“If Jesus were alive today, do you think he would fortable with the Communist Party government in China?” That’s a question BBC reporter John Sudworth asked Pastor Wu Weiqing, a Beijing based priest, who serves in an official, state-sanctioned church. The pastor replies without hesitation: “Absolutely. I think so.” Oh my. First of all, as the Easter holiday reminds us, Jesus is alive today. Second, Jesus would most definitely not fortable with the Communist Party government in China. And the...

“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely,” is the most famous quote by the English Catholic historian Sir John Dalberg-Acton. It also appears to be the overriding theme of the teaser-trailer for the new movie Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. The quote is even stated directly in the trailer in a voiceover (by actress Holly Hunter). Is it applicable in this context? Would Lord Acton agree that absolute power has corrupted Superman? I think he would. That...

Acton Institute Director of Research Samuel Gregg was a guest on Thursday’s edition of Kresta in the Afternoon on the Ave Maria Radio Network; his conversation with host Al Kresta touched on Europe’s current struggles with Islamic terrorism, with a focus on this week’s attacks in Brussels, Belgium, and then shifted to a preview of Sam’s ing Acton Lecture Series address on Pope Francis, Poverty, and the Economy. If you’d like to attend that lecture here at the Acton Building...

The world’s most important farmer was born 102 years ago today. The late Norman Borlaug worked on his family’s Iowa farm from the time he was 7 and attended a one-room schoolhouse through eighth grade. Graduating high school during the Great Depression, he received a scholarship to the University of Minnesota, where he studied forestry. In graduate school he switchedto the study of plant pathology —a decision that would lead to a Nobel Prize and the saving of over a...

Acton Institute Director of Research Samuel Gregg joined host Shelia Liaugminas on Relevant Radio’s A Closer Lookto examine those times and places where religion can e pathological – when divine and human reason are set aside. They look back ten years to Pope Benedict’s Regensburg Address, in which he addressed this issue in what would e one of the most controversial momentsof his papacy. You can listen to the interview via the audio player below. ...

What just happened? Earlier today the U.S. Supreme Court split 4-4 on a legal challenge to a California law that forces non-union workers to pay fees to public-employee unions. What was the case about? California law requires every teacher working in most of its public schools to financially contribute to the local teachers’ union and that union’s state and national affiliates in order to subsidize expenses the union claims are related to collective bargaining. California law also requires public school...

A simple example of hamburgers being made at home versus at a restaurant can help illuminate the explosion of prosperity since the Industrial Revolution, says Don Boudreaux in this Marginal Revolution University video. The story of the division of labor and development of specialized tools is an old story (Adam Smith introduced the concept in his Wealth of Nations), but it still has tremendous explanatory power about how prosperity is created. ...

It’s e rather predictable to hear progressives promote protectionist rhetoric on trade and globalization. What’s surprising is when it spills from the lips of the leading Republican candidate. Donald Trump has made opposition to free trade a hallmark of his campaign, a holethat petitors have been slow to exploit. Inthemost recent CNN debate, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, and John Kasich eachechoed their own agreement in varying degrees, voicing slight critiques ontariffs but mostlyaffirmingTrump’s ambiguous platitudesabout trade that is“free but fair.”...

As Americans face an increasing wave of pressure on religious liberty here at home, Christians around the world are enduringunprecedented levels of persecution. According to We Stand With Them, a new group focused on “standing with those who stand with Jesus,” 100 million Christians were targeted for their faith in 2015, including a 136% increase over the previous year in believers who were killed for their faith. Last yearwas “the worst year for Christian persecution on record,” according to the...

Throughout the world Easter is celebrated as the greatest eventof the Christian faith. But as with most things associated with Christianity, we Americans tend to put our peculiar stamp on the holiday. Here are five facts you should know about Easter in America: 1. Easter Sunday church services are among the most well-attended all year. There’s even two terms to describe these additional congregants: CEOs — Christians who are “Christmas and Easter Only” — and Chreasters. These are Americans who...