Safe Haven

That's how I think of it, which is exactly why I need Lent. I'm literally seeing hamburgers as I type this. But underneath all that, I'm crying out to God. When you first begin the spiritual life, spiritual matters seem a little foreign, and it seems we are two people: one that loves God, and one that hates Him. After some time and grace, prayer seems natural, if there were such a thing. The rebellion dies down. God is in color, and all that is not in Him seems gray. I don't understand it fully, but I can't explain it any better. Well, I went to Las Vegas once, and I had a great time. Even in the casino. But have you ever watched a person who's been at the slots awhile? They stare straight ahead; they pull that arm over and over, with barely a look at the outcome. They don't notice you're there. If you could legally smoke anywhere, that's what this person is doing. I felt I was watching a zombie. This is what the world without God is like: Zombies,...

I just figured out what unites every person in politics I have ever liked or loved: they're moralists. I don't mean in private conduct per se; I mean, they are fervent in their opinions because they believe that politics is morality, writ large. Right, left, or center, every person I have ever appreciated, whether I agreed or not, has believed that taking a position, fighting for it, is the act of a moral person. Doesn't make them right, or prudent. It does mean the person is honest. If I don't believe that you believe what you are saying, you are doomed in my eyes. As an aside, this is the reason I won't support Ted Cruz, until I must. I am almost sure I agree with what Ted says more than the others. But I don't believe him. I think his guiding light is what benefits him. I'd love to be wrong. By contrast, is there any doubt that Bernie Sanders believes what he's telling us, to the core of his soul? (With the possible exceptions of abortion, and gay...

 I suppose anything could become routine. I yawn at Holy Mass sometimes. But when I read a guy who said this, frankly, my first thought was, "Well, your liturgy has a gaping hole in it." He's a Protestant, in fact. Here's the truth: Easter as a Reformed Protestant is borderline pointless. It is boring . You can only think about Christ's victory over death so many different ways, before you say, in true Protestant fashion, "I know this already." You can't, in a strict theological sense, really live by the Scriptural injunction to suffer as He did, to die as he did, because the point of being Protestant is to say, "Jesus did all that for you and me, so we don't need this big to-do about seasons, and alleged mystical participations." Not everyone is, let's say, as sensitive as I am, but I feel the weight of the crosses we all bear during this time. Bodily, emotionally, the whole thing. I told Fred Noltie about this one year, and I as...

I have no idea what is about to happen. Marco Rubio had a bad moment in the debate the other night, as I'm sure you heard. But he finished strongly. Still, his hold on second place in New Hampshire appears to be tenuous. Bush and Kasich have risen, probably at Rubio's expense. Still, my instincts tell me that Trump's support is illusory, as in Iowa, and that Kasich or Rubio could win outright. In that scenario, a Kasich win isn't bad for him. Finishing behind Kasich and Bush would be a disaster. My prediction is a close third. A second place would be a huge victory, and signal his impending nomination. Yes, you read that right. A guy this conservative doesn't win New Hampshire. Nominees get beat by regional favorites and flukes all the time, if recent history is a guide. It does not seem reasonable that Kasich will get the momentum necessary to overwhelm Rubio. But Bush could. If Bush finishes second, he will smile, thank Rubio for the "youthful energy" he...

I'll get right to the point: At the very moment when it is apparent that a full-time minimum wage job cannot support a person and his or her family, then the discussion in my opinion takes on a new moral urgency. We've been at that point for a significant amount of time in the United States. Most of the arguments against increases in the minimum wage are macroeconomic; that is, numerous bad effects result from increasing this fixed cost on businesses. But if an economic system cannot bear a just wage as defined above, the system is per se unjust, and should be changed. Tax credits and other benefits should only be considered remedial, until something that meets the demands of justice is in place. The free exchange of goods and services that we call the market economy should only be in place to manage scarcity after access to basic goods and services is assured. This may seem radical, but justice understood by the social doctrine is not simply desirable, but a moral imperati...