tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-103287892011-12-28T13:44:49.405-05:00Just another fool searching for wisdom. Sedes Sapientiae, ora pro me. Veritas liberabit vos.brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.comBlogger1641100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-24154106766583359572009-07-19T16:12:00.002-04:002009-07-19T16:23:43.376-04:00

It seems only courteous that I inform my readers that I received my acceptance letter from the seminary on Friday. So I am now officially a seminarian. I no longer need any adjectives to hedge my bets against a possible, if unlikely, change of circumstances. I am a seminarian.I move down to the seminary on August 26. I'll be spending the remaining month trying to tie up a number of loose ends on

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-18759378868003666352009-07-18T17:33:00.003-04:002009-07-18T17:40:57.259-04:00

"Incredible claims require incredible evidence," can only mean, "claims that I choose to reject willfully and a priori require evidence that I will not choose to reject willfully and a priori." This is entirely a matter of the speaker's intellectual and volitional dispositions. But a speaker's intellectual and volitional dispositions have no effect on the truth, i.e. the reality, of a claim. Thus

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-70785121374339096062009-07-02T23:18:00.002-04:002009-07-02T23:30:58.941-04:00

I know that some are interested in an update on my status as a candidate for seminary.Here it is: I am in. After reviewing my information and the recommendation from the diocesan Commission for Orders and Ministries, my bishop has given his approval for my sponsorship as a seminarian.I literally just got the letter from the diocese this past Saturday. And on that same day the diocesan vocations

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-90111974897152148902009-06-15T08:00:00.002-04:002009-06-15T08:00:04.063-04:00

Today, June 15, 2009, at approximately 2:30 PM, EST, I will be interviewed by the Commission for Orders and Ministries of my diocese. This is a panel of priests who have been given the various material I have had to submit as part of the process for applying to seminary. Having gone over it, they will use this time to ask me any questions this material may have brought up. After the interview

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-2647011336548944862009-06-11T10:25:00.003-04:002009-06-11T10:44:01.435-04:00

OK, so...Today is Corpus Christi... except, in the U.S., it's not. Fine. I think that moving the Solemnity so people don't have to attend Mass more than once a week is a bad idea, but I'm not in charge and - since I don't have access to a 1962 Breviary and thus cannot choose to use the old calendar for today - I am obediently praying the Liturgy of the Hours for St. Barnabas the Apostle.One

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-47375073754456873152009-06-09T11:11:00.002-04:002009-06-09T11:19:53.537-04:00

I would never deny that textual criticism can have its uses in the study of Sacred Scripture. But I am skeptical about how all-powerful this usefulness is.For example, the Fathers confirm that the Apostle John wrote the Gospel of John and the three Epistles of John. Some textual critics argue that this cannot be correct because of the difference in writing style.1 To investigate this further, I

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-21498953169181197132009-06-07T21:47:00.003-04:002009-06-07T22:14:06.730-04:00

At the heart of liberty is the right to define one's own concept of existence, of meaning, of the universe, and of the mystery of human life. Beliefs about these matters could not define the attributes of personhood were they formed under compulsion of the State. ~Planned Parenthood v Casey I believe that I've written explicitly enough that the killing of George Tiller was murder, and that it was

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-33442735344068019712009-06-04T10:05:00.004-04:002009-06-04T10:09:25.949-04:00

This is interesting, especially the Habermas quote. But, as far as practical matters go, demographics are destiny. If Europeans don't start having children, there soon won't be anybody left to practice the faith, comeback or no.

