Evaluating the Merit of Non-Religious Conscience Exemptions in Healthcare Policy
Organizations, regardless of their religiosity, are making increasingly non-religious moral and ethical arguments in the healthcare arena to combat practices such as abortion, euthanasia, and vaccines. While a lively and important discussion exists concerning the significance of religious freedom, it is pertinent to examine to what extent non-religious conscience claims may be valid, as well as their similarities to and differences from traditional religious conscience claims.
Can Better Classrooms Lead to Empty Cells? An analysis of school funding and incarceration rates
Incarceration rates within the United States have been the subject of heated debate for multiple decades. In spite of its status as a highly developed country, the United States has by far the highest incarceration rate in the world with 737 prisoners per 100,000 members of the population.
Pro Deo, Domo, et Patria: Timeless Lessons from Dostoevsky’s Demons
Demons is a late 18th century novel written to serve as a political commentary inspired by a politically motivated murder in Russia. Dostoevsky sought to warn the Russian people of the personal and political dangers of popular western philosophies that were finding their way into the Russian psyche. The primary philosophy he warns against is nihilism.
Doomsday Prepping: To What Extent Should We Depend on our Government?
Back in the wonderfully uneventful era of the early 2010s, my family and I enjoyed a National Geographic series called “Doomsday Preppers.” The fascinating people featured in the show were preparing for the apocalypse, or something close to it. We would sit in front of the TV and laugh at those who were convinced that a pandemic, wipeout of the electrical grid, severe climate change, solar flare, or political unrest would lead to an apocalyptic event in the near future. We looked on in entertainment as they hatched their apocalypse strategy: stockpiling food, weapons, and generators. Perhaps, in the midst of a pandemic, political unrest, and weather related power failures, they are having the last laugh.
Giving In Light of Eternity: A Call to Christian Charity
“Darkness is cheap, and Scrooge liked it.” In the opening stave of Charles Dickens’ classic tale, A Christmas Carol, that line sets the scene, communicating Scrooge's light-less surroundings and miserly priorities. However, by the end of the story, the cost of...
The Politics We Wear
The release of Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s new clothing line has of course sparked plenty of social media controversy. Yet, politically affiliated clothing is hardly novel. The political nature of AOC’s apparel is little different than President Trump’s MAGA hats.
Finding the Motivation to Learn
Although remote learning caused by COVID-19 has been lauded as more efficient and affordable than previous modes of instruction, and has potential to alleviate student debt in the future, one of the most common obstacles to success posed by online school is a lack of...
The Lockdown Paradox
The pandemic is now well into its third wave, with new cases topping 200,000 per day and deaths at an all-time high. FDA approval of two vaccines promises an eventual solution, but for the moment, many governors have resorted to tightening restrictions. At the same time, the mind can only maintain crisis mode for so long before defaulting to normal, and Americans have developed intense lockdown fatigue.
Mercenaries: A Battleground in Public Discourse
The First American Volunteer Group (AVG), also known as the Flying Tigers, fought in the Pacific theater of World War II prior to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. They were hired by the Chinese central government (and indirectly supported by the Roosevelt administration) to wage war against the Japanese without the official involvement of the United States military.
