Everyone agrees that during times of natural disaster, people need help. With “Superstorm Sandy” pummeling the eastern third of the U.S., it is easy to see that many people will need aid in the form of food, clothing, shelter and other basic necessities, and we are obliged to help. But we should be smart about it. Brian Fikkert, author of “When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor…or Yourself”, gives three reasonable guidelines for helping in these...

In the Nov/Dec issue of Touchstone, I have a piece on the issue of whether government jobs can act as a lever for opportunity and social mobility. My answer is a highly qualified “yes” with a number of cultural caveats. Love to get reactions from the munity. The good people at Touchstone published this one online. You can read it here. Here’s a teaser: The question is whether the modern liberal approach to improving the quality of citizens’ lives by...

V. Rev. Paul Jannakos offers an Orthodox perspective on the ing election: As Orthodox Christians we bear witness to Christ in all dimensions of life. This includes participation in civic life, where as citizens of this country we elect into office those who aspire towards the work of public service on both the local and federal levels. We do not deny that the democratic electoral process is a wonderful gift given to us as citizens of the United States. We...

After declaring a state of emergency in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie issued a forceful reminder to merchants: Price gouging during a state of emergency is illegal and will result in significant penalties. Price gouging—raising prices during an emergency condition over their normal level—is illegal in many states. But is it unethical? Jordan Ballor addressed that question in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina: Raising prices for modities during an emergency situation smacks of opportunism at best....

On Oct. 4, Rev. Robert A. Sirico, president and co-founder of the Acton Institute, spoke about social justice at the 2012 Hillsdale College Free Market Forum in Houston. The theme of the Forum, which encourages the study of free enterprise by bringing scholars together for dynamic exchanges of ideas on topics related to free market economics, was “Markets, Government, and the Common Good.” Rev. Sirico spoke about the evolved meaning of the phrase “social justice,” explaining the current usage of...

In 1920, millions of American women exercised their right to vote for the first time. It was the culmination of decades of work by women from varying backgrounds and just as varied goals. However, they all shared a vision that women should be part of the political process in the United States. One woman was Susan B. Anthony. Described passionate and having a keen mind, she was a fierce abolitionist and led the legal crusade to allow women to keep...

Join West Michigan business leader, John Kennedy, for a discussion of the HHS mandate and Obamacare. Kennedy, president and chief executive officer of Autocam, is filing suit against the federal government because the “mandate unconstitutionally coerces” him to violate his convictions about the dignity of human life. What do business leaders need to know about ObamaCare and the HHS mandate? Don’t miss your chance to engage in a conversation on this timely issue. Kennedy will take questions online from attendees...

Today is Reformation Day, and I wanted to pass along a quote that I have found to embody a valuable perspective about the imperative to always be seeking reform of one’s own life and manners, without needing to tarry for broader social or political change. The quote appears in the newly-published translation of a work by the Dutch Reformed theologian Herman Bavinck, The Christian Family, which originally appeared in 1908. The point of departure is his exploration of the institution...

Vatican II’s Declaration on Religious Freedom is just as timely today as it was fifty years ago, argues Joanna Bogle: Religious freedom is the issue of the hour: in America, in Europe, in what we (used to?) think of as “the West”. But what is particularly interesting is that es just as we are marking the 50thanniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council – the Council in which the Church explored the whole question of religious freedom and...

Washington Post columnist Robert Samuelson says everyone seems to understand that the private sector creates jobs. Everyone, that is, except the New York Times. Samuelson calls the Times’ decree of government job creation “simplistic” and that it has a “flat-earth quality”. He explains that if the government adds jobs – expands government – es at taxpayer expense. But if the people whose money is taken via taxation or borrowing had kept the money, they would have spent most or all...