A question often asked of those who argue for infant baptism is, “What good does it do the infant?” Those who ask this question generally think they have nailed the defender, as there is no obvious benefit to the infant. The infant hardly seems to be aware of what is transpiring, let alone being aware... Continue Reading

“You would essentially exempt yourself from the dictates of Roe v. Wade, if the state chose to pass a law and it could not be heard in the Supreme Court.” Back in 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court legalized abortion on demand in the infamous Roe v. Wade and companion case Doe v. Bolton decisions and... Continue Reading

The most remarkable aspect of his confession is its Buddhist shape. American Christians should look at those words with care – seeing just how distant they are from the Gospel. Americans are accustomed to a certain kind of public confession, argues Susan Wise Bauer — and that means a confession that is shaped by the... Continue Reading

Black History Month is a time not only to honor our past but also to survey the progress yet to be made. Why does the black underclass continue to struggle so many years after the civil rights movement? Martin Luther King dreamed about an America where women and men are evaluated on the basis of... Continue Reading

Tom Stein is senior pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church in Richmond, Indiana. He writes a weekly blog for his local newspaper. We are at a fork in the road. It is not a choice that will make or break this community, but it will test the heart of this community — and the hearts of... Continue Reading

Religion best serves public life by relativizing the importance of public life, especially of public life understood as politics. Authentic religion keeps the political enterprise humble by reminding it that it is not the first thing. This March the magazine FIRST THINGS is celebrating twenty years of publishing with a 20th Anniversary Issue chock full... Continue Reading

The direction of modern advertising is away from the blunt instrument approach my generation grew up with and toward the stealthy and subliminal. A tactic I didn’t know of is celebrity marketing—giving exposure to products at celebrity parties. The college age son of my friend Beth is working part time for an ad agency, so... Continue Reading

Whatever people may think about Tiger Wood’s sincerity on Friday, one thing is clear to me. He’s on a Twelve Step program and is committed to finish it. For those who are familiar with Twelve Step programs, the format goes back to the early days of Alcoholics Anonymous in the 1940’s. They have been modified,... Continue Reading

Despite their theological differences, virtually all the founders maintained that morality depended on religion (which for them meant Christianity). They were convinced that their new republic could succeed only if its citizens were virtuous. One of today’s most contentious culture wars is over the religious commitments of our nation’s founders. Were most of them orthodox... Continue Reading

What if every human being has intrinsic worth simply because we are human and not based on whether we can act or not? What if life is more than biology, that humans have souls as well as bodies and are endowed by their Creator to have certain unalienable rights? I am not one who ventures... Continue Reading