For more than a decade now, the United States has worked to promote democratic revolution in the Muslim world — overthrowing otherwise stable regimes to make way for democratic governments presumably better able to satisfy and thereby pacify the restless … Continue Reading →
Chanting in English
If you’ve sung for long in a church choir, you’ve probably been told to make sure you pronounce all final consonants. You might also have been told to make sure your t’s don’t sound like d’s. You might even have … Continue Reading →
Magic, Mystery, and Marriage
Earlier this month, we were blessed to celebrate the marriage of our elder daughter to a fine, young, Orthodox Christian man. It was a beautiful event, held at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Washington, DC. A few … Continue Reading →
“Our present business is general woe.”
I had planned not to blog about the recent tragedy in Newtown, Conn., for two reasons: One is that I’m finishing another book and don’t have much time for much else; the other is that what one is expected to … Continue Reading →
Does God cause hurricanes?
When an earthquake struck Haiti in 2010, evangelist Pat Robertson made headlines by saying the earthquake was God’s judgment on the Haitians for their wickedness. At least one of other religious leader, the Patriarch of Moscow, and a few Haitian … Continue Reading →
People Impossible: Robert Irvine for President
My favorite television show is Restaurant: Impossible, the only show I know when to watch (Wednesday night). After more than a year of trying to bring order to an institution that should be the very source of order in the … Continue Reading →
Death of a Diplomat II: How our embassy advertised for trouble
Jan Stevens, father of slain U.S. Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens, wants Mitt Romney to stop politicizing his son’s death. Well, we can all understand the pain he must feel to be reminded so often in the news of his … Continue Reading →
Christ or Allah: What’s the difference?
Do Christians and Muslims worship the same God? The question is sometimes posed by people who think that since Christians and Muslims both believe there is only one God, they must worship the same God, only in different ways.
The simple … Continue Reading →
About that 47 percent: Should they even have a vote?
Inspired by the outrage at Mitt Romney’s dismissal of the 47 percent of voters who pay no federal income tax, a friend of mine penned a piece of poetry, which he has kindly allowed me to share:
Obama’s formation was wildly … Continue Reading →
Libertarians and gay marriage
I am for liberty, generally speaking. But I am not a libertarian because libertarianism is less about liberty than about having easy answers to difficult political issues.
You don’t think so? Consider how many proud libertarians have signed on to gay … Continue Reading →