Religion: Comforting but Never Challenging?
Karl Marx, the German philosopher who wrote the Communist Manifesto, is quoted as saying that “religion is the opium of the masses.” It’s a quote widely shared, especially by people ...
Hard Times for the Irish Church
My wife, Amparo, and I went to church last Sunday in a tiny village in County Clare, Ireland. As we drove into the village, called Mullagh, for the 11 a.m. ...
Colbert on Suffering
I’m not big on hearing the opinions of celebrities on politics, religion or any field other than their own. But the recent interview of comedian Steven Colbert by CNN’s Anderson ...
Me or Us?
I recall the period after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, when Americans of every stripe came together in grief and determination. It was encouraging to experience this rare occurrence ...
Ceaseless Waiting
Few saints are better known than St. Augustine, who lived in the fourth century. He was a Roman African, early Christian theologian and philosopher whose writings greatly influenced the development ...
Shared Moral Blindness
I recently read “1776” by David McCullough, the history of the American Revolution. Early on, McCullough describes the supreme commander of the American forces, our first president, George Washington. Washington ...