Thanks to some comments from Marcus and a conversation with the wife, I’m now convinced that the argument in this post doesn’t show the impermissibility of “collateral damage.” For if C (the innocent bystander) doesn’t have a duty to sacrifice himself to save A, it doesn’t seem like we can say that A has an…

Looks like pro-life Democrat Bob Casey Jr. will be running for US Senate next year. There has been a minor controversy because the Party bigwigs have been pushing for Casey and trying to get other possible candidates not to run, clearing the field for him. (Casey doesn’t want a draining and expensive primary before going…

An interview at CT. I read and liked his Answering God. This makes me want to read more of his stuff. This bit is good: Many people assume that spirituality is about becoming emotionally intimate with God. That’s a naïve view of spirituality. What we’re talking about is the Christian life. It’s following Jesus. Spirituality…

There’s been a lot of “I told you so’s” form war-hawks and even a few mea culpas from war opponents in the wake of the Iraqi elections, and now the apparently hopeful signs in Egypt and Lebanon. In a recent TCS piece, war supporter Michael Totten avoids gratuitous I-told-you-so-ism, but goes on to make this…

I really want to like Sojourners magazine. The whole radical, neither-left-nor-right, consistent-life ethic thing really appeals to me. But when I actually read it I tend to find the articles rather flimsy and insubustantial. This could have to do with their more activist stance – they’re not likely to run thick, meaty “think peices.” Nothing…

Camassia gets best blog post title of the week award with “Fear of a Liberal Planet.” Jennifer at Scandal of Particularity is back to semi-regular blogging (huzzah!) with a post on David Brooks, public life, family, and individualism. Marcus reads Thomas Woods’ book so we don’t have to! Eve Tushnet on the mystery of sin.…

The return of Just War blogging! Hosannas all around! One crucial element of modern just war theory (JWT) is the so-called doctrine of double effect (DDE). Though DDE has been applied to other areas of moral concern (such as medical ethics), its application to JWT is particularly important, since it purports to justify a great…

Spider-Man’s Greatest Bible Stories! (via Unqualified Offerings)

There is a strange idea abroad that in every subject the ancient books should be read only by the professionals, and that the amateur should content himself with the modern books. Thus I have found as a tutor in English Literature that if the average student wants to find out something about Platonism, the very…

I’m not qualified to comment on the constitutional issues (since when did lack of qualification ever deter a blogger??), but otherwise I agree with The Weekly Standard‘s Jonathan Last: I’m sympathetic to those who argue in favor of capital punishment. I understand and appreciate its theoretical benefits. But at the end of the day I…