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-52953332157165592062009-06-04T09:03:00.005-04:002009-06-04T09:32:04.655-04:00

I was browsing "teh interwebs" and saw this post by (amazing) sci-fi author John C. Wright. And, because I'm tired and feeling a bit whimsical, I thought I'd roll with it (even if I don't use ::shudder:: LiveJournal).My wallpaper is a picture of one of the marines from Warhammer 40,000's Black Templar Space Marine chapter. Someone, somewhere on the web, used the drawing to make one of those "

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-64335489743895920352009-06-02T17:24:00.003-04:002009-06-02T21:19:33.960-04:00

(N.B. This is a slightly modified form of an argument I first wrote in one of Mark Shea's comment boxes. The original is available here.)There are a number of people who have pointed out that the acceptance of contraception will lead to the acceptance of abortion and euthanasia. Think, for example, of the prophetic words of Pope Paul VI in Humanae vitae. Yet there are many who argue that such a

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-48875592541390790872009-06-01T20:45:00.006-04:002009-06-07T22:15:03.867-04:00

I have seen a number of Catholics question whether the killing of the child-murderer George Tiller was actually an act of murder. In more than one place I have seen an analogy drawn between the act of the killer and the assassination of Hitler planned and attempted by Colonel Claus Philipp Maria Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg. The thinking seems to be that, since both Hitler and Tiller were mass

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-28124598643811661712009-05-25T13:33:00.003-04:002009-05-25T13:40:41.623-04:00

An interesting quote: In the First World War, General Ulrich Wille led the Swiss to victory. Victory consisted of successfully avoiding the conflict. As someone put it, "We won by having no war." In the Second World War, the victorious Swiss general was Henri Guisan, of the Canton de Vaud. There is a General Guisan Quai in Zurich, a Quai General Guisan in Geneva. In every part of Switzerland,

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-79746997189652255882009-05-20T02:55:00.005-04:002009-05-20T03:59:33.187-04:00

N.B. Off the cuff at 3AM, when I'm mad because I can't fall back to sleep and made even madder by some lies that I just read.One is often told that one cannot impose one's morality on others. One may disapprove of abortion, contraception, feminism, divorce, homosexuality &c. One may believe these things to be immoral, and one may even be correct about it. But one cannot use coercive force, such

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-83900225305520351152009-05-19T13:48:00.003-04:002009-05-19T13:51:42.757-04:00

I would encourage anyone who wants to better understand the true nature of our conflict to read this lecture by Fr. Thomas Crean O.P. It discusses the meaning behind the idea of the two cities, the City of God and the city of man, using the thought of St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, and the Popes.

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-47956324283482659122009-05-18T21:13:00.006-04:002009-05-19T10:20:45.818-04:00

I have spent some of the last week thinking, "What to do?" Not necessarily what I should do personally, though that is part of it, but more along the lines of what we, Catholics of the Church in these United States and throughout the world, should do.The only answer I can come up with is this: unfurl the black banners.I am not sure how familiar anyone is with this phrase. Daniel Larison uses it

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-79761986677961882682009-05-18T02:10:00.005-04:002009-05-19T10:22:01.788-04:00

Inspired by, "an act of contempt," which jumped out and presented itself to me as another one of the many reasons I shouldn't use Facebook.Etymology is interesting. Take the word 'contempt' for example. It is derived from the Latin word contemnere, which means, "to despise," or, "to think little of." Contemnere itself is derived from the Latin word temnere, meaning, "to scorn," or, "to despise,"

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-78188698516218054662009-05-05T14:58:00.002-04:002009-05-05T15:05:28.583-04:00

I urge all married men to give into their urges to seduce that co-ed who babysits their children or that young secretary at work. It's no big deal. If your wife catches you and feels betrayed, just say, "Honey, it couldn't have been evil. After all, I've done the same thing with you and you thought that was just fine."After all, the same hip-thrusting action is going on in both activities. It's

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-29458919886959213362009-03-12T15:28:00.003-04:002009-03-12T15:43:23.884-04:00

Letter of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI to the Bishops of the Catholic Church Concerning the Remission of the Excommunication of the Four Bishops Consecrated by Archbishop LefebvreA highlight: The Church’s teaching authority cannot be frozen in the year 1962 – this must be quite clear to the Society. But some of those who put themselves forward as great defenders of the Council also need to be

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-1029663666048563882009-03-05T11:56:00.003-05:002009-05-18T02:24:21.477-04:00

