The Roman Catholic Church has a new pope, and it didn’t take the papal conclave long to make it happen. On the fourth ballot, taken in the grandeur of...
In normal times, an institution like Harvard University thrives on publicity. Then again, these are not normal times. Harvard may be the most elite br...
Can a revolution come down to a pill? Over the past century, tidal waves of moral revolution have transformed society and reshaped our moral landscape...
Pope Francis, considered by Roman Catholic dogma to be Vicar of Christ, Successor of the Prince of the Apostles, Patriarch of the West, Bishop of Rome...
The question of truth has always haunted authors of controversial stories -- including both fiction and non-fiction. Nevertheless, non-fiction was understood to represent a claim to be a true, even if highly interpreted, account of reality. Or, at le ...
Peggy Noonan is right. At some point, in some moment, all of us must admit that something remarkable has happened to American culture. Mrs. Noonan, a former presidential speechwriter, recalls that this moment came for her during a high school graduat ...
Here is yet another sign of the times. The New York Times reports that even the youngest of girls are being targeted as consumers of cosmetics and beauty treatments. The elementary set is showing up in trendy salons for pedicures and manicures. As th ...
When thinking of signs of our times, consider this advertisement from a Nebraska newspaper. The ad was brought to my attention by a helpful listener to the radio program. Now, let's think carefully about this. Can't sit still? Can't play quietly? ...
A massive new study of the American religious landscape reveals big changes and powerful trends shaping the future. The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life surveyed 35,000 Americans in one of the largest research projects yet undertaken. The U.S ...
What are America's most sinful cities? How could we know? Well, give Forbes magazine credit for giving this ranking challenge a try. The magazine recently offered rankings on the traditional seven deadly sins -- and ranked America's "top ten" on each ...
For a hauntingly large number of young Americans, prison has become a substitute for parents. Writing in Policy Review, Jennifer Roback Morse argued just a few years ago that this "apparent overstatement" is sustained by two realities. As she explain ...
Just a few years ago, author Ralph Keyes argued that America had evolved "beyond honesty." In The Post-Truth Era: Honesty and Deception in Contemporary Life, Keyes proposed that honesty is now "on the ropes" as a virtue. In presenting his case, Keye ...
A rise in suicide among the young seems to be tied to the emergence of on-line suicide sites that offer advice and encouragement to kill oneself. The Telegraph [London] reports that, as an example, one village in Wales has seen a significant spike i ...
Beagle lovers were vindicated last week when Uno, a beautiful 15-inch Beagle won "Best in Show" at New York's prestigious Westminster Kennel Club. This great win for the famous hound represents vindication for the Beagle -- the all-American breed. Wh ...