January 2014 Archives

January 06, 2014

‘Out of Darkness:’ U.S. Catholic Bishops Declare National Migration Week

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has declared January 5-11, 2014 as National Migration Week, with the theme of “Out of Darkness.” The USCCB states that this “vulnerable” population needs support, protection and prayerful ministry in order to thrive. Continue Reading...

January 06, 2014

Virtue At GQ: The Heart of ‘Look Sharp, Live Smart’

One of the most popular blog posts at Gentlemen’s Quarterly Magazine (GQ) in 2013 was a commentary giving men 10 reasons to stop viewing pornography. On GQ’s website the piece registered 24,000 thousand “like” on Facebook in just a few weeks. Continue Reading...

January 06, 2014

University Of Dallas Receives Injunction Against HHS Mandate

While the University of Notre Dame has decided to comply with the HHS mandate requiring employers to cover contraception, abortifacients and abortions in employee health insurance, the University of Dallas continues to fight the mandate. Continue Reading...

January 06, 2014

A Letter on Work and Worth

The following is a letter written in response to a post from my friend Brad Littlejohn on the topic of the minimum wage. Dear Brad, Thank you for your thoughtful and substantive engagement on the question of the minimum wage. Continue Reading...

January 06, 2014

Colson and Dostoevsky: Ideas Have Consequences

The late, great Chuck Colson had impeccable taste in literature. By that I mean that he liked all of the same books that I like. Or I suppose that I should say, I like all of the same books he liked. Continue Reading...

January 03, 2014

There’s an App for Government Transparency

If you’re interested in how your tax dollar is being spent at the local level, check out Open The Books, a project of American Transparency. It was founded by Adam Andrzejewski as a “national rallying cry for transparency in public spending.” Continue Reading...

January 03, 2014

Becoming Europe: Freedoms Curtailed, Prosperity Declines

“With every passing year, and each new EU bailout, Europeans seem to be forgetting where they came from,” writes journalist David Aikman in a new review of Becoming Europe: Economic Decline, Culture, and How America Can Avoid a European Future. Continue Reading...

January 03, 2014

Why are Working-Class Men Falling Behind?

Why are working-class men falling behind? Economic, familial, and lifestyle factors all play a role. One of the main reasons less-educated men are losing economic opportunities, explains anthropologist Michael Jindra, is that they are gaining more ways to indulge in entertainment and leisure: Dr. Continue Reading...

January 03, 2014

How Much is Too Much for the Bishop of Camden?

Back in October, I was a guest on the radio show World Have Your Say on BBC World Service. The occasion was the suspension by the Vatican of the Bishop of Limburg, Germany, Franz-Peter Tebartz-van-Elst, known as the “bishop of bling.” Continue Reading...

January 03, 2014

Gospel Entrepreneurs

In his new book, Risky Gospel, Owen Strachan calls Christians to an active life filled with faith and risk, cautioning us away from complacency and comfortability, whether in our churches, jobs, families, political witness, or in the deeper workings of our spiritual lives. Continue Reading...