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November 7, 2019 at 12:06 PM

Jean C. Lloyd: From Christians Who Formerly Identified as LGBTQ: A “Thank You” to Our Allies

Like most Public Discourse readers, I have long been aware of Barronelle Stutzman. She has been a hero of mine since she came into her unwanted fame. From Christians Who Formerly Identified as LGBTQ: A “Thank You” to Our Allies November 06, 2019 | by Jean C. Lloy…

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November 6, 2019 at 10:35 PM

Thank You!

Thank You! Thanks for reading. Together, we can help build a decent, dynamic, and thriving society. Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. Dear John, Last October, Public Discourse celebrated our tenth anniversary by unveiling some major changes…

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November 6, 2019 at 12:04 PM

Sen. Marco Rubio: Common Good Capitalism and the Dignity of Work

A few weeks ago, the Attorney General gave a speech about religious liberty at Notre Dame. The reaction was a cautionary tale about how, if a Catholic Common Good Capitalism and the Dignity of Work November 05, 2019 | by Sen. Marco Rubio Common good capitalism is …

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November 5, 2019 at 12:06 PM

Molly Sheahan: Use and Abuse: The Exploitative Reality of Surrogacy and Egg Donation

Over the last two years, I noticed my Facebook and Instagram feeds filling with ads urging me to donate my eggs or to become a surrogate. At first I l Use and Abuse: The Exploitative Reality of Surrogacy and Egg Donation November 04, 2019 | by Molly Sheahan No one…

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November 4, 2019 at 12:04 PM

Heather Smith and Alan J. Hawkins: Is There a Battle of the Sexes in “Consensual” Non-Monogamy?

A couple months ago, a friend (of Heather’s) posted on Facebook: “With June being pride month and everything, I decided that I wanted to update everyo Is There a Battle of the Sexes in “Consensual” Non-Monogamy? November 03, 2019 | by Heather Smith and Alan J. Haw…

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November 1, 2019 at 11:03 AM

Andrew Yuengert: The Myth of Technocratic Infallibility

Modern government is a collaboration between “politicians” and “technocrats.” “Politicians” (some of whom are elected) argue for policy on behalf of c The Myth of Technocratic Infallibility October 31, 2019 | by Andrew Yuengert We need good measures of economic ac…

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October 31, 2019 at 11:03 AM

John Singelton and Michael Singleton: Zombie vs. Bigfoot: The Mythology of American Monsters

Spirits haunt the postmodern West. But ghosts, fiends and fantastic beasts don’t just come out at Halloween. “Fear is the beginning of wisdom,” and st Zombie vs. Bigfoot: The Mythology of American Monsters October 30, 2019 | by John Singelton and Michael Singleton…

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October 30, 2019 at 11:06 AM

Nathanael Blake: The Age of Miracles and Misery Machines

You can’t win it all in the genetic lottery—or, at least, I didn’t. I won some, such as being six feet tall with a full head of hair, and I lost some, The Age of Miracles and Misery Machines October 29, 2019 | by Nathanael Blake We have more material comforts than…

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October 29, 2019 at 11:03 AM

Adam J. MacLeod: Piracy, Protests, and the Problem of China

The civil unrest that has erupted in Hong Kong demonstrates that Hong Kong’s citizens understand both the Chinese ruling elite and the governing juris Piracy, Protests, and the Problem of China October 28, 2019 | by Adam J. MacLeod America’s relations with China s…

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October 28, 2019 at 11:02 AM

Jennifer S. Bryson: American Muslims Challenge Transgenderism—and Each Other

Questions of sex, sexual orientation, and transgender status are at the center of a group of cases before the US Supreme Court this term. These cases, American Muslims Challenge Transgenderism—and Each Other October 27, 2019 | by Jennifer S. Bryson In amicus brief…

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October 25, 2019 at 11:06 AM

R.J. Snell: Coherence, Calvinball, and the Consistent Ethic of Life

Given the impossibility of God’s commanding anything contrary to reason, the internal consistency of true religious teaching is self-evident. No true Coherence, Calvinball, and the Consistent Ethic of Life October 24, 2019 | by R.J. Snell A consistent life ethic …

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October 24, 2019 at 11:03 AM

Jane Robbins: Against the “Feminine Essence”

Transgender activists frequently argue that men who wish to present themselves as women (male-to-female or MtF transgenders) have a female gender iden Against the “Feminine Essence” October 23, 2019 | by Jane Robbins Why do transgender activists so strongly reject…

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October 23, 2019 at 11:03 AM