Sandro Magister, "A Philosopher Reissues the Pope's Wager: To Live as if God Exists."A brief article on Robert Spaemann's newest - at least as of October 31, 2008 - book, which does not yet seem to be available in English. Following the article are some excerpts.My favorite bit: With the loss of the idea of truth comes the loss of the idea of reality. Our speaking and thinking that which is, is

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-52078130805106424902009-02-25T09:32:00.001-05:002009-02-25T09:34:40.195-05:00

"For dust thou art, and into dust thou shalt return" (Genesis 3:19)."Repent, and believe the gospel" (Mark 1:15).

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-71004764399599077302009-02-23T10:52:00.003-05:002009-02-23T11:12:24.078-05:00

See this petition.The most interesting bit:Read this: "Many colleges and universities require faculty, students, and staff to follow certain 'ethical' standards which prohibit engaging in homosexual acts" (Emphasis mine; also note their use of scare quotes).Now compare it with this:"The American Philosophical Association rejects as unethical all forms of discrimination based on... sexual

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-16225111972266707322009-02-14T12:34:00.004-05:002009-02-14T12:52:01.162-05:00

The Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter has asked the members of the Fraternity and all the lay faithful in their Apostolates to pray a novena for Pope Benedict XVI, starting today, February 14, and going until the feast of the Chair of St. Peter, February 22.The novena, in Latin and English, and further information are available here. I have reproduced the English below. I ask all who read this to

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-71885955155095234372009-02-12T14:39:00.002-05:002009-02-12T14:46:40.612-05:00

"Left Wing of the Catholic Church Destroying the Faith Says Orthodox Rabbi," by Hilary White.Hat tip: Fr. Zuhlsdorf, who offers his own commentary here.

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-19724522771400257872009-02-12T00:00:00.003-05:002009-02-12T00:06:15.167-05:00

Martin Mosebach, author of The Heresy of Formlessness, has an article on the Pope's lifting of the excommunication of the four SSPX bishops in the German magazine Der Spiegel. An English translation of the article has been posted on the blog of the Society of St. Hugh of Cluny and can be found here.Hat tip: Fr. Zuhlsdorf, who offers his own comments of the article here.

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-77402206379667004562009-02-09T18:41:00.001-05:002009-02-09T18:43:26.416-05:00

If one actually wants to understand the "plain meaning" behind the Church's teaching on religious liberty, one might want to look at the Catechism of the Catholic Church (2104-9) and follow up on its footnotes. One would then be pointed towards Leo XIII's Immortale Dei and Libertas praestantissimum; various writings of Pius XII in the Acta Apostolicae Sedis; Pius XI's Quas primas; Pius IX's

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-286935928663653652009-02-06T01:10:00.003-05:002009-02-06T01:18:33.738-05:00

And one of those robbers who were hanged, blasphemed him, saying: If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering, rebuked him, saying: Neither dost thou fear God, seeing thou art condemned under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this man hath done no evil. And he said to Jesus: Lord, remember me when thou shalt come into

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-14834701044716512142009-02-03T14:05:00.004-05:002009-02-03T14:18:10.322-05:00

Please go here and sign the letter.Hat tip: Fr. Zuhlsdorf.

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-41431422490244294692009-01-29T22:59:00.001-05:002009-01-29T23:02:29.144-05:00

Formerly anonymous Thomist James Chastek writes rants in his comments more profound than most of my posts on the same issue. Go and read.

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-29087978846222808142009-01-25T02:13:00.002-05:002009-01-25T02:16:46.096-05:00

I have no problem with empiricism properly understood. Aristotle and St. Thomas were both empiricists: "All knowledge begins in the senses."I do, however, have a problem with the kind of "empiricism" that moves from, "all knowledge is derived from sense experience," to, "sense experience is all that we know." To which I can only respond: "Please show me Newton's law of universal gravitation."

