Month: June 2011

June 20, 2011

Samuel Gregg on India’s Civil Society

Current events in India have left the country wrestling with an important question: What is civil society and what does it consist of? These are not easy questions to answer as definitions of civil society can greatly vary. Continue Reading...
June 17, 2011

The Complex Tax Code

Today at Capital Commentary I discuss the size and scope of the tax code in the US relative to its basic purposes. In “Back Door Social Engineering,” I argue, “When governments run huge deficits in part because of the complexity of its tax system and the ability of people and institutions to engage in large-scale (and legal) tax avoidance, there is something deeply wrong with the system.” Continue Reading...
June 15, 2011

Budget Morality

My Acton Commentary for this week tries to explain the differences between Christian proponents and opponents of Republican budget proposals: A Circle of Exchange is Better Than a Circle of Protection Strife over the budget in Washington continues, with religious leaders and organizations weighing in on both sides. Continue Reading...
June 14, 2011

Samuel Gregg: Hell, Heaven, and Progressive Catholics

Recently, progressive Catholics met in Detroit and issued calls for a married clergy and the ordination of women priests. In a very timely article Samuel Gregg, research director at the Acton Institute, addresses the progressive Catholics who “sit rather loosely with Catholic teaching on questions like life and marriage” and how they are continuing “to press what is often a hyper-politicized understanding of the gospel.” Continue Reading...
June 14, 2011

Global Problems, Global Solutions

There’s a saying that when goods cross borders, armies don’t (it’s the correlative to the observation attributed to Bastiat: “If goods cannot cross borders, armies will.”). The point is that trade tends to bring people together who might otherwise have cause to be hostile. Continue Reading...
June 13, 2011

Is the Green Movement Problematic for Christians?

The green movement has had a dramatic, long lasting impact on public policy, individuals, and even religion. But many people of faith have criticized supporters of the green movement, equating  its strong followers with those who practice a pagan religion in support of Mother Nature. Continue Reading...