We have seen Jesus preaching to the crowds about the kingdom of God. Those who really understood were the ones who got so caught up in love for Jesus that they forgot themselves and abased themselves before him. “Now when Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head, as he sat at table. But when the disciples... Read more
In Philadelphia today, Senator Barack Obama delivered what is perhaps the most important political speech on race since Martin Luther King gave his I Have A Dream speech on the Mall in Washington, D.C. 45 years ago. Obama’s speech is entitled A More Perfect Union. Watch it: Read more
I was once told that if I lack familiarity with the De Cive and Leviathan of the great British philosopher, Thomas Hobbes, that I would never understand the radical shift away from a politics informed by the Christian tradition that characterizes contemporary American politics. Right now, I am working through that mighty tome Leviathian, and I intend to post on Hobbes’ political philosophy both here and at The Crowd is Untruth. Fortunately, Cynthia Nielsen has a four part post on... Read more
Jesus prepared his followers for the eschatological kingdom by telling them what that kingdom is like. He knew that they were expecting him to bring the messianic kingdom to the world. They were right, he was going to do it. But they just didn’t understand what that kingdom was about. “Then the kingdom of heaven shall be compared to ten maidens who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no... Read more
Obama’s Minister Committed “Treason” But When My Father Said the Same Thing He Was a Republican Hero by Frank Schaeffer “When Senator Obama’s preacher thundered about racism and injustice Obama suffered smear-by-association. But when my late father — Religious Right leader Francis Schaeffer — denounced America and even called for the violent overthrow of the US government, he was invited to lunch with presidents Ford, Reagan and Bush, Sr. “Every Sunday thousands of right wing white preachers (following in my... Read more
Raymond Arroyo corrects a confused email that implies that the Catholic Church is or was on the conservative side of the political landscape. Arroyo does an adequate job. CNS Editor-in-chief, Terence Jeffrey, sets the record straight on McCain’s alleged “pro-life” positions: More info on McCain’s “pro-life” credentials: McCain on Embryonic Stem Cell Research Catholic for McCain? McCain is not pro-life What’s the Deal with Deal? Read more
Hopefully everyone has heard about this case; some of the actual reaction quotes are remarkable. To review: With this case law, anyone in California who is homeschooling without a teaching credential is subject to prosecution for truancy violation, which could require community service, heavy fines and possibly removal of their children under allegations of educational neglect. Loved this quote from the Judge who ruled in this case: “A primary purpose of the educational system is to train school children in... Read more
There has been quite a bit of controversy recently over the statements of Obama’s pastor and mentor, Jeremiah Wright. Wright has, among other things, said that blacks should not sing “God bless America” but rather “God damn America,” has referred to the U.S. as the “U.S. of KKK-A,” has said that the U.S. government invented the AIDS virus as a genocidal weapon against blacks. When questioned about his religious beliefs on the Hannity and Colmes television program, Wright responded by... Read more
Jeremiah Wright, Barack Obama’s Protestant pastor, has come under the spotlight recently, given his of his “controversial” utterances. Here is what he said: “The government gives them the drugs, builds bigger prisons, passes a three-strike law and then wants us to sing ‘God Bless America.’ No, no, no, God damn America, that’s in the Bible for killing innocent people…God damn America for treating our citizens as less than human. God damn America for as long as she acts like she... Read more
The bailout and subsequent buyout of Bear Stearns is revealing just how tenuously “free” our market remains. There has been much brouhaha of late about whether this is a “liberal” blog or not. Among some of the bloggers on this site, I would argue they are truer conservatives than many of the hecklers in the comment boxes; and more than a few Catholics who deride our supposed liberalism would be surprised to find that their opinions owe more to Hobbes,... Read more
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