In all cultures that are stamped by Christian influence (and in some that are not), most people celebrate Christmas. Among other forms of marking the holiday, probably the most common is the custom of exchanging gifts. This extraordinary way of conferring goods…

As fallout from the financial crisis continues to drift through the economy, it may be time to pause and consider the disaster’s larger meaning.

Free-market advocate Leonard Read wrote a remarkable piece in 1958, “I, Pencil.” A paean to the wonders…

Barack Obama is conservative. John McCain is radical.

It’s true, at least with respect to one issue: health care.

The dysfunctional state of health care delivery combined with rapidly escalating costs have framed the issue to be one of the most visible…

For Americans the Fourth of July marks national independence, but the holiday has become symbolic of a more universal cause: human liberty. The development of human freedom, in theory and in practice, is in large measure the story of Christianity.

How…

A familiar scene: deep into college football season, Notre Dame is ranked high in national polls and fans hold out hope for yet another national championship. It’s a fitting time to recall the history of Notre Dame football — a…

“It performs a much desired service. We’re making people happy.” That’s the way Dr. Jeffrey Steinberg, medical director of Fertility Institutes, justified the practice of embryo sex selection in a September 20 Associated Press article. In other words, as long…

In recent years an extraordinary change has occurred at the level of international social policy discussion. The “population bomb” parlance of alarmists such as Paul Ehrlich has given way to the “population implosion” warnings of European government and United Nations…

Congressional reform is all the rage in Washington these days. Senators Trent Lott and Dianne Feinstein introduced one reform bill; Senator John McCain another.

The race for House Majority leader (to replace corruption-tainted Tom DeLay) was a referendum on who could…

Last month, Catholics in the Detroit area were shocked by the news that 8 of the region’s Catholic high schools were slated to close. The announcement adds to a growing trend: 136 Catholic schools across the country were shuttered in…

“Parents, who have the primary and inalienable right and duty to educate their children, must enjoy true liberty in their choice of schools.” This lucid and unambiguous statement comes from the Second Vatican Council’s Declaration on Christian Education. For Catholics,…