Religion & Liberty Online Archives

Effective Compassion

January 14, 2010

Haiti: Two Days Later

The Big Picture blog has some remarkable images from the last 48 hours in Haiti (warning: there are disturbing images among the collections). In the wake of the disaster, many are looking back at Haiti’s history to see what has kept this nation in generations of economic despair. Continue Reading...
January 14, 2010

WFR Relief for Haiti

If you are looking for a Christian relief organization working in Haiti, let me recommend WFR Relief, located in Louisiana. Led by Don Yelton, WFR has a solid track record for effective compassion in times of disaster, having “provided humanitarian aid and disaster relief in 50 countries since 1981.” Continue Reading...
January 14, 2010

How to Help Haiti

I have to admit that my first few reactions to the news of an earthquake in the Caribbean weren’t especially charitable. I thought first that the scale of the reports had to be exaggerated, that things couldn’t be as bad as the media was breathlessly reporting. Continue Reading...
November 30, 2009

Deacons, Secularism, and the Welfare State

A few weeks ago Hunter Baker posted some thoughts on secularism and poverty, in which he wrote of the common notion that since private charity, particularly church-based care, had failed to end poverty, it seems only prudent to let the government have its chance. Continue Reading...
November 25, 2009

Acton Media Alert: Talking Health Care in South Florida

Acton Institute President Rev. Robert A. Sirico joined host Dennis O’Donovan this morning on Religion, Politics and the Culture on WLVJ in south Florida for a wide ranging, hour-long discussion on health care reform and the US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ role in the debate, among other topics. Continue Reading...
November 20, 2009

Health Care Principles to Remember

With the health care debate heating up once again, and a vote pending on the legislation on Saturday in the US Senate, here are a few bits of commentary on the process from Acton’s audio archives that will help you to understand some of the important issues at stake: September 10, 2009: Dr. Continue Reading...
November 11, 2009

Secularism and Poverty

A colleague recently mentioned that a wag had observed the church had failed to solve poverty, so why not let the federal government have a try? I think it is interesting that anyone, such as the wag in question, could think that the federal government can effectively solve the problem of poverty. Continue Reading...
November 04, 2009

Finding the Right Charity

The Dave Ramsey Show appears on Fox Business Network and is also available for live streaming via Hulu. In last Thursday’s episode (at about the 18:00 mark), a Twitter follower of @ramseyshow asked, “I want to start giving. Continue Reading...
September 21, 2009

Health Care and the ‘Holy Art of Giving’

In a column in this past Saturday’s religion section, Charles Honey reflects on the second great love commandment in the context of the national health care debate. Honey’s piece starts out on a very strong note, detailing the perspective of Dr. Continue Reading...
September 16, 2009

Civilizing Discourse on the Public Option

In this week’s commentary I argue that the shape of the debate over the public health care option over the next four years should focus on the critical role played by mediating institutions of civil society: charities, churches, and voluntary organizations. Continue Reading...