Month: September 2012

September 26, 2012

EU’s Highest Court Rules in Favor of Religious Refugees

The European Court of Justice has ruled that those who are unable to practice their religion openly are entitled to claim asylum on the continent: In what could prove a landmark ruling for oppressed Christians, the European Court of Justice has ruled that people who are persecuted in their native countries due to their religion have the right to apply for asylum in Europe. Continue Reading...
September 25, 2012

Obamacare ‘tramples parental rights’

It is alarmingly clear that so-called “Obamacare” has troubling implications for parents and children, not just employers with religious convictions regarding artificial birth control and abortion. According to an article in the National Catholic Register, Matt Bowman, senior counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom, Obamacare “tramples parental rights” because it requires them to “pay for and sponsor coverage of abortifacients, sterilization, contraception and education in favor of the same for their own children.” Continue Reading...
September 25, 2012

Samuel Gregg on the Vatican’s Role in Global Diplomacy

World Politics Review recently interviewed Acton Research Director Samuel Gregg about the Vatican’s foreign policymaking: WPR: What are the main policy initiatives that the Vatican is currently promoting on the international stage, and how receptive are other nations to its interests? Continue Reading...
September 25, 2012

Where Does Your Mutual Fund Go to Church?

Are you a risk-adverse investor? Then you may want to avoid choosing a mutual fund that’s headquartered in an area with lots of Catholics. New research from the University of Georgia and Southern Methodist University and published in Management Science shows that the dominant local religion—whether Protestant or Catholic—significantly affects mutual fund behaviors. Continue Reading...
September 24, 2012

More on Constitutions and Culture

As noted already at the PowerBlog today, Sam Gregg has a fine piece on the complex relationship between law and morality, or constitutions and culture, over at Public Discourse. As a follow-up (read the piece first), I’d like to point to an interesting aspect of James Buchanan’s advocacy of a balanced-budget amendment. Continue Reading...
September 24, 2012

Samuel Gregg: Constitutions, Culture, and the Economy

Writing in Public Discourse, Acton Research Director Samuel Gregg notes that while Constitutional law has often been used to shape economies, there are limits to the law’s ability to influence economic culture: The Supreme Court’s decision to uphold Obamacare sharply reminds us of constitutional law’s significance for economic life. Continue Reading...
September 21, 2012

October 15 Scholarship Deadline

The deadline to apply for a scholarship through the Calihan Academic Fellowship program is one month away! If you or anyone you know are looking for financial aid opportunities for next semester, I invite you to visit the Calihan Academic Fellowship page on Acton’s website for details about this competitive scholarship program. Continue Reading...