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August 12, 2013

Sushi, Surfing, and Food Stamps

It’s no secret that the number of people receiving food stamps in the U.S. has exploded in the past few years. Not only is it easier than ever to get food stamps, the government actively recruits people to sign up. Continue Reading...
August 12, 2013

A Moral Foundation for Entitlement Reform

Entitlement reform cannot succeed by eliminating dependence, says Adam J. MacLeod. Instead we should aim to promote healthy dependencies. In his address, Obama placed entitlement programs in perspective, observing that many people fall on hard times through no fault of their own. Continue Reading...
August 09, 2013

The McDouble and the Minimum Wage

The protests organized by labor organizations to advocate for an increase in the minimum wage have garnered attention, most recently from the NYT, which editorialized in favor of such moves. Over at Think Christian, I weigh in with an attempt to provide some more of the complex context behind the moral evaluation of such mandates. Continue Reading...
August 09, 2013

Christians Need a Holistic Definition of Poverty

To adequately address the problems of the lowest economic class, Christians must agree on a holistic definition of poverty that includes relational and spiritual elements. The best solutions for alleviating poverty, if not eradicating it, will involve collaborations among institutions that can address poverty in many different ways. Continue Reading...
August 09, 2013

Free Book: ‘Judaism, Law & The Free Market: An Analysis’

For a limited time, the Acton Book Shop is offering a book by rabbinical scholar Dr. Joseph Isaac Lifshitz for free: Judaism, Law & The Free Market: An Analysis. Acton released this title at an academic conference late last year, and in it, Lifshitz examines the Jewish treatment of themes such as property rights, social welfare, charity, generosity, competition, and concepts of order. Continue Reading...
August 08, 2013

Does Legalizing Prostitution Reduce Child Sex Slavery?

Would legalizing adult prostitution decrease the demand for child sex slaves? That’s the curious argument made by one of my favorite libertarian economist. Donald J. Boudreaux , a professor of economics at George Mason University, recently wrote: If men can legally buy sex from women 18 years of age or older, men will have less demand to patronize children. Continue Reading...
August 08, 2013

A conflict of Christian visions: Gen. 1-2 vs. Gen. 3 Christianity

There are two prominent schools of thought within conservative Protestant circles that continue to clash over what Christianity is about because their starting points comprise different biblical theological visions. I use the word “prominent” here because I fully recognize that there are other more nuanced voices in the Christian diaspora. Continue Reading...