When arguing about the merits of a free economy, its defenders often give way to apeculiar line of reasoning that goes something like this: “Socialism would be wonderful if it actually worked, and it could actually work if only men were angels.” Such claims are meantto framesocialists as foolish idealists obsessed with their sillyutopias. But for those of us who believe there’sa certain idealism to thefree society, it’s a rather appalling concession. Indeed,the fundamental problem with socialism isn’t so much...

Members of the “Acton Club” of West Catholic High School Culture has either an overly optimistic view of youth culture, or an overly dour and depressing one. However, neither view is entirely true, nor are such disparate opinions very helpful. The unavoidable truth is this: younger generations will have to bear increasingly more difficult levels of financial, and societal responsibility in ing years. To put it mildly their future will not be an easy walk in the park. However, in...

It’s no secret that much of the world has a hard time accessing clean drinking water. In Latin America and the Caribbean, for example, it is estimated that 36 million people have no regular access to clean water. This doesn’t just mean people are thirsty; unclean water leads to a host of health problems. Water.org states that somewhere in the world, a child dies every minute because of a water-borne illness. In São Paulo, Brazil, about 12 million people have...

The United Nations’ Commission on the Status of Women recently released a report that includes data on gender-based violence. Here are seven sets of figures on violence against girls and women that are based on their data: 1. Recent global estimates show that 35 percent of women worldwide have experienced either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partnersexual violence in their lifetime. While there is some variation across regions, all regions have unacceptably high rates of violence against women....

Rosa’s Fresh Pizza in Philadelphia has now given away more than 10,000 slices of pizza, using a unique “pay-it-forward” system where “customers can pre-purchase $1 slices for those in need.” The story is inspiring on a number of levels, illuminating the powerof business to channel the best of humanity toward plexneeds in new and unexpected ways, often quite spontaneously. The owner, Mason Wartman, left his job on Wall Street to start the restaurant, following his vocational aspirations and bringing a...

Christian’s Library Press has now releasedPsalms I, the fourth primer in itsOpening the Scripturesseries, and the first in a two-part release on the book of Psalms. Written by Dutch Reformed minister Frans van Deursen, and newly translated by Nelson D. Kloosterman, the volume provides an introduction to Psalms, a book which serves as“the oldest songbook that God’s people possess,” as well as the “oldest breviary or prayer book,” the authorwrites. Like other volumes in the series, Psalms I is neither...

Pope Francis If I were to publicly announce a Bible study meeting at the local public library, one can imagine the hue and cry from secularists fretting about a looming right-wing theocratic takeover of America. Change the subject to Pope Francis’ ing encyclical on climate change, however, and all you hear are crickets chirping from the separation of church and state crowd. ments on the encyclical here from Acton’s Kishore Jayabalan) It’s interesting to note that – when not attempting...

Drones can be used for great evil, but they can also save lives. In the past decade, more than 20,000 people have died trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea. Desperate people work with smugglers and board overcrowded and hazardous boats, attempting to escape war-torn and dangerous countries in the Middle East. Christopher Catrambone, an American living in Malta has decided to use one of the most controversial tools of the 21st century to try and save these people. Forget the...

One of our favorite coffee shops when we lived in Washington, D.C. in the 1980s was The Daily Grind. The name’s humorous wordplay about everyday work and the delicious fresh-roasted coffee made us smile. But too many of God’s people are not smiling as their alarms sound and they head to their daily tasks. Recent surveys reveal their deep dissatisfaction in their jobs, with few finding joy and significance in their efforts. Last year, Barna Group reported 75 percent of...

Earlier this week the University of Oklahoma chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon was caught on video engaging in a racist chant. The video shows several men wearing tuxedos and riding on a charter bus singing that black students, which the men refer to with a racial slur, could never join their fraternity. The chant also alluded to lynchings. Language warning: The video below contains offensive and racist language. The reaction to this vile, disgraceful video was swift and, for the...