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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...

Acton Launches New Website

The Acton Institute has just refreshed its online look. Go to www.acton.org to see our completely redesigned Website. All of your favorite content is still available but it should now be easier to find and keep track of. Continue Reading...

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...

Samaritan Award Winner

The Acton Institute’s 2007 Samaritan Award winner for outstanding private, voluntary charitable service has been awarded to the Arkansas Sheriffs’ Youth Ranches, Inc. Their mission statement reads, “To address, remedy, and prevent child abuse and neglect by creating safe, healthy, and permanent homes for children.” Continue Reading...

D. James Kennedy Dies (1930-2007)

From WPBF: FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A pioneering megachurch pastor and prominent Christian broadcaster has died in Fort Lauderdale. The Rev. D. James Kennedy died early Wednesday morning at his home due to complications from cardiac arrest in December. Continue Reading...

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...

Islam, Democracy and Turkey

Bilal Sambur, Ph.D., is assistant professor on the faculty of divinity at Suleyman Demirel University in Isparta, Turkey. He is a guest scholar this summer at the Acton Institute. Islam, Democracy and Turkey By Bilal Sambur The inauguration of Abdullah Gul as Turkey’s new president has provoked a great deal of discussion — and anxiety — about the rise to power of a man who is an observant Muslim with a background in Islamic politics. Continue Reading...

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...