In my column over at First Things, today, I recall Ann Rice “quitting Christianity” just about a year ago, and ponder why that might have happened: At the time Rice was writing, we were well into the summer of Tea Party unrest preceding the 2010 elections, and mainstream media were disseminating the usual mean Christian caricatures spouted in any election year. In 2010 patently false claims that Christians hate gays, women, and science had been given new force by the... Read more
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Let it be noted that just about 40 days before America solemnly remembers the deadliest attack ever to take place upon its shores — an attack made by genuine terrorists, killers hiding in plain sight, un-uniformed and “blended” into our society — the American Vice-President (along with some co-politicos) has denounced his well-identified, not-hiding anything, policy-disagreeing opponents and fellow-countrymen as “terrorists”. Look at that... Read more
It cannot be too often repeated that all real democracy is an attempt (like that of a jolly hostess) to bring the shy people out. For every practical purpose of a political state, for every practical purpose of a tea-party, he that baseth himself must be exalted. At a tea-party it is equally obvious that he that exalteth himself must be abased, if possible without bodily violence. Now people talk of democracy as being coarse and turbulent; it is a... Read more
It is unbelievable to me that we’re into August, already. Before you know it, the kids go back to college (buy them this and this!) or high school (buy this for sure!) the leaves go crisp and crimson-gold and then we’re into the work of Thanksgiving and ta-da! It’s Advent again! And Advent, of course, is when we’ll begin using the new missal translation of the mass. In her weekly column, Pat Gohn (aka “the sanest woman on the internet”)... Read more
Last month I put up a prayer request for 13 year-old Jadon, and Baby Michael David. Jadon, who had leukemia, developed a systemic infection after two rounds of chemo, and was in severe crisis, with kidneys shutting down; his situation was very grave. Happily, the newborn has pulled through, but last night I learned that Jadon — who fought manfully for six weeks, and even a few days ago was trying to respond to the people around him — has... Read more
Clearly, what we are getting out of Washington is not leadership, not from anyone. It is spitefulfulness; it is deceit; it is hyperbole unto madness and maneuvering and masterful manipulation, but it’s not leadership. What it is, is pure Kabuki theater, but less honest. Or maybe it’s not Kabuki, at all; maybe it’s just a carnival with freakshow, burlesque and a magic act, all brought forward to engage our attention in misdirection. “Look right this way, folks, (no, not there... Read more
Wee Cormac son of the ever-pensive but usually-cheerful Joseph Susanka. The kid routinely lays me flat with his cuteness, but this time I actually screamed from his devastating use of the adorable: Read more
When the first pictures of Anders Breivik were released, I wondered whether: “these professionally-done headshots meant for this moment? Did he have them done in anticipation of seeing them splashed all over the world and included in history books? Did he mean to look as posed as possible for posterity?” It seems that yes, yes they were posed for, for posterity. “The police usually ‘leak’ ‘retarded looking’ photos to the press after raiding the cell’s apartment after an operation,” Brevik... Read more
A few weeks ago Sr. Mary Ann Walsh gave us 10 Good Reasons to Go to Confession (and they were good ‘uns, too!). Today Sister gives us a brief ten-point look at what many call the most misunderstood of the sacraments: The Sacrament of the Sick may be the most misunderstood of the seven sacraments, probably because of its informal name from years past, “Last Rites.” When you hear “Last Rites’ you see a movie scene of a somber priest... Read more
Thanks to Francis Beckwith Read more
Select your answer to see how you score.
The Anchoress
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In