Some years ago I heard a young man — actually, he was a teenager at that time — remark that he wanted to be “open to all experience.” I am pretty sure that I know what he meant. He was an intelligent fellow and eager to distinguish himself from people whose minds were, he felt, … Read more
In the wake of the suicide bombing at a Coptic Christian Church in Egypt on New Year’s Day, which killed 21 people and wounded almost a hundred more, Pope Benedict has called for a second gathering of world religious leaders in Assisi this October to mark the 25th anniversary of the first “World Day of … Read more
A few years ago when Crisis was still in print, Eric Pavlat wrote a disturbing cover story on the burgeoning transhumanist movement. At the time, the subject was still new to most of our readers; some even wondered if Eric wasn’t exaggerating the dangers. Unfortunately for us, time has proven him right. Not only has … Read more
I knew that leprosy still existed in parts of Africa and India, but had no idea there were so many people living with it in China. According to Brian Palmer of Slate, the government no longer forces people with leprosy into isolation, but many small colonies remain: China has pledged to improve living conditions for … Read more
The plan of House Republicans to read the Constitution aloud on January 6, the second day of the 112th Congress, has provoked jeering from the liberal media. Yet in the midst of the jeers came a revealing comment from Washington Post columnist and blogger Ezra Klein in an appearance on MSNBC’s Daily Rundown: The issue … Read more
Like the comic, I still think of Epiphany as January 6. And yes, to me, the words “Ascension” and “Thursday” go together. (Pretty funny, given that not only was I born after Vatican II, but I didn’t even come into the Church until 1996!) I was just marveling earlier today that I perhaps am a … Read more
We’ve gone through a ringer of a year in 2010. What might the next twelve months bring? We asked our regular columnists and writers to make a prediction and share a hope for 2011. Here’s what they gave us… ♦      ♦      ♦ Rev. George W. Rutler I … Read more