When experts speak, they seldom preface their assertions with the words, “This is my opinion.” In every sphere of life, experts disagree—scientists, lawyers, theologians, generals, and even Popes. Yet we often treat their statements as if they were final, unquestionable truths. In my own life there have been three places where adding the phrase “in […]
I write in response to a recent e-mail that asks me to reflect on the Beatitudes and the command to love our neighbor and even our enemy, and to address a frequent misunderstanding: that Christian charity requires passivity in the face of evil. Loving our neighbor and our enemy, rightly understood, often requires confronting evil […]
A Hayekian Case Against Idaho’s Marijuana Act In economics, Friedrich Hayek distinguished between two kinds of knowledge. “General” or scientific knowledge is abstract and law‑like what economists, engineers, and scientists know about general relationships of cause and effect, production functions, and technological possibilities. “Particular” or local knowledge concerns the “circumstances of time and place”: concrete, […]
Christians and Jews have faced recurring waves of persecution from the first century to the present, sometimes even twisting their own traditions to persecute each other. In every era, shifting political, religious, and social pressures have found ways to target those whose ultimate loyalty is to God rather than the state or the dominant culture. […]
“The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose,” Shakespeare warns in The Merchant of Venice. The line echoes the Gospel story of Christ’s temptation, where Satan quotes the Psalms to serve his own ends. It is a reminder that even sacred words lose truth in the mouths of the self-righteous. That came to mind this past week […]
Politics has always been a contact sport. But today the screaming and yelling we see from demonstrators in the streets, pundits in the media, and—most disappointingly—during congressional debate and in courtrooms across the country reflects something deeper than ordinary rough‑and‑tumble. It reveals a collapse of civility and the rise of undisciplined minds that have never […]
Over the past few days, I’ve found myself bewildered—though not surprised—by the hypocrisy, naïveté, and lack of self-awareness exhibited by many of our legislators and those inside the Governor’s Office. As the state’s budget shortfall dominates attention and agency funding requests come under scrutiny, the same old games are being played while the public remains […]
Words, when used precisely, can be instruments of truth. When they are used carelessly—or maliciously—they become weapons. Much of today’s public discourse illustrates that danger. When language loses precision, emotion fills the void, and hatred follows close behind. Take the phrase “Trump Derangement Syndrome.” It’s not a medical term but a rhetorical one—an accusation that […]
According to The Capital Sun, another conservation group has filed suit against the federal government, this time demanding that it finally designate “critical habitat” for the wolverine. The government, apparently, can’t begin to protect these rare northern carnivores until it first defines where they live. It’s a fair point—and one that might just apply to another vanishing […]
It seems to me that it’s far too easy to get caught up in news cycles and politics at every level. Being engaged and informed matters—it’s our civic duty—but these things are not the most important part of life. The story below captures my thoughts about setting priorities and remembering what really counts. When the final whistle […]
Why is the Idaho Republican Party so divided, even as it holds a supermajority in both chambers of the Legislature and the Governor’s office? That question was recently posed on Idaho Reports to former Governor Butch Otter and former Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General David Leroy—two of the most skilled retail politicians Idaho has ever produced. Along […]
C. S. Lewis, Natural Law, and Immigration Non‑Enforcement In Mere Christianity C. S. Lewis writes: “Good and evil both increase at compound interest. That is why the little decisions you and I make every day are of such infinite importance.” Lewis assumes an objective moral law (the Tao) that orders personal life, social life, and life under […]