In this Crisis Magazine classic, Peter Kreeft outlines a three step plan for winning the culture war, and it doesn’t require money, power, or the media. To win any war, the three most necessary things to know are (1) that you are at war, (2) who your enemy is, and (3) what weapons … Read more
Most of us have had conversations with friends regarding the hot-button topics of abortion, same-sex unions, or euthanasia. Is there anyone who has not heard the justification, “Well, I just feel that . . .”? It reminds one of the lyrics from an old Elvis tune: “If it feels so right, how can it be … Read more
Literature offers us a rich panorama of marriages in which the woman is a shrew and the husband a victim. Not every male is a Petruchio and can “tame” his conjoint. But while not a marriage, the mysterious partnership between the great C. S. Lewis and Janie King Moore, which lasted half of Lewis’s life, … Read more
On February 12, 1809, both Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin were born, a rather interesting coincidence. There are other odd concurrences in their two lives: Both of their mothers died quite early, within a year of each other — Charles’s mother, Susanna, in 1817 and Abraham’s mother, Nancy, in 1818. Both lost three children. … Read more
This is Dr. Joseph Wright’s response to specific criticisms of his work on the study, "Reducing Abortion in America: The Effect of Socioeconomic Factors." We received this via E-mail, and have been unable to find it posted elsewhere, so we have uploaded it here. ♦ ♦ ♦ Each year over a million unborn children … Read more
In this Crisis Magazine classic, historian T. David Curp takes an honest look at the Church’s record on slavery, and explains why it isn’t all good. Current questions and values can so distort our study of the past that we enact our own version of the "cadaver synod." In this infamous trial, held … Read more
In this Crisis Magazine classic, Kathryn Jean Lopez exposes the lies at the heart of the sexual revolution about birth control and “safe sex” — and the havoc they have wreaked on our nation. Amanda, age 30 — I’ve changed her name and those of other women I interviewed for this story in order to … Read more
An amusing citation from Margaret Thatcher reads: “The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people’s money.” The socialists, however, were not the only ones who would run out of other people’s money. Democracies are quite capable of duplicating this feat. The question is this: What entitles us to acquire other … Read more
He gets it. Stephen Catanzarite has written arguably the most important book about rock music of the young 21st century. U2’s Achtung Baby: Meditations on Love in the Shadow of the Fall is a small volume — more like a thick pamphlet than a book — but each line is a mini-dissertation on the … Read more
A witch helped me become a Christian. OK, the biographical blurbs on Tamora Pierce’s book jackets don’t actually call her a witch, but they do say that she’s taught witchcraft; close enough. Pierce is the author of several children’s fantasy series, of which the most famous is probably the Alanna series: Alanna: The First Adventure, … Read more
We see a lot of symbols every day, but most just tell the world how much something costs. They mark brand and status, not meaning. The famous Nike “swoosh” just means “expensive shoe.” A little horse on the pocket of a shirt just means “shirt trying to look expensive.” Signs and Mysteries: Revealing Ancient Christian … Read more
Here I am, staggering under a load of great new recordings, with no relief in sight. I can only hope it gets worse, which it promises to do: Enterprising CD labels are reissuing classic recordings and exploring new repertory at almost exponential rates. I must resort to staccato-style reviews to plow ahead. First, a … Read more
The centerpiece of Obama’s Catholic outreach in the recent election was the “abortion reduction” trope. This was the cover provided by Catholic supporters for some of the most pro-abortion politicians in U.S. history. Doug Johnson, legislative director of National Right to Life, has detailed its deceptions and misrepresentations. By ending the Mexico City Policy, President … Read more
Pro-lifers have become used to having an ally in Washington, D.C. But now that we are faced with a pro-choice House, Senate, and presidency, with a nearly filibuster-proof majority in the Senate, the facts demand a new path of action. Many pro-lifers are already engaged in some form of activism beyond voting, whether it’s … Read more
A great and growing difficulty for the Catholic Church, and all her faithful, is the disintegration of modern languages. Words used through centuries to connote deep meanings — not incomprehensible, but superficially complex — come to mean less and less. The glib use of a word such as “prophecy,” to mean only a prediction of … Read more
As Washington D.C. geared up (or in my case, hunkered down) in preparation for the unprecedented influx of people expected to attend the inauguration of President Barack Obama today, a telling paradox came to light. Officials estimate at least 1.5 million people are in town for the historic swearing-in of our nation’s first black president. … Read more
The line of people began at the front door of St. Philip Neri Church in Lafayette Hill, Pennsylvania, and formed two complete loops around the sanctuary before it came to rest at the open coffin. Many who came to pay their respects stood for several hours before being greeted by the family of Paul Henkels. … Read more
What an interesting coincidence that Barack Obama will be sworn in as president the day after we celebrate the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. Will Obama finish King’s work of equality — which is also the unfinished work of Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Lyndon Johnson? Many societies have been divided into a dominant … Read more
Meat-and-potatoes history fans, take note: The Great Medieval Heretics is good, solid, reliable history written in a no-nonsense style. Michael Frassetto teaches history at the University of Delaware and is an expert in medieval religion, heresy, and politics. His book delivers a detailed account of the heretics of the medieval period, starting with the false … Read more
Poor Bernie Madoff! He’s not a bad guy. He was operating according to the prevailing rules of present-day morality. He was bringing a lot of happiness to a lot of people, including himself. And then he ran into a streak of bad luck. Unfortunate things happened — surprising things, things beyond his expectation or control; … Read more
