Edwin Benson 
Imagine a roomful of nearly two hundred people gathered with one common goal—to discern Our Lord’s and Our Lady’s expectations for the United States in the twenty-first century. Such a gathering would necessarily be both intelligent and devout. It would cut across ages, professions and experiences. Its meetings would stimulate exciting conversations. … Read more
In Portland, Oregon, a suburban parish’s decision to remodel the interior of its church building has the local architectural community crying over the loss of an “architectural masterpiece.” To read the coverage, one might think that the building belongs to the architects rather than to the parish. A Typical Suburban Parish The … Read more
A recent article in The Washington Post described a troubling new business trend in China, renting out adult grandchildren to elderly people who lack caring children and grandchildren of their own. It’s Just Business The article tries to present this bit of commerce in objective tones. It notes that the Chinese population … Read more
This article is the fourteenth part of a series about Purgatory, a topic that is rarely discussed today. A knowledge of Purgatory is essential if souls are to avoid the pains of this place of expiation. The previous article can be found here. * * * While not well known today, Saint Catherine de … Read more
It did not take long for New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to be proven wrong about housing. It was inevitable. Populism does not mix well with Marxist economics, no matter how broad a mayor’s smile might be. Before getting into the details, a definition of private property is in order. This … Read more
Those who believe that the higher education system is broken have a new piece of evidence, courtesy of The Wall Street Journal’s website—“University of Michigan Drops First-Semester Grades to ‘Curb Mental Health Crisis.’” The University will implement the program in the fall of 2027. Pass or No Credit The idea is that … Read more
Americans who like American cars also like V-8’s. The evidence is undeniable. No less an oracle than the Wall Street Journal proclaimed it in a recent article. That article revealed important aspects of the America character, especially among those with conservative social leanings. A Corporate Error The premise of the article was … Read more
The Oregon Secretary of State recently announced that a referendum to ban the killing of animals failed to gain enough signatures to get on the November ballot. Many, including livestock farmers, sport and commercial fishers, hunters and meat-eaters, breathed a sigh of relief. It is easy to understand mocking such a goal … Read more
This article is the thirteenth part of a series about Purgatory, a topic that is rarely discussed today. A knowledge of Purgatory is essential if souls are to avoid the pains of this place of expiation. The previous article can be found here. * * * Modern Christians who accept … Read more
Conflicting claims about marijuana have baffled societies worldwide since it became popular among countercultural groups in the late sixties. The issue rapidly degenerated into a battle between non-users advocating laws prohibiting marijuana and users, who thought that it should be legalized immediately. A Growing Issue Many Refuse to See Over the years, … Read more