. President Obama did not offer this... Read more
To join the discussion about Quiet, or to buy a copy, go here. I am an introvert. I am also an elected official. Many people assume that this makes me a walking, breathing contradiction in terms, an oxymoron, a rarest of the rare. However, they are wrong about this. Most of the politicians I know — and I know a lot of them — are introverts. I’ve only known a few true extroverts who actually managed to make it into... Read more
I’ve found that evil usually triumphs…unless good is very, very careful. –DR. MCCOY, Star Trek: The Original Series, “The Omega Glory” Franks Weathers, who blogs at Why I am Catholic, posted some interesting news this morning. There are signs that the Obama Administration is reading the court-ruling tea leaves and has decided to maybe, perhaps, accede on the HHS Mandate — at least to the point of living up to a few of the promises it made in the past. After... Read more
Great Britain’s government will vote soon on gay marriage. Christians have expressed concern that such a change in the law might result in attacks on freedom of conscience. Supporters of the measure have rushed to assure the public that such fears are groundless. Now, where have we heard things like this before? Oh yes. It was President Obama, promising that Obamacare would not infringe on religious freedom and individual rights of conscience. That was only a few months before a... Read more
I’m an elected official, which is a spiffy way of saying that I’m a politician. I am also a blogger. It would seem, based on those two things, that I must have an opinion about every single thing in the known universe. But that’s not true. In fact, I actually don’t have an opinion about most things. I don’t care if you wear blue shoes or brown, if you shave your head or grow your hair down to your waist.... Read more
Opponents of Colorado’s proposed civil unions law raised concerns about the law being used limit religious freedom at a rally against the measure January 25. Similar laws in other states have been used to force Catholic agencies to shut down. What that says to me is that these concerns are legitimate. A CNA/EWTN News article describing the rally says in part: Denver, Colo., Jan 26, 2013 / 06:02 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Around 200 opponents of a Colorado civil unions bill... Read more
One of the neat things about writing for Patheos is that there’s no censorship here. I am free to write what I want and say what I think. That goes for the other writers. We go off in different directions all the time. There is no “official” Patheos position on what we say. Our thoughts are our own. Take, for instance, a post that I recently wrote in which I referred to a small town here in the Oklahoma City... Read more
Where there is no vision, the people perish. Proverbs 29: 18 … and he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. Mark 6: 34 For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required. Luke 12: 48 Demagoguery is not preaching Christ. Protecting priestly privilege is not preaching Christ. Pandering to your parishioners is not preaching... Read more
“Do not take government money.” I have said this to every religious ministry who has given me a venue to speak ever since I came back to public office in 2002. The only people who give you free money are people who love you, like your parents. The government does not love anybody. Government money hooks you into government policies, including those that are anathema to you. Religious groups that take government money — and it does not matter which... Read more
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