It s a provocative question and one that a new survey casts light on nbsp David Gibson over at his new post at Politics Daily has the answer here nbsp A preview As America s leading Christian denominations are once again feuding and splitting over whether they should allow gays and lesbians t

In the early 1970s there was an edition of Readers Digest that told how a jet crashed in the Andes Mountains It was a good case study in moral reasoning The issue was that some of the survivors of that crash resorted to cannibalism to survive The question the author posed was Is it ever ethical

If you have ever wanted to see Josephine Baker dance this Introduction gives you the opportunity ldquo The Jazz Century rdquo a lively moving and comprehensive presentation of graphic art music and film is on exhibit now through October 18 2009 at The Centre de Cultura Contempor aacute nia

nbsp The President had a good day yesterday beating back some of the more ridiculous claims made about the health care reform plans making their way through Congress It must be a bizarre feeling to be in charge of a large and effective White House press office with as much access to the media

20th Sunday of OT Year B The liturgy continues to offer us portions of John rsquo s Gospel on feeding and eating bread and Eucharist paired with various OT readings on God rsquo s provision of food loaves multiplying for Elisha rsquo s people manna in the wilderness baked bread for Elijah to

Just a heads up that Father Michael Place will be taking readers rsquo questions this week about his article ldquo A Time for Reform How the Catholic Tradition Can Shape the Health Care Debate rdquo which appears in the current issue So you haven t already read the article and send in your c

I must admit that I do not know much about St Clare whose Memorial we celebrate today though I had the distinct joy of spending a January day wandering with my wife and youngest son through Assissi in 2008 and learning something about St Francis and St Clare I have only the knowledge I gained

John Gehring senior writer at Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good CACG does a fine job taking on the arguments of Rev Michael Orsi research fellow at uber-conservative Ave Maria University The title of Orsi rsquo s article Bishops Wrong Health Care Not a Right has at least the virtue

As I explained in this week s Of Many Things our culture section will nbsp feature web only material which may escape notice of those who contumaciously nbsp cleave only to the print edition of the magazine nbsp This week two offerings nbsp a review of the new movie Julie amp Julia a dua

The New York Times reported today that Mike Seeger the half-brother of folk legend Pete Seeger and an accomplished folk singer and music historian himself died of blood cancer at the age of 75 A founder of the New Lost City Ramblers and a collector of Southern musical treasures like much of his

Members of Congress have no choice really They must work within the constraints of what is politically feasible But ordinary citizens need not at least not always Attempting to free myself from such constraints I have temporarily put aside all the big-picture proposals currently being discuss

It is only ten months since the last election and already congressional votes are being scrutinized based on how they will affect the 2010 midterms This morning rsquo s Post has an especially good take by an especially smart commentator Chris Cillizza whose columns have become must-reads in DC

Barbara Ehrenreich nbsp is my favorite social critic nbsp Her book Nickel and Dimed On Not Getting by in America saw Ms Ehrenreich take on a minimum-wage job as a waitress to see if she could make ends meet nbsp The journalist wanted to investigate whether the pervasive myth of the lazy poo

The Gospel section chosen for this Sunday is John 6 41-51 and is a continuation of the revelation Jesus had already given when he identified himself as the bread of life and the bread come down from heaven nbsp The passage of his speech which we read now is made up of two distinct parts nbsp

General Intention Refugees and Displaced Peoples That public opinion may address the problems of the millions who have been displaced or become refugees in order to find real solutions to their often tragic conditions nbsp Public opinion normally wants refugees and displaced people just to go aw

Some passages seem to need so much commentary to enter into their complex recesses to pull out hidden guidance while others seem to hide their wisdom in plain view shimmering on the surface Let s try this one as a test case All bitterness fury anger shouting and revilingmust be removed from

Andrew McCarthy shines the brightest among my celebrity sightings in New York He and a female companion sat so close to myself and a cousin in a tiny wine bar in my neighborhood they practically shared our bottle of wine and plate of cheese My cousin and I were totally gaga since McCarthy rsquo s

Yeah I know there are already so many blogs you feel like you have to read--In All Things and nbsp The Good Word of course as well as nbsp Dotcommonweal Whispers in the Loggia Clerical Whispers First Things the Deacon s Bench The Anchoress nbsp and on and on--but here s a new one to add to yo

Cardinal George whose call for renewed unity we applauded yesterday has his work cut out for him And he needs to start in Kansas City-St Joseph where the Catholic Key Blog produced by the staff of the diocesan newspaper also known as the Catholic Key is out of control Yesterday they att