My colleague Jeff Haymond wrote in a comment on my recent blog, “Legislating Morality?  Christians, Law and Politics,” that I had raised questions but not given answers.  He was correct.  So now that he has prodded me for answers I will put myself in jeopardy of all sorts of criticism by offering some tentative answers.  […]

It is not so much the asceticism of biblical teaching, as its call to creativity and inventiveness, that accounts for the dynamism of Jewish and Christian civilization, including economic dynamism. While some aspects of asceticism are certainly helpful for a culture, such as the idea of deferred gratification, what really makes civilization thrive is when […]

There is an eternity between now and the mid-term elections of 2014, so take everything that follows with many grains of your own favorite preservative. However, things are shaping up poorly for the Democrats. I will try to unpack these themes in more detail in future, post-holiday posts, but there are three relevant issues. One, […]

I am one Berean that believes there is, in general, an ethical cause and effect that we see in this life.  I say “in general” in the same sense that we view wisdom literature in the Bible; wisdom that is generally applicable while not always on our timetable (see Psalm 73 for one psalmist’s lament […]

“Republicans shut American down. Vote them out!” This quote was seen in the window of the Democratic office of the Greene County, Ohio Democratic Party.  It represents well our country’s problem. Too many Americans cannot tell the different between our government and our nation.  The Democrats like to claim Thomas Jefferson as their forefather.  He […]

Once upon a time, there was a group of Presbyterians and other Christian denominations in America who argued for the “crown rights of King Jesus” to be embodied in government and specifically in the United States Constitution.  I know it sounds strange to our modern and secular ears to hear that in 1864 this odd […]

If incentives to ingenuity and skill in individual persons were to be abolished, the very fountains of wealth would necessarily dry up; and the equality conjured up by the Socialist imagination would, in reality, be nothing but uniform wretchedness and meanness for one and all, without distinction From Rerum Novarum, 1891.  This truth needs to […]

The Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has told his people that a major appliance retailer in his country is unfairly selling televisions at high prices. His response was to send in troops to take over stores and auction off items at much lower prices. In particular, he believes that his supporters should have plasma televisions. It […]

I feel the need to clarify my earlier post on “Fairness and Equality” due to the many and varied comments on it and some misunderstanding.  At the outset, I will say that in a blog post it is impossible to address every aspect of a subject or every objection.  So the reader must read the […]

At least indirectly, through this excellent short video by Arthur Brooks.  Arthur is one of our favorite social scientists here at Bereansatthegate.com; he is also President of the American Enterprise Institute.  Arthur summarizes social science research on what drives happiness; well worth your review. Earned success…that’s the key.  What enables this? A free enterprise economy:  […]