Can Pleasure and Pornography Improve Public Health?

“Public health” brings to mind preventing the flu or better dental hygiene. It often incorporates current events like the water crisis in Flint, Michigan or the ongoing controversy over “vaping.” That is not what you will find in the February issue of the American Journal of Public Health (AJPH). The articles in this issue provide … Read more

The Saint Who Beat the Devil

saint-beat-devil-1

We will now read an excerpt on Saint Leutfridus, taken from the book: Physiognomy of the Saints, by Ernesto Hello. Extraordinarily holy, but little known, Saint Leutfridus is an example for our mediocre days. He was born of a good family in seventh century Neustria (present-day France). He left his family to become a Benedictine … Read more

Sin and Vice Do Not Belong in the GDP

Economics can be a brutal science. Its focus is limited to a particular part of human activity that deals with the process of wealth creation, acquisition, production, and consumption. It measures what has, and not what should have, been done. Economics is also a science of measurements. By calculating profits and losses, businessmen can plan … Read more

Why Mothers Now Weep for Their Children

From an economic point of view, the state of the nation could not be better we are told. Unemployment is down to levels rarely seen before. Inflation is minimal. The stock market has reached record highs. Everything is in place for us to be happy. However, I am sure many join me in sensing that … Read more

Five Reasons Why Eating Meat is Good and Virtuous

According to Business Insider, governments are weighing the idea of taxing meat just as alcohol and tobacco products are taxed. This new “sin” tax would turn the routine task of eating meat into a vice that endangers the planet. Indeed, a recent UN report found that the human food system accounts for 37% of all … Read more

How to Destroy “Toxic Masculinity” With Catholic Manual for Men

Modern media make much of the concept of “toxic masculinity.” Many commentators have dealt with this pernicious idea and its damage to men in today’s society. Helping young men overcome the pull of toxic masculinity is the unspoken purpose of a new book called Manual for Men. The principal author is the Bishop of Phoenix, … Read more

The Men of Notre Dame Request a Porn Filter: Three Reasons for Concern

At first glance, it seems to be a very positive initiative on the part of those at the University of Notre Dame. Over one thousand male students, faculty and staff have signed a petition asking that “the University implement a filter to make pornography inaccessible on the Notre Dame Wi-Fi networks.” Finally, some sanity seems to … Read more

Learning to Blame Others for America’s Opioid Epidemic

There is talk that the government will soon file lawsuits against the pharmaceutical firms that make opioid painkillers. They claim that these companies have failed to warn patients about the addictive nature of their product, which in turn allowed them to amass huge profits. This is not the only plan to solve the opioid crisis. … Read more

The Advantage of Keeping the Economy Human

The Advantage of Keeping the Economy Human

Some people think of the new automated economy in terrifying and mechanical terms. In such a vision, machines reign supreme as they work tirelessly, silently and efficiently to maximize production and replace humans. Increasing automation will soon put tens of millions out of work and change lives for the worst. Indeed, people matter little in … Read more

Why I Use the Word Catholic to Describe the Ideal Economy

The adjective Catholic is rarely employed to describe the ideal economy we need. Many would see its use as mere window dressing to make the free market appear a bit more compassionate. Everyone knows that the business of creating wealth comes from industry and business. The accountant’s ledger is the only true measure of this … Read more