Margarita Mooney: Forgiving the Unforgivable: A Lesson in Love

What can we learn from people who have forgiven others for violent crimes? Questions about forgiveness have come up many times in my fieldwork among d Forgiving the Unforgivable: A Lesson in Love October 22, 2019 | by Margarita Mooney I initially tried to explain …

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October 22, 2019 at 11:05 AM

Robert Clarke: Norway’s Barnevernet and The Future of Parental Rights

In recent weeks, it has been reported that the Norwegian authorities have taken permanent custody of three American children from their Christian pare Norway’s Barnevernet and The Future of Parental Rights October 21, 2019 | by Robert Clarke Those who undermine th…

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October 21, 2019 at 11:02 AM

Paul R. DeHart: The Rise and Fall (and Restoration) of Western Civilization

Something is amiss. For many years now, prominent voices have claimed that Western civilization is foundering. But if Western Civilization is sinking, The Rise and Fall (and Restoration) of Western Civilization October 20, 2019 | by Paul R. DeHart The restoration …

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October 18, 2019 at 11:04 AM

Jesus Fernandez-Villaverde: The Problems With and Solutions to American Healthcare

Healthcare is a crucial thread in the tapestry of social conditions that allows us, either individually or as communities, to fulfill our goals in lif The Problems With and Solutions to American Healthcare October 17, 2019 | by Jesus Fernandez-Villaverde When it c…

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October 17, 2019 at 11:04 AM

James E. Hartley: Immigration: Winners and Losers?

Who is helped and who is hurt by immigration? This question seems like it should be relatively straightforward. In a previous essay in Public Discours Immigration: Winners and Losers? October 16, 2019 | by James E. Hartley Attempts to discover the effect of immigr…

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October 16, 2019 at 11:04 AM

Angela Franks: Eberstadt on Eberstadt: Identity Politics’ Roots in Secularization

Mary Eberstadt’s recent book, Primal Screams: How the Sexual Revolution Created Identity Politics offers important insights about identity politics. A Eberstadt on Eberstadt: Identity Politics’ Roots in Secularization October 15, 2019 | by Angela Franks For all it…

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October 15, 2019 at 11:05 AM

Kody Wayne Cooper: Joker and the Need for Family

Setting the box office record for an October release, the new film Joker is a worldwide phenomenon. Before its release and since, discussion of the fi Joker and the Need for Family October 14, 2019 | by Kody Wayne Cooper Critics of Joker have missed the central me…

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October 14, 2019 at 11:03 AM

Charles J. Chaput: Things Worth Dying For: The Nature of a Life Worth Living

I turned 75 a couple of weeks ago and, as canon law requires, I offered my resignation to Pope Francis. In the next few months the Holy Father will ac Things Worth Dying For: The Nature of a Life Worth Living October 13, 2019 | by Charles J. Chaput It’s a good thi…

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October 13, 2019 at 11:06 AM

Gerhard Müller: John Henry Newman: An Ecumenical Conversion

John Henry Newman—rightly regarded as one of the most important Christian thinkers of the modern era—was born February 21, 1801 in the city of London. John Henry Newman: An Ecumenical Conversion October 12, 2019 | by Gerhard Müller Newman is a model of stability a…

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October 11, 2019 at 11:06 AM

Gerard T. Mundy: “Freedom,” “Choice,” and Physician-Assisted Suicide

In the United States this year, the legalization of physician-assisted suicide has advanced with rapidity. Two states—New Jersey and Maine—legalized p “Freedom,” “Choice,” and Physician-Assisted Suicide October 10, 2019 | by Gerard T. Mundy The supporters of physi…

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October 10, 2019 at 11:02 AM

Matthew A. Shadle: A Catholic Republicanism?

Voter dissatisfaction with both mainstream conservatism and liberalism in no small measure caused Donald Trump’s election to the presidency in 2016. S A Catholic Republicanism? October 09, 2019 | by Matthew A. Shadle At a time when many are calling for a radical r…

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October 9, 2019 at 11:06 AM

Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P.: The Advertiser and the Witness

I learned recently that it’s possible to disable images while navigating the internet. A few simple clicks in Preferences or Settings (depending on yo The Advertiser and the Witness October 08, 2019 | by Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P. Rather than a marketplace of influenc…

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October 8, 2019 at 11:05 AM

Manfred Svensson: A New Lockean Manuscript and the Limits of Religious Toleration

A few weeks ago, a recently discovered manuscript by Locke on the toleration of Catholics was published in the Historical Journal. Written around 1667 A New Lockean Manuscript and the Limits of Religious Toleration October 07, 2019 | by Manfred Svensson The conten…

