If you doubt that libertarians inhabit an alternate moral universe from the one we Christians live in, check out this article by Steve Horwitz on how capitalism has "humanized" the family. His take on the pre-modern family, which indeed has basic, material needs it had to meet, is stunning. No sense that common work and effort brings human dignity.
On Monday night, at the Catholic and Evangelical Summit on Poverty, Robert Putnam discussed his new book, Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis, at one of the summit’s public sessions. Everything about his presentation was important, but it was his ending that stuck with me.
The House of Representatives passed a "pain capable" abortion ban yesterday. Democrats for Life supports the measure but calls for additional assistance for pregnant women. In a discussion driven by extremes, Dems for Life consistently approaches this issue with a view towards what women need and not just what politicians need.
The last three days, I have been attending the Catholic-Evangelical Summit on Poverty at Georgetown, which was the brainchild of John Carr, who leads Georgetown’s Initiative on Catholic Social Thought & Public Life, Leith Anderson, President of the National Association of Evangelicals, and Robert Putnam, Harvard political scientist and author of the new book “Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis.” The event had a yet more diverse array of sponsors, from the Salvation Army to Oxfam, and a still more diverse group of participants.
Another participant in Notre Dame's conference on polarization, Providence College's Holly Taylor Coolman, writes about her thoughts on the conference here.
There is no issue on which attitudes are more set in stone than abortion. People who are pro-choice tend to find it unthinkable that anyone would tell a woman what she can and can’t do with her body. People who are pro-life consider it unconscionable that anyone would think abortion should be legally available. Powerful, well-funded interest groups enforce the twin orthodoxies of each side, and few and far between is the politician capable of a profile in thoughtfulness, let alone a profile in courage.
Whatever your politics, as Catholic Christians we should concern ourselves with helping our brothers and sisters in Cuba, many of whom are mired in poverty. Here is a great way to help build solidarity between our two peoples.
Cardinal Vincent Nichols went to London's most LGBT-friendly parish and delivered this powerful sermon. I think these words especially warrant the consideration of the Synod Fathers:
Archbishop Vigano: Call your office! Friday, my colleague Soli Salgado and I published a news item about a petition signed by more than 850 priests urging the Synod on the Family to “stand firm on the Church’s traditional understanding of marriage, human sexuality and pastoral practices.” The petition, organized by a group called “Credo Priests” mimics one a few weeks ago engineered by conservative clerics in the United Kingdom.
First, a big thank you to everyone who contributed to NCR's webathon. I especially hope the regular commentators made healthy contributions.
George Will is not happy about some of the things former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee has said over the years about the role of religion in public life, still less Huckabee's understanding of the separation of powers.
Tomorrow, President Obama will be coming to Georgetown University for a Summit on Poverty. I wrote about this event last week here. This past Saturday, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush gave the commencement address at Liberty University in which he excoriated the President’s record on issues of religious liberty.
I have questions for both men.