Religion & Liberty Online Archives

Public Policy

September 13, 2007

Global Warming Consensus Alert: Could This Be The End of Science?

If there’s one thing that I’ve learned from supporters of climate change alarmism, it’s this: Science = consensus, and consensus = TRUTH. Well, it appears that science and truth have taken another hit: A new analysis of peer-reviewed literature reveals that more than 500 scientists have published evidence refuting at least one element of current man-made global warming scares. Continue Reading...
September 12, 2007

Democracy in Iraq

In this week’s Acton Commentary, I examine the (non)necessity of promoting a democratic government in post-invasion Iraq. I haven’t written much on Iraq in this or any other venue, for a number of reasons. Continue Reading...
September 10, 2007

The Christian Publishing Market

Some notes from a talk by Sally E. Stuart, author of The Christian Writers Market Guide: Publisher blogs are increasingly prevalent (for example, IVP). Authors are sometimes expected to provide fully developed marketing plans. Continue Reading...
September 10, 2007

Helping the “Bottom Billion”

Richard John Neuhaus is calling it “one of the most important books on world poverty in a very long time.” It’s Paul Collier’s The Bottom Billion: Why the Poorest Countries Are Failing and What Can Be Done About It. Continue Reading...
September 07, 2007

Faith and Football

This week’s commentary by Anthony Bradley, “Obviously, Sports Do Not Build Character,” (along with our poll question) made me think of the series of articles appearing in the current issue of Christianity Today, which included a cover story on the NFL and an editorial addressing faith and the NBA. Continue Reading...
September 06, 2007

English, Speak You Do It?

They say that those who can’t do, teach. But what if you can’t teach? From the AZ Republic: “Hundreds of students in Arizona are trying to learn English from teachers who don’t know the language, state officials say.” Continue Reading...
September 05, 2007

UK Approves Creation of Chimeras

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) in the UK has given generic approval allowing “human-animal embryos to be created and used for research.” According to a Christian Science Monitor report, Evan Harris, “a lawmaker on a parliamentary committee that has oversight in this field,” says that “No scientist I have found has provided scientific reasons as opposed to religiously based ethical reasons for not proceeding,” he adds, even though his committee “looked high and low for such scientists.” Continue Reading...
September 05, 2007

Globalization By Itself is Not Enough

A recent NBER paper, “Distributional Effects of Globalization in Developing Countries,” by Pinelopi Koujianou Goldberg and Nina Pavcnik examines some effects of trade liberalization on low-skill workers. Les Picker summarizes the findings, “Not surprisingly, the entry of many developing countries into the world market in the last three decades coincides with changes in various measures of inequality in these countries. Continue Reading...
September 05, 2007

Microfinance Challenged

PowerBlog has in the past endorsed the concept of micro-loans as a market-friendly and thereby effective way of aiding the poor, especially in developing countries. Now Arneel Karnani has attacked microfinance in a prestigious publication, largely on the basis of macroeconomic data. Continue Reading...