Safe Haven

 Let me preface this by saying that my general sense of the social doctrine of the Catholic Church seems to advocate for a social democratic state that would terrify Ronald Reagan, to say nothing of American “conservatives” today. But. One funny little aspect that throws a wrench into various left-wing dreams AND Tom Darrow’s advocacy for a UBI: The dignity of work. We could probably do everything conceivable along the lines of preventing disastrous externalities—and it’s probably right and good to do so—but a UBI can’t replace a minimum wage, because it’s not a wage. Wages and salaries get paid for work that gets done. We could make a Basic Needs Floor or something, but that’s not a wage. Looking forward to where this goes.

 But Dr. Bryan Cross of Mount Mercy University was my Confirmation sponsor. And taught me RCIA/OCIA. He’s a credentialed expert on Alasdair MacIntyre. Some of it possibly rubbed off. Dr. Lawrence Feingold was my teacher, also. He’s a  Thomist. A group of folks spent hours at Larry’s reading the Summa. I don’t mind zucchini because of dinners there, and I can read St. Thomas without wanting to curl into the fetal position. Maybe that makes me a Thomist.  You just gotta read him; no easy way to become a Thomist. You can be guided by a great teacher through Aquinas, but you’re not a Thomist until Thomas is your teacher. When you can anticipate what he would say—or flat-out recite it—you’re a Thomist. Pastor Timothy Butler of Little Hills Church in St. Peters, MO is absolutely a Thomist. I think he thinks in Summa article format. Good quirk to have. [Oddly, he’s not Catholic.] He oddly is a lot of other things, though! I’m willing to lose a bet that Tom Darrow has read the Su...