Complete separation between morality and politics is one of the prevalent errors of the present age. From the Christian point of view and within Christendom, those two realms – the moral and the political – ought to be most intimately connected, though they cannot coincide. Just as Christian morality has in view the realization of the Kingdom of God within the individual, so Christian politics should be preparing the coming of God’s Kingdom for humanity as a whole consisting of... Read more
I am excited to note that a new book has just been published on Christian social justice in the workplace. John C. Médaille’s The Vocation of Business: Social Justice in the Marketplace is now available for purchase from Continuum. Here’s a synopsis of the book from Continuum’s website: This is a textbook on the Social Teaching of the Roman Catholic Church for would-be business professionals. Part I does 3 things: provides (1) a history of moral discourse since the Enlightenment,... Read more
Back when the Pope was being criticized for his Regensburg University speech which contained some not-well-thought-out comments on Islam, I argued that many of the Pope’s critics were missing the point. Indeed, I agreed with the Catholic Peace Fellowship blog when they suggested that the Pope meant to criticize Christianity just as much as Islam. I didn’t have that same sympathy for the Pope last week when he commented on the Church’s role in the history of colonization in Latin... Read more
A new birth control pill that eliminates a woman’s menstrual cycles was approved yesterday by the FDA. What are some of the critics saying? But some critics say the elimination of a period as a “lifestyle choice” could be bad for women’s health. “Menstrual suppression is unnatural,” health psychologist Paula Derry wrote in an editorial in the British Medical Journal. “Unnatural? Are you serious? It is after all my body and it is my choice!” You know it. You know... Read more
297. Immigration can be a resource for development rather than an obstacle to it. In the modern world, where there are still grave inequalities between rich countries and poor countries, and where advances in communications quickly reduce distances, the immigration of people looking for a better life is on the increase. These people come from less privileged areas of the earth and their arrival in developed countries is often perceived as a threat to the high levels of well-being achieved... Read more
Today I was invited to join a panel discussion about war and peace, and to share my experiences as a conscientious objector (I was discharged a few years ago from the Army as a CO). I explained that my objection was firmly based in the Gospel, and that if I were to share anything, it would be faith-based. He thought that was okay. But after we talked, I wondered if I would have the courage to say what I know... Read more
We seem to be skirting around this issue on the blog, so I would like to address it head on. On whether a Catholic can vote for a pro-abortion candidate (I will refrain from the “pro-choice” euphemism), a number of Catholic commentators say they cannot, and quite vociferously. The most sophisticated reasoning on this front is laid out by the Catholic Answers voter’s guide. In a nutshell, this group argues that there are five non-negotiable issues in current US political... Read more
It is easy and emotionally appealing to cast oneself as a victim, especially in our therapeutic culture of narcissism and self-indulgence. We like to feel good without inconveniencing ourselves too much. This mindset, it seems to me, is something we see too often with Catholic politicians of both parties when voting on divisive matters. The gravitational pull of each party from the base – those who donate time, money, and energy – is strong and out of step with the... Read more
In one of his typically thought-provoking and soul-stretching posts, Nathan rightly notes the (im)moral and social conditions that fuel the culture of death. To simply reduce abortion to its political and legal aspects as if a solution based sheerly on platform or law could extinguish the evil that gives rise to the systematic destruction–murder–of the smallest and weakest of persons is to gravely neglect the real issue at stake. As Nathan brilliantly and beautifully puts it, Christians must commit to... Read more
The USCCB released a statement through its Media Relations Office, headed by Sr. Mary Ann Walsh, addressing the recent statement of 18 Catholic politicians in the U.S. House. The full press release is as follows: Response to 18 Democrats Sister Mary Ann Walsh, RSM Director of Media Relations United States Conference of Catholic BishopsIn an unfortunate May 10 statement, 18 of the 88 Catholic Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives criticized Pope Benedict XVI’s remarks concerning Mexican lawmakers legalizing... Read more
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