Can something as simple as a shoe build civilization? I recently had the pleasure of touring the Red Wing Shoe Museum in Red Wing, Minnesota, home of the Red Wing Shoe Company, andthe answer becamequiteclear. Founded in 1905, Red Wing Shoes has from the very beginning focused on producingboots and shoes forthose who “work on their feet.” At a time when blacksmiths, carpenters, lumberjacks, and farmers had few options for footwear, founder Charles Beckman grew frustrated with the status quo,...

The Bible teaches wise e, not blanket amnesty. Biblical teaching would give first consideration to foreigners applying e to America as blessing, and lawfully (there are four million who’ve applied and are waiting). I believe blanket amnesty of many millions more is unwise. Amnesty is unkind to nearly 20 million Americans who are currently looking but cannot find a job. Wisdom and kindness would bring millions of jobs to America before petition for scarce jobs. Biblical wisdom would protect Americans...

On Tuesday, voters in Alabama passed a ballot measurethat, among other things, forbids courts, arbitrators, and administrative agencies from applying or “enforcing a foreign law if doing so would violate any state law or a right guaranteed by the Constitution of this state or of the United States.” Such measures (other states have passed similar laws) are often dubbed “anti-Sharia” measures since preventingthe encroachment of Sharia is usually their primary objective. Sharia is the moral code and religious law of...

Now that the midterms and 2014 shareholder proxy resolution thankfully are in our rearview mirror, we can pick through the claims of the progressive religious groups such as those affiliated with the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility. Some of the charges hurled against donations by the libertarian billionaires Charles and David Koch serve only to deflect similar charges that progressive political mittees, candidates and causes are receiving storage lockers full of mad stacks of beaucoup bucks (author’s redundancy intentional). In...

What is the purpose of a for-profit business? Just for revenue to exceed expenses or something more? The Acton Institute and Calvin College recently answered this question by co-sponsoring a Symposium on Common Grace and the role it plays in business. Chris Meehan of CRC (Christian Reformed Church) Communications attended the event held at Calvin’s Prince Conference Center and recently wrote about it. He quotes keynote speaker, Peter Heslam, director of Transforming Business. “Business can be a positive agent in...

Series Note: Jobs are one of the most important aspects of a morally functioning economy. They help us serve the needs of our neighbors and lead to human flourishing both for the individual and munities. Conversely, not having a job can adversely affect spiritual and psychological well-being of individuals and families. Because unemployment is a spiritual problem, Christians in America need to understand and be aware of the monthly data on employment. Each month highlight the latest numbers we need...

Last night the election results revealed wins for Republicans in almost every state. But in four states where the GOP gained ground — Alaska, Arkansas, Nebraska, and South Dakota — the poor and unskilled suffered a loss. In each of those states, voters passed ballot measures that will increase the government-mandated minimum wage. Beginning in 2015, the wage in South Dakota will increase to $8.50 an hour. In 2016, Alaska’s wage will be $9.75 an hour and $9 an hour...

The BBC visited Baton Rouge, specifically the most violent part of Baton Rouge. The reporter asked people who live there what they would change about America. It’s an insightful little piece of journalism. Several people mentioned the need for God and prayer. One young man who owns his own business credits his success with having a father who lived with him and raised him – something he says most of his peers didn’t have. One man, showing off his scars...

On Tuesday, Acton ed economist and author Robert P. Murphy to the Acton Building’s Mark Murray Auditorium as part of the 2014 Acton Lecture Series. He spoke on the topic of The Importance of Sound Money, providing a solid lesson in the history of currency in the United States and other major countries, and an overview of the problems that have resulted from our government’s abandonment of sound monetary policy. Murphy’s presentation is available for viewing below. ...

People are not lab rats. Regardless of who they are, where they live, how much money they have or don’t have, people are not to be used for scientific experimentation without their permission. The shameful Tuskegee experiment, the horrific medical experimentation carried out by the Nazis, and the modern eugenics movement all share an underlying principle: there are some people that aren’t quite people at all – not the “kind” we want anyway. In Kenya, the United Nations has been...