The secularist does not believe that God occupies any space above human society. And because it is obvious that there is room above human society, the secularist state aspires to get into that room. To modify the words of Augustine, or Pacal maybe, there is a God-shaped vacuum above the king. Once we decide that …
An Insurrection Rather
For those who like to read political tea leaves, the next place to look is Arizona. I am not talking about the turmoil concerning their immigration law, but rather the primary contest between McCain and Hayworth. I have said before that I think we are in the early stages of a tax revolt, and each …
A New Perspective on (Ron) Paul
One of the great problems that is created by abdication by political leaders is that it unleashes forces it cannot control. When this starts to happen, the leaders (who have been grossly irresponsible) start lecturing the forces they have created on their duty to “be responsible.” That is, as they say, the icing on the …
Boom and Bust in the Public Sector
We are accustomed to the notion that investors are subject to bouts of “irrational exuberance,” and that this is one of the contributing factors to the boom and bust cycles. When the good times are rolling, it is easy for those on the crest of the wave to assume that this can continue indefinitely. Not …
Heh . . .
The Moral Necessity of Some Form of Conservatism
Now in working through this issue it is crucial that we not affirm the consequent. All cows have four legs, but having four legs doesn’t make it a cow. I would also want to insist that all lawful sexual behavior must be heterosexual, but that doesn’t make all heterosexual behavior lawful. There is a moral …
Mortifying Pride of Place
In a previous post, I chided James K.A Smith for not including the cineplex as the religious mall’s Sunday School class. I am almost done with the book now, and wanted to make a point of noting that he does in fact tackle that problem. “Over time, the theater is a kind of classroom; it …
Truth in Labeling
We should all know what it is to fall victim to a metaphor. This is like that, and it is in some ways, but then when you press it, you discover that it is not like that in lots of other ways.Consider the summary evaluation of left wing/right wing. This is saying that the hurly …
Like a Bear With a Sore Head
So then, Ron Paul was the surprise winner of the CPAC presidential straw poll, and herein lies a lesson . . . for somebody. He came in first by a long shot, Romney second, and Palin third. It may soon start to sink in on establishment republicants, who want to “harness” all that tea party …
Sarah Palin and Personal Loyalties
This will be a hard one to explain, but let me just put it out there anyway. Those who have followed the political threads on this blog will know that I like and respect Sarah Palin. This is not to say that I believe she is necessarily equipped to be president, but my reservation at …