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December 29, 2014

Nothing New ‘Underneath that Burning Sun’

Friedrich Hayek once called intellectuals “professional secondhand dealers in ideas.” And the Preacher proclaimed, “There is nothing new under the sun.” So perhaps it shouldn’t be surprising when ideas, memes, and other cultural phenomena pop up again and again. Continue Reading...
December 24, 2014

The Blue-Cold Child

From Flannery O’Connor’s The Violent Bear It Away: God told the world he was going to send it a king and the world waited. The world thought, a golden fleece will do for His bed. Continue Reading...
December 24, 2014

Poverty Imagery and the ‘Christmas Song’

In last week’s Acton commentary, “The Worst Christmas Song Ever,” Jordan Ballor touched on the well-intentioned yet harmful message shared by “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” the 1984 song produced by the music group, Band Aid, in response to the famine that struck Ethiopia. Continue Reading...
December 24, 2014

A Dangerous Moment with Promise

In this week’s commentary, Acton president and co-founder Rev. Robert A. Sirico reflects on Christmas, but also on the things weighing heavily on many hearts. Despite this being a joyful time, we are caught in perilous moment in history due to the meeting of various things: intellectual, financial, militarily, and theologically. Continue Reading...
December 23, 2014

Reflections on How We Approach God

We know how God approached mankind: the surprising incarnation as a baby at Christmas. But how ought we to approach Him? Here is a wide range of 14 ways we often try, along with a benefit for each: Love the right things and you will find your way home to God Think the right things and you will know the sovereign God Believe the right things and you will live at peace Obey, obey, obey and you will not go to hell Withdraw from the world and you will know God best Keep these sacraments and you will be part of the kingdom of God Feel the right things and you will be blessed in your spirit Follow these steps and you will prosper Serve the Lord your God by serving people and you will honor God Once you have suffered enough you will know God Meditation is the path to knowing God Go with the culture and God will go with you There is no God, but there ought to be one, so I’ll “believe” We are all God’s children so let’s be nice to everyone Continue Reading...
December 23, 2014

The Politics of ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’

Frank Capra’s ‘It’s Wonderful Life’ is one of the greatest movies of all time. It’s a Christmas classic and also—as I’ve always thought—a conservative classic, a film whose themes align closely with traditional conservatism. Continue Reading...
December 23, 2014

Food Stamp Sticker Shock

Grocery shopping is not a chore I enjoy. It’s a mundane task, and everything you buy you will have to soon replace. Then, when you finally get to the end of the chore, you look at the register and think, “HOW much??” Continue Reading...