“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers” (Galatians 6:10 NIV). According to The Christian Post, “On May 22, churches in several parts of the world are planning to hold ‘No Bible’ services where The Bible, even hymn books, over-head-projector slides, or anything else containing Scripture, will be locked away from view.” The purpose is to illustrate the state of Christians and others across the globe,...

Over the course of the past few months, many leaders on the left have been ramping up their rhetoric against the influence of the much-maligned “religious right” in American politics. The most recent high-profile example came from Democratic Senator Ken Salazar of Colorado, who described James Dobson and his Focus on the Family organization as “…the Antichrist of the world” in response to their strong advocacy against the filibustering of judicial nominees. Salazar later retracted his statement in the face...

A respondent over at Mere Comments gets right to the heart of what the scientific and technological ethos is (i.e., Technopoly): “If we can do it, it’s right” and “If we can do it, we do it” which resolve to “it’s right if I do it.” Always an mittee is there to help sear the consciences of those involved. These are precisely the guiding principles of university ethics panels that permit creation of genetic chimeras, promote embryonic stem cell usage...

Noting the declining participation munity and civic groups, Jordan J. Ballor assesses a different root cause than has been put forth so far. “The greatest share of blame,” he writes, “Ought to be laid at the feet of the modernist view of individuality, which minimizes the importance munity and social structures.” Read the full text here. ...

"In the French revolution a civil liberty for every Christian to agree with the unbelieving majority; in Calvinism, a liberty of conscience, which enables every man to serve God according to his own conviction and the dictates of his own heart." —Abraham Kuyper, "Calvinism and Politics," Stone Lectures on Calvinism, 1898. "What the French took from the Americans was their theory of revolution, not their theory of government—their cutting, not their sewing." —Lord Acton "The French Revolution ignores God. It...

Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, in his former role as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, was more focused on the theological implications of political heresies such as liberation theology than he was on questions of economics. Yet Benedict has written eloquently on the subject of markets and morality, as this 1985 presentation at a Rome conference amply shows. In a paper titled Market Economy and Ethics, he affirms that “market rules function only...

Watch Germany fall further into the abyss as it turns its back on both liberalism and Christianity. Once a staunchly pro-American, global economic powerhouse, the country is now the “sick man” of Europe more ways than one. These recent news items offer proof: Chancellor Gerhard Schrr lashes out at the “unrestrained neo-liberal system” for his country’s economic woes. Schrr has been actively courting Russia and China as allies; John Vinocur’s column in yesterday’s International Herald Tribune points to “Schrrism” as...

Here’s a well-balanced story by Steve Greenhouse in today’s New York Times, “Can’t Wal-Mart, a Retail Behemoth, Pay More?” On this point, refer to an op-ed by Acton staff about the economics and ethics of the “living wage” (PDF). For a discussion of the fairness of wages and free agreements of employment in Catholic Social Teaching, see “Justice and Charity in Wages,” from Religion & Liberty. ...

Some theologians have taken a troubling interpretation of the Noahic covenant to support a heterodox agenda. The World Alliance of Reformed Churches, in its attempts to call a status confessionis, called various study groups and forums to report on the “global crisis of life.” To this end, both the south-south member churches forum (held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, April 23-26 2003) and the south-north member churches forum (held in London Colney, UK, February 8-11 2004) affirm that: God has made...

On this date, in 1813, Danish philosopher and Christian Søren Kierkegaard was born. Five years later, on this date in 1818, German philosopher and atheist Karl Marx was born. For a rough sketch of where these men fit in the history of philosophy, see this “Flow Chart of Modern Philosophy After Kant.” ...