Ethno-Catholicism and the Mexican American Community (Part 2 of 3)

Last updated on: July 18, 2008 at 7:56 pm By voxnovablog

Part 1: Memory and Identity of the Mexican American Community A New Consciousness: Attitudinal Shifts in the Catholic Church in Houston Treviño notes that in the first years of the establishment of the Mexican community in Houston, there appeared to be a clash of religious practices between those expressed within ethno-Catholicism, characterized by vibrant family- and community-centered traditions, and those that were expressed by American Catholicism, generally characterized as more intellectual and institutionally-based. This conflict in practices and ways of... Read more

The Vindication of Humanae Vitae

Last updated on: July 18, 2008 at 3:35 pm By jonathanjonesuiwdpt

Mary Eberstadt has written an informative article about the lasting importance of Paul VI’s standing firm for a genuine, humane, and fulfilling intimacy in the face of fierce opposition. To take one example from the storm engulfing the Anglicans, what impact will the truth of these teachings continue to have on the laity and religious leaders? A quote from Eberstadt: By giving benediction in 1930 to its married heterosexual members purposely seeking sterile sex, the Anglican Church lost, bit by... Read more

Pope Blames Proportionalism for Abuse Crisis

Last updated on: July 18, 2008 at 2:49 pm By Morning's Minion

John Allen has the details, reporting Benedict’s words as follows: “We have to reflect on what was insufficient in our education, in our teaching in recent decades. There was, in the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s, the idea of proportionalism in ethics: It held that nothing is bad in itself, but only in proportion to others. With proportionalism, it was possible to think for some subjects — one could also be pedophilia — that in some proportion they could be a... Read more

Vox Nova At The Movies: The Dark Knight

Last updated on: July 18, 2008 at 11:26 am By Henry Karlson

If there was ever the need for me to show some people the philosophical ideals of Joseph de Maistre put in action, there is, to date, no better way to do so than to show them the movie, The Dark Knight. (more…) Read more

Man At The Crossroads Conclusion: The Way Forward

Last updated on: July 18, 2008 at 6:30 am By Henry Karlson

Part I Part II Part III Part IV We must realize that our practical atheism is only that; while there are some philosophical and theological justifications used for it, its existence for the majority of people is only on the level of praxis. Such praxis is deadly, as can be seen in the world situation we find ourselves living in today. The world is falling apart. Humanity has been shown how great it can be; but it has not shown... Read more

How to Be Batman

Last updated on: July 18, 2008 at 2:09 am By Edward Blackadder

Battling bad guys. High-tech hideouts. The gratitude of the masses. Who at some point in their life hasn’t dreamed of being a superhero? Impossible, right? Or is it? Possessing no supernatural powers, Batman is the most realistic of all the superheroes. His feats are achieved through rigorous training and mental discipline, and with the aid of fantastic gadgets. Drawing on his training as a neuroscientist, kinesiologist, and martial artist, E. Paul Zehr explores the question: could a mortal ever become... Read more

Vox Nova at the Movies: The Joy Luck Club

Last updated on: July 17, 2008 at 1:46 pm By Morning's Minion

I thought I would take a little break from politics to talk about one of my favorite movies of all time, the adaptation of Amy Tan’s The Joy Luck Club. This might seem a strange choice, especially for someone notoriously averse to breezy romantic movies and other productions that get dubbed with the rather dubious title “chick flick”. Nor am I given to displays of emotion, and yet I can say sincerely that I have not yet watched this movie... Read more

Man At the Crossroads IV: “Modern Man”

Last updated on: July 17, 2008 at 8:53 am By Henry Karlson

Part I Part II Part III Through modernism, humanity has done all it can to throw God away. His existence is seen as meaningless, and the world goes on. Humans continue to live and breathe, continue to succeed and fail at life, just as they did when they focused their attention on God. Such, it seems, makes God superfluous. The rise of humanity, where we take our place as master of the world, is to be our right. What seems like the ultimate human... Read more

An Argument Against Expanding Entitlements

Last updated on: July 17, 2008 at 8:52 am By Edward Blackadder

1. It’s wrong to make promises you know will not be able to keep. 1a. This is particularly wrong when you know people will rely on such promises to their detriment. 2. Medicare currently has unfunded liabilities of $65.4 trillion dollars. 3. The Federal government is not going to be able to raise enough revenues to cover this $65.4 trillion shortfall, let alone any expanded health care entitlements. 4. If people are promised expanded health care services from their government,... Read more