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October 7, 2019 at 11:04 AM

Margaret Harper McCarthy: Overruling the Visible: The Emperor’s New Gender

This week the Supreme Court will hear the Harris Funeral Homes case. In that case, the funeral home director is accused of discrimination “because of Overruling the Visible: The Emperor’s New Gender October 06, 2019 | by Margaret Harper McCarthy At stake in the H…

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October 4, 2019 at 11:04 AM

Trey Dimsdale and Patrick Garry: A Supreme Court Decision Reflecting the Progressive Dismissal of Liberty

The Supreme Court issued a number of high-profile decisions last term, some of which involved the census’s question on citizenship, political gerryman A Supreme Court Decision Reflecting the Progressive Dismissal of Liberty October 03, 2019 | by Trey Dimsdale and …

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October 3, 2019 at 11:04 AM

Samuel Gregg: How Woke Capitalism Corrupts Business

One of the more disturbing trends to emerge throughout the business world is “woke capitalism.” Whether it is Nike recalling Betsy Ross flag-emblazone How Woke Capitalism Corrupts Business October 02, 2019 | by Samuel Gregg The phenomenon of woke capitalism isn’t …

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October 2, 2019 at 11:04 AM

Ryan T. Anderson: Sex at the High Court: On the Redefinition of “Sex” in Civil Rights Law and Faulty Accounts of “Discrimination”

Next week the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in cases that ask whether Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which bans employment discri Sex at the High Court: On the Redefinition of “Sex” in Civil Rights Law and Faulty Accounts of “Discrimination” O…

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October 1, 2019 at 11:06 AM

Paul Sullins: “Born That Way” No More: The New Science of Sexual Orientation

Late last month, a team of MIT and Harvard scientists published a landmark study of the genetic basis for sexual orientation in the journal Science. T “Born That Way” No More: The New Science of Sexual Orientation September 30, 2019 | by Paul Sullins A new study a…

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September 30, 2019 at 11:02 AM

Patrick Lee: Human Embryos are Human Beings: a Scientific and Philosophical Case

What’s at stake in the abortion debate is precisely what was at stake during the nineteenth-century debate about slavery: Where do we draw the line be Human Embryos are Human Beings: a Scientific and Philosophical Case September 29, 2019 | by Patrick Lee In Human …

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September 27, 2019 at 11:05 AM

S.F. McGuire: Humane Development: Why Fundraisers Need the Liberal Arts

I suspect it’s rarer than one would hope that a fundraising handbook opens with a reflection on the importance of civil society. But that’s how Jeremy Humane Development: Why Fundraisers Need the Liberal Arts September 26, 2019 | by S.F. McGuire A new book argues …

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September 26, 2019 at 11:04 AM

R.J. Snell: Pampering or Truth? What Makes for a Worthy Life

Facts no longer matter, although they did during the Cold War. Or so argues Michelle Goldberg in the New York Times, where she approvingly cites argum Pampering or Truth? What Makes for a Worthy Life September 25, 2019 | by R.J. Snell We stewards of the western tr…

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September 25, 2019 at 11:04 AM

Melissa Moschella: Old Natural Law Theory, Marriage, and Sexual Ethics

In yesterday’s essay, I outlined the “new natural law” approach to sexual ethics, and explained the role that human nature and teleology play in that Old Natural Law Theory, Marriage, and Sexual Ethics September 24, 2019 | by Melissa Moschella “Old natural law th…

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September 24, 2019 at 11:04 AM

Melissa Moschella: Sexual Ethics, Human Nature, and New Natural Law Theory

No thinker in the Aristotelian-Thomistic tradition can dispute the relevance of human nature in sexual ethics—or in any aspect of ethics, for that mat Sexual Ethics, Human Nature, and New Natural Law Theory September 23, 2019 | by Melissa Moschella “New” natural l…

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September 23, 2019 at 11:03 AM

Ana Samuel and Mona Charen: On the Waves of Feminism with Mona Charen

Is Mona Charen a Feminist Ana: You’ve had quite a career, starting off in your twenties writing for National Review. You then joined the White House s On the Waves of Feminism with Mona Charen September 22, 2019 | by Ana Samuel and Mona Charen One of the unfortuna…

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September 20, 2019 at 11:03 AM

Jason Morgan: Defending Against Government Injustice

Over the past few years, the American public has been bombarded with stories of abuses of power by police officers. Eric Garner was choked to death by Defending Against Government Injustice September 19, 2019 | by Jason Morgan The temptation to shoot a wayward cop…

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September 19, 2019 at 11:07 AM

Mark Regnerus: Does “Conversion Therapy” Hurt People Who Identify as Transgender? The New JAMA Psychiatry Study Cannot Tell Us

