The rise of undercover “stings” in recent months has brought a vexing moral question back to the fore: when, if ever, is it okay to lie? The stings I’m referring to, if you’re not familiar, are ones like the following: James O’Keefe and Hannah Giles posed as a pimp and prostitute, and secretly videotaped members… Continue reading Are Live Action’s “Undercover Video” Techniques Immoral?
Tag: morality
Is Abortion Self-Defense? A Defense of Bishop Olmsted
If the heading above sounds like a silly question, it’s because it is. But it’s one being raised by TurretinFan in his Christmas day assault on Bishop Olmsted’s good name. I became involved in the debate somewhat against my will. TF linked to this post, saying (in part): I was also struck by the fact… Continue reading Is Abortion Self-Defense? A Defense of Bishop Olmsted
The Twilight of Modernism
A reader writes… Most Catholics and most others are pro life. It doesn’t mean they want to recriminalize abortion, contraception, return to the days before divorce was easily available or further stigmatize homosexuality, neither do they embrace the culture of pseudo celibate, closeted Gay, clergy. They aren’t misogynists, homophobes, child sodomizers or heretic burners. Most… Continue reading The Twilight of Modernism
What About Life-Saving Abortions?
I. The Sr. McBride Excommunication You can tell how fair CNN’s treatment of the recent Margaret McBride case was by the headline: “Nun excommunicated for approving life-saving abortion.” Or from the first paragraph, describing how it was an “agonizing decision” to have an abortion. Or from the second paragraph which describes “The problem: St. Joseph’s… Continue reading What About Life-Saving Abortions?
Babies and Morality
The New York Times has a fascinating report on infant morality (not mortality, mind you). The author is a child psychologist/researcher at Yale. Here’s a few of the highpoints. The piece begins with an interesting anecdote: Not long ago, a team of researchers watched a 1-year-old boy take justice into his own hands. The boy… Continue reading Babies and Morality
What is Modernism?
A commenter, enowning, responded to my previous post by noting: It’s somewhat surprising to find Heidegger called a Modernist since the usual aspersion cast his way is postmodenrnist. You should add some balance and explain what Catholic theologians like Karl Rahner and Joseph Ratzinger found in Heidegger. They are respected and widely read, whereas no… Continue reading What is Modernism?
Christ, the Law, and the Adulteress
Sunday, the Gospel for Year C* was the famous account of Jesus and the adulteress from John 8:1-11: Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. But early in the morning he arrived again in the temple area, and all the people started coming to him, and he sat down and taught them. Then the scribes… Continue reading Christ, the Law, and the Adulteress
The Tebow Message: Choose Life
The controversy over the upcoming Tim Tebow Super Bowl ad has been incredible. I. The AdThe exact content of the ad is still secret, but pretty widely understood to be the story of Tim Tebow’s own birth in 1987, probably told by his mother, Pam. Fox explains: When [Pam] Tebow suffered from a dangerous infection… Continue reading The Tebow Message: Choose Life
This Movie Looks Promising
…apparently, I’m not the only one appalled by the media’s coverage of the March for Life.
On the Goodness of Punishing Sin
We live in a culture which has lost sight of the goodness of retributive punishment, and the whole thing seems suspicious. But I think that we’re still aware of this truth in some way, deepy down. There’s a famous law hypothetical: a man robs and rapes a woman. In the week before he’s arrested, a… Continue reading On the Goodness of Punishing Sin