The National Prayer Breakfast, a D.C.-event going back to 1953, was held this morning. The keynote was USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah, and President Obama added remarks. Obama chose to focus on religious freedom, calling it a matter of “national security,” menting that he was looking forward to his trip to the Vatican next month to meet with Pope Francis. Obama also said, Yet even as our faith sustains us, it’s also clear that around the world freedom of religion is...

A few weeks ago I asked why natural law arguments more persuasive. Natural law advocates intend for such argument to persuade both believers and non-believers, so how do they account for the relative ineffectualness of such arguments? Why don’t more people find them to be persuasive? In response to my question (as well as questions and criticisms from others), Sherif Girgis proffered a defense and explanation: Yes. Over the last few years, my coauthors and I have heard from many...

It is no stretch to say that Michael Novak is a towering figure in 20th century Catholic social thought. His 1982 seminal work, The Spirit of Democratic Capitalism, influenced thinkers in the U.S., Latin America and Soviet-controlled countries. George Weigel has summed up Novak’s vocation and contribution to Catholic social teaching, economic thought and moral culture in an article at City Journal. Weigel begins by stating that Novak’s work wasn’t simple: Novak has applied his philosophical and theological skills to...

During a meeting in a restaurant with two officials from the Ford Administration — Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld — a young economist sketched a curve on a napkin to illustrate an argument he was making. Arthur Laffer was explaining to the policymakers the concept of taxable e elasticity—i.e., taxable e will change in response to changes in the rate of taxation. By 1974, the idea was already ancient. Ibn Khaldun, a 14th century Muslim philosopher, wrote in his work...

In the book A Conflict Of Visions, Thomas Sowell explains that progressives look for the cause of crime because they believe human beings to be essentially good and not prone to self-interest or moral failings. For progressives, “It is hard to understand how anyone mit a terrible crime without some special cause at work, if only blindness,” observes Sowell. Progressives “see human nature as itself adverse to crime, and society as undermining this natural aversion through its own injustices, insensitivities,...

The Acton Institute is pleased to co-sponsor (with Calvin College, Aquinas College, Diocese of Grand Rapids, and Holy Family Radio) the one-woman production, Hildegard of Bingen and the Living Light. Starring Linn Maxwell, the free event will take place on Sunday, March 23 at 6 p.m. at the Acton Building in Grand Rapids. Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) memorated on both the Catholic and Anglican/Episcopal Calendars, and was declared a Doctor of the Catholic Church by Pope Benedict XVI. This one-woman...

What does the Acton University experience have to offer a newly-graduated college student? Thomas Wheeler, from Minnesota, attended AU 2013 on mendation from his dad. In this podcast, Wheeler talks about how the message of human dignity that he heard at Acton University has informed his life choices. Enjoy the discussion. ...

This morning the federal government released the latest jobs report. You may have noticed confusing headlines andreporting about the data, such as this story from NPR, “Job Growth Less Than Expected, But Unemployment Hits 5-Year Low.” What does that mean? Is that bad news mixed with good news?How should we interpret the jobs report? Here’s what you need to know to understand what the job report is, what it tells us, and what it means for the economy: What is...

A recent report from the CBO contains an appendix detailing updated estimates of the labor market effects of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Pundits for and against the ACA have wasted no time in putting their own particular spin on the projections. Republicans and some other opponents have seemingly celebrated the idea that these estimates may show that the ACA is “a job-killing, economy-crushing villain,” while Democrats and some other supporters have claimed that in times of high unemployment, it’s...

From the Charter of the United Nations: The Purposes of the United Nations are: To maintain international peace and security, and to that end: to take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to the peace, and for the suppression of acts of aggression or other breaches of the peace, and to bring about by peaceful means, and in conformity with the principles of justice and international law, adjustment or settlement of international disputes or situations which...