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-14523567818498779902009-01-22T13:49:00.002-05:002009-01-22T13:59:16.359-05:00

Today is the 34th anniversary of the travesty and abomination that is Roe v. Wade. Please remember in your prayers the countless lives lost.Please pray for an end to abortion in the United States and the world.Prayer to End AbortionLord God, I thank you today for the gift of my life,And for the lives of all my brothers and sisters.I know there is nothing that destroys more life than abortion,Yet

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-11863149992417096932009-01-17T13:16:00.002-05:002009-01-17T23:22:34.634-05:00

Contra Voltaire, it is to the living that we owe truth; to the dead we owe only respect.

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-54547651916760800102009-01-17T11:47:00.003-05:002009-01-17T12:11:20.821-05:00

Since someone asked, and since it is National Vocation Awareness Week - even if it is the last day of it - I thought I would offer an update on my current situation.On the licentiate front:No news, which may be good news. Classes have only recently resumed after Christmas break, and even professors deserve some time off. My director received at least two other thesis papers the day before mine,

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-7798469454732018662009-01-11T13:40:00.002-05:002009-01-11T13:44:03.508-05:00

Someone at my parish was passing out this information. I thought I'd pass it on. I've already started, since it began today. If you are apposed to abortion then there is bad news on the horizon. For those of you who do not know, the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) is set to be signed if congress passes it on January 21-22 of 2009. The FOCA is the next sick chapter in the book of abortion. If made a

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-35141957821054540652008-12-29T07:14:00.002-05:002008-12-29T07:23:55.380-05:00

I have never met an anti-dogmatist, but I have met people who are opposed to anyone other than themselves making ex cathedra statements.

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-29536538518124857962008-12-25T00:00:00.003-05:002008-12-25T00:00:00.660-05:00

"For a CHILD IS BORN to us, and a son is given to us, and the government is upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called, Wonderful, Counsellor, God the Mighty, the Father of the world to come, the Prince of Peace" (Isaias 9:6)."For while all things were in quiet silence, and the night was in the midst of her course, Thy almighty Word leapt down from heaven from Thy royal throne, as a fierce

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-77330297486531133992008-12-22T23:48:00.004-05:002009-08-19T18:00:14.588-04:00

A distinction between human life and the presence of a human soul is not philosophically tenable. Or at least not insofar as many who put it forward attempt to use St. Thomas Aquinas as support for their position.It is true that St. Thomas, following the received embryology of his day, did not believe that the ensoulment of an immortal, rational soul happened until some few months after

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-66145837974045055022008-12-09T09:13:00.001-05:002008-12-09T09:18:00.764-05:00

Anyone who tells you the Gospel is about love is speaking the truth; but anyone who says the Gospel is about love and defines love simply as warm, fuzzy feelings is a fool or a liar and should be instructed, admonished or ignored as necessary.

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-86757468729406314102008-11-27T20:46:00.001-05:002008-11-27T20:48:08.637-05:00

Wisdom finds its end not in some proof, but in the Sanctus.

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-41657394680931508392008-11-27T19:55:00.003-05:002008-11-27T20:46:14.762-05:00

"Or what hast thou that thou hast not received?" ~1 Corinthians 4:7Nothing.Lord, on this day when my country still in some way recognizes that You exist and that You are the source of all that is good, I offer to You a much belated and inadequate thanksgiving for all the gifts You have given me. I offer also my sorrow and repentance for those far too numerous times that I have squandered Your

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-70064157590454392212008-11-21T22:51:00.003-05:002008-11-21T23:07:09.604-05:00

I'm not sure if it has ever come up before, but I am a graduate student currently working on my licentiate in philosophy. All my course work is finished, so I have been writing my thesis. It's title: A Defense of God’s Freedom to Create in the Metaphysics of St. Thomas Aquinas.I just dropped my first draft in my director's mailbox today. Not counting front and end matter--the dedication,

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-35696510749657194562008-11-19T19:11:00.006-05:002008-11-26T21:14:20.562-05:00

