One of the perceptions that fuel frantic lifestyles is the idea that everyone is involved in a particular fad or fashion. Especially in our mass society, the penalty for not being part of what “everyone is dong” is to risk being labeled out of sync with the times. No where is this perception more common … Read more
By defending healthy localism and its protective consequences, it might seem we are condemning international trade. Quite the contrary. Church doctors are clear in demonstrating that natural and positive law all support the need for trade, whether national or international, since denying necessities to people would violate the Golden Rule of doing unto others what … Read more
“This is a remarkable and much needed book that focuses on the phenomenon of “frenetic intemperance” displayed in the souls of modern Americans. Lack of the cardinal virtue of temperance constitutes a disorder in the soul that is reflected in the various disorders and imbalances seen in the Republic itself. Enslavement to the disordered … Read more
Passengers, customers or whatever you want to call them are welcome to ride in the New York City transport system. Just don’t call them ladies or gentlemen. The city’s Metropolitan Transit Authority has outlawed the expression in yet another bizarre episode of the politically correct Culture War. “Ladies and gentlemen” is not inclusive enough for … Read more
The proper use of technology is that it should be a means to serve us and make our lives easier. A key requirement is that we should be in control. We should not serve technology and allow our gadgets to control our lives, social skills or decisions. When this happens, it can endanger the proper … Read more
Anyone can stand in a line for hours on end and burst into Walmart trampling people underfoot on Black Friday. The scene has become so ordinary and scripted that most people don’t even notice anymore. Shoppers fighting over Barbie dolls are as predictable as hockey match brawls. The reports from news crews stalking box stores … Read more
Thanksgiving has become a secular holiday. It is a time for family get-togethers, sports events and shopping trips. There is some, but not enough giving of thanks on Thanksgiving. Moreover, when gratitude is felt, it frequently remains just a feeling that is not directed toward a good and personal God. Then too, when people thank … Read more
Medieval men saw the inequalities that exist in nature as a cause of unity not division in society. Their realistic approach was far from the individualist mentality of the modern world that holds that each individual is a self-made and autonomous being in competition with others. Typical of the medieval conception is this explanation by … Read more
There is a certain point when a normal house becomes haunted. It is hard to say exactly when the change occurs, but when it does, things become strange and eerie. From the outside, the house seems to lose its air of respectability, and people sense something foreboding inside. They hear creaking noises. They claim to … Read more
Ronald Reagan once said that an economist is someone who sees something happen in practice and wonders if it could work in theory. The new book, Pope Francis and the Caring Society, appears like a team of economists forced to study the encyclical Laudato Si’ in theory and then wonder if it might work in … Read more
