Author Archives | Kevin Schmiesing, Ph.D.

Kevin Schmiesing, Ph.D. - who has written 19 posts on Catholic Exchange.


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Give Temperance a Chance

Posted on 16 September 2009

Just about every state has dealt with the issue over the last few years, it seems. But here in Ohio, the legal status of gambling is the issue that won’t go away. It’s on the ballot again in November , this…

The Paradox of Liberty

Posted on 04 July 2009

There is a paradox at the heart of liberty, a tension between our desiring what is good and our willingness to sacrifice true happiness for fleeting satisfaction. “Eternal vigilance is the price of freedom,” abolitionist Wendell Phillips said. Lord Acton…

Religious Freedom Doesn’t Mean Religious Silence

Posted on 20 April 2009

The rights of conscience, Pope John Paul II once wrote, are the “primary foundation of every authentically free political order.” If that is so, then we better redouble our vigilance. Here in the United States, where we fancy ourselves religiously…

An Ode to Power

Posted on 04 April 2009

“Power permits people to do enormous good,” Lord Acton once said, “and absolute power enables them to do even more.”

This wisdom from the nineteenth-century’s champion of state prerogative applies as well today. Politicians are crippled by the lack of the…

Choosing a Prosperous Future

Posted on 17 February 2009

The children are our future, goes the hackneyed phrase. It is gag-inducing when issued from the mouths of politicians and celebrities, but its truth can’t be denied.

Which makes it all the more important that we make strides to improve what…

Selfless Giving and Tempered Trading

Posted on 30 December 2008

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…

No Man is an Economic Island

Posted on 24 October 2008

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…

Obama, McCain, and Health Care Justice

Posted on 28 August 2008

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…

Christianity and the History of Freedom

Posted on 04 July 2008

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…

Sports, Catholicism, and Culture: The History of Notre Dame Football

Posted on 03 November 2006

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…

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