"At the heart of liberty is the right to define one's own concept of existence, of meaning, of the universe, and of the mystery of human life" (Planned Parenthood v. Casey).If all values are purely subjective, then your life is only worth what I hold it to be worth. And if I hold it to be worth less than anything else, and I further believe that it is worth sacrificing your life to achieve

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-15258435446547994582008-11-07T22:37:00.004-05:002008-11-07T22:55:55.499-05:00

What is essential to marriage? It is essential to marriage that the couple, by being the kind of couple it is, is ordered towards having children. That is the basic essence of marriage.A couple that consists of a man and a woman, by being the kind of couple that it is, is ordered towards having children. This is true even is this particular couple, consisting of this man and this woman, is not

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-82880202810540456152008-11-07T17:15:00.005-05:002008-11-07T20:10:45.794-05:00

Marxist argumentation: When logic and reality are against you, accuse your opponent of a pathology.EDIT:Or, to put in the terms of the Underpants Gnomes...Argument Plan:Phase 1: Accuse your opponent of a pathology.Phase 2: ???Phase 3: Victory!See how simply it is?

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-10684826557711651152008-11-07T12:18:00.003-05:002008-11-07T12:25:31.049-05:00

Morning prayer today has the following reading, which I will give from the Douay-Rheims translation: Gladly therefore will I glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may dwell in me. For which cause I please myself in my infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ. For when I am weak, then am I powerful (I Corinthians 12:9-10, emphasis added).

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-32190394206171066102008-11-06T17:43:00.006-05:002008-11-06T18:32:40.834-05:00

So, this post over at Mark Shea's blog got me thinking, "What do we conservatives really mean when we say, 'We need to return to those things which made America great: individual liberty and limited government'?"Well, I don't know what everybody else means by them--though some seem to mean, "I can do what I want, and neither man nor law has the right to stop me!"--but I know what I mean by it.

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-29365139862805961442008-11-05T11:38:00.003-05:002008-11-05T11:50:44.650-05:00

Today is Guy Fawkes day. It is the day a patriot and true son of the Church tried to bring down a tyrant.Interestingly enough, it also the day William of Orange, the usurper, landed at Brixham. William was supported by the Whigs, who were traitors to their king and country. Their reasoning? James II and VII was Catholic.Today, of all days, I find these fact amusing. But then again, I've always

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-36519702432965262502008-11-04T12:30:00.004-05:002008-11-05T11:51:58.831-05:00

Earlier this week my father and I wondered why we hold elections on a Tuesday in the United States. After thinking about it, I have come to the conclusion that we hold elections on a Tuesday because the divine hand of providence has seen fit to have us vote on a day when the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary are prayed. I would humbly suggest that any of my readers who have not yet prayed the

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-7661751853215209482008-10-24T21:16:00.004-04:002008-10-24T21:28:17.971-04:00

In reading an article for my thesis, I came across an argument that goes something like this: We must avoid the two erroneous extremes of pantheism, i.e. of seeing the whole of creation as an accident of God, and Aristotelianism, i.e. seeing created beings as substances that exist in themselves without the need of a reference to a creator. I think that the second half of this statement is false.

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-56618838279340035252008-10-22T14:55:00.003-04:002008-11-05T18:16:27.276-05:00

There are those who feel that it is acceptable to vote for a pro-abortion politician if their other positions appear to benefit the common good and help reduce the number of abortions. The problem with this position is that reducing the number of abortions, as important as this is, is not enough. If abortion could be completely eliminated in fact but was still legal, then the task is not finished

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-834469127284928702008-10-21T12:13:00.004-04:002008-10-21T12:19:53.987-04:00

Suppose that law makers passed a law that demanded all $100 bills be printed in blue ink. But further suppose that those law makers, in passing this law, really intended that all $100 bills be printed in red ink. Would it be a false interpretation of the law to rule that printing $100 bills in blue ink was in keeping with the law, while printing $100 bills in red ink was a violation of the law?