In a “study” that arrived to much media fanfare last week in the journal JAMA Psychiatry, researchers affiliated with Harvard University and Massachus Does “Conversion Therapy” Hurt People Who Identify as Transgender? The New JAMA Psychiatry Study Cannot Tell Us S…

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September 18, 2019 at 11:06 AM

Nathanael Blake: Sweeney Trump and the Hollow Men

Is Donald Trump a hollow man? Ross Douthat thinks so. He recently opined that “To analyze Trump is to discover only bottomless appetite and need, and Sweeney Trump and the Hollow Men September 17, 2019 | by Nathanael Blake There are reasons to care which denizens…

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September 17, 2019 at 11:05 AM

Laura Haynes: Are Religious Californians Really Harming the Mental Health of People Who Identify as LGBTQ?

California politicians are telling people of many religions that their faith is unacceptable to the state. These legislators are pushing anti-religiou Are Religious Californians Really Harming the Mental Health of People Who Identify as LGBTQ? September 16, 2019 |…

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September 16, 2019 at 11:07 AM

Alan McLaughlin: Word War, World War

In today’s public communication climate, something as quotidian and unimpeachable as calling a girl “she” constitutes an invitation for legions of enf Word War, World War September 15, 2019 | by Alan McLaughlin To capitulate on pronouns is not an act of charity. I…

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September 15, 2019 at 11:03 AM

Owen Strachan: Faithful Living in a Fractious Age: Evaluating “Fairness for All” in Light of Christian Theology

“You are a city on a hill…you are the light of the world.” Many Christians know these words from Matthew 5:14 by heart. They cheer us and warm us, rem Faithful Living in a Fractious Age: Evaluating “Fairness for All” in Light of Christian Theology September 14, 20…

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September 14, 2019 at 11:07 AM

John Thomas: This Land Is Our Land: Challenging the Status Quo on Immigration

Suketu Mehta is angry. He is angry about the depiction of immigrants in America today. Mehta, who immigrated to the United States from India when he w This Land Is Our Land: Challenging the Status Quo on Immigration September 13, 2019 | by John Thomas “This Land I…

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September 13, 2019 at 11:05 AM

Gerard T. Mundy: Russell Kirk’s Guidance on Community and Local Government Is as Necessary As Ever

The political theorist, writer, and thinker Russell Kirk often referred to the need for attention to be squared upon “The Permanent Things,” a term he Russell Kirk’s Guidance on Community and Local Government Is as Necessary As Ever September 12, 2019 | by Gerard …

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September 12, 2019 at 11:06 AM

Jon D. Schaff: Nationalism as Religion: The Proper Love of Place in Today’s Politics

The recent conference on “National Conservatism” has brought the concept of nationalism to the fore of American political conversation once more. The Nationalism as Religion: The Proper Love of Place in Today’s Politics September 11, 2019 | by Jon D. Schaff Chris…

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September 11, 2019 at 11:05 AM

Adeline A. Allen: Surrogacy, Love, and Flourishing

Surrogacy is much in the news these days. New Jersey and Washington recently legalized commercial gestational surrogacy, while similar legislation was Surrogacy, Love, and Flourishing September 10, 2019 | by Adeline A. Allen Surrogacy is dehumanizing to both birth…

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September 10, 2019 at 11:04 AM

Ryan T. Anderson: False Dichotomies, the Common Good, and the Future of Conservatism

In a series of high-profile exchanges, conservatives are returning to first principles, reconsidering how best to protect and promote human dignity an False Dichotomies, the Common Good, and the Future of Conservatism September 09, 2019 | by Ryan T. Anderson David…

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September 9, 2019 at 11:06 AM

Gerard V. Bradley: Stigmatizing and Prosecuting Pornography

Criminal prosecutions in the United States for producing or distributing pornography featuring adult actors have gone the way of the eight-track tape Stigmatizing and Prosecuting Pornography September 08, 2019 | by Gerard V. Bradley Unless adults are willing to m…

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September 6, 2019 at 11:06 AM

Jorge Jraissati: Chasing The Roots of the Venezuelan Collapse

A generation ago, Venezuela was the most advanced Latin American economy, with the largest oil reserves in the world, and with a bright future ahead. Chasing The Roots of the Venezuelan Collapse September 05, 2019 | by Jorge Jraissati In order to flourish economi…

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September 5, 2019 at 11:07 AM

Adam J. MacLeod: Toward a Productive Discussion About Immigration

Among deeply divided Americans, immigration has emerged as one of the most divisive issues. Before we can have a productive conversation about enforce Toward a Productive Discussion About Immigration September 04, 2019 | by Adam J. MacLeod Among the universal, fun…

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