Shortly after escaping from slavery, Frederick Douglass found himself in New Bedford, Massachusetts. As a “lukewarm” Methodist, he felt it his duty to seek the “spiritual advantage of public worship,” and “therefore resolved to join” the local congregation. Though Massachusetts was a free state, Douglass was denied a “seat in the body of the house”Continue reading “Without a Shepherd”
Tag Archives: lies
Singing What’s True
In my dazed and confused youth, listening to classic rock as I traversed the rural roads of New England, several of Van Morrison’s ubiquitous hits were etched into my soul. Apart from that, I never gave the fellow a second thought, until reading several years ago that the title of his popular tune, “Domino,” isContinue reading “Singing What’s True”
Serpents and Stones
Announcing the birth of St. John the Baptist, which we celebrate today, the Angel of the Lord explained his greatness in these terms: He shall convert many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. And he shall go before him in the spirit and virtue of Elias; that he may turn theContinue reading “Serpents and Stones”
A Benign Bloodthirst
Clarence Thomas is to my mind (the one you keep hearing about here) the most impressive of our Supreme Court Justices. That late intrepid defender of the “original meaning” of our Constitution, Antonin Scalia, referred to him admiringly as a “bloodthirsty originalist.” Pace the purveyors of social injustice, this does not imply that he isContinue reading “A Benign Bloodthirst”
Unmasking the Man of Sin
The man of sin [shall] be revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes, and is lifted up above all that is called God, or that is worshipped, so that he sits in the temple of God showing himself as if he were God. 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 St. Paul prefaces this announcement of the Antichrist withContinue reading “Unmasking the Man of Sin”
Profiles in Meekness
Meekness is doing our duty in spite of all obstacles, whether those obstacles come in the form of our own errors and excesses, or the wrongful opposition of others. Meditating on the meaning of meekness has inspired me to begin a series of posts celebrating those among us who exhibit this beatitude by seeking whatContinue reading “Profiles in Meekness”
Doing the Truth
A sure sign that a given regime is despotic is its hostility or indifference to what is good, true, and beautiful. The science of despotism consists in discouraging virtues such as (genuine, active) charity, and instilling vices, such as deception, or compliance with the web of lies in which despotism seeks to entangle us. HowContinue reading “Doing the Truth”
Living by Lies
Over the past year, the rights (and duties) of human beings in society have been suspended without warning, and partially parceled back according to the whims of bureaucratic despots, from WHO officials to the manager of the local chain store. We might ask what could possibly justify such drastic impositions upon human dignity and endangermentContinue reading “Living by Lies”