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-1366182923261523192008-10-20T16:57:00.005-04:002008-10-24T22:02:53.927-04:00

I just came across this interview with Delaware Senator and Democratic Vice Presidential candidate Joe Biden. (Hat tip: Mark Shea)The interview ended thus: "To sum it up, as a Catholic, I'm a John XXIII guy, I'm not a Pope John Paul guy."What follows is my letter to Senator Biden.Dear Senator Biden,I just read your interview with reporter Nicole Gaudiano, an interview apparently conducted on

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-26033528572479965562008-10-19T22:40:00.001-04:002008-10-19T22:43:28.786-04:00

A soul is the form of a living being. A form is that which causes a particular being to be the type of being it is. A particular being is a being that is whole in itself and distinct from all other particular beings.Is the being that comes into existence at conception a particular being? Yes. It is a distinct being that is whole in itself, not a part of another being. If this were false, then any

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-50028065107827220482008-10-16T14:44:00.005-04:002008-10-19T12:32:16.552-04:00

Read this article from the Associated Press."It has also raised fears that women might abandon the Roman Catholic Church for other branches of Christianity that allow female priesthood."The only other “branches of Christianity” that have real priests are the various Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Churches. None of those ordain women to the priesthood either.I’m assuming the article is referring to

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-60030791525889701532008-10-09T18:34:00.005-04:002008-10-11T16:01:11.956-04:00

Anyone who denies the law of non-contradiction should be beaten and burned until he admits that to be beaten is not the same as not to be beaten, and to be burned is not the same as not to be burned. ~Avicenna Anyone who responds to a discussion about objective reality by saying, "That's might be your objective reality, but it's not my objective reality!" is not worth the time that talking to

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-14739056265995596312008-10-07T09:28:00.000-04:002008-11-05T11:47:10.723-05:00

Today is the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. This feast was instituted by Pope St. Pius V in a.D. 1573. The Pope instituted it to honor Our Lady for the victory of the Holy League over the far greater naval forces of the Ottoman Turks at the Battle of Lepanto on October 7, a.D. 1571. Pope Pius V had asked all of Christendom to pray the rosary for victory. That day, while he was himself praying

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-28932963023955803232008-10-02T21:11:00.003-04:002008-10-02T21:43:46.802-04:00

Who has not heard a Catholic politician say something along these lines: "I am a Catholic, but I cannot let my faith unduly influence my actions as a public official because my faith is a private matter."This is a pernicious falsehood. It is the duty of all Catholics to publicly live their faith and it is especially the duty of the laity to live their faith in the public sphere.This is first and

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-90115205351992687082008-09-30T11:23:00.000-04:002008-11-05T11:48:39.492-05:00

In honor of the feast of St. Jerome, I give you "The Thunderer," by Phyllis McGinley. God’s angry man, His crotchety scholarWas Saint Jerome,The great name-callerWho cared not a dimeFor the laws of LibelAnd in his spare timeTranslated the Bible.Quick to disparageAll joys but learningJerome thought marriageBetter than burning;But didn’t like woman’sPainted cheeks;Didn’t like Romans,Didn’t like

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-15622298290988618682008-09-29T23:04:00.004-04:002008-10-02T14:21:48.926-04:00

This is analogously equivalent to a beginning student of algebra asking for someone to prove Gödel's incompleteness theorems to them. Without the necessary background the proofs aren't meaningful to the one being taught, so they must either believe the teacher based upon his own credentials and authority or else doubt the teacher because they did not understand him and thus weren't

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-18637566130154820872008-09-13T10:37:00.004-04:002008-09-13T10:42:46.803-04:00

I've created another blog. This one has always been about philosophy and theology. Occasionally I want to write something that is only tenuously linked, at best, to those topics. Previously I've either not written it, or I've posted it here and felt that it was out of place. Now I'll post it at the other blog.Popery et Potpourri. Check it out if you so desire.

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-50506839238627570862008-09-11T21:04:00.003-04:002008-09-11T21:13:44.565-04:00

I think it fitting, given the events of seven years ago that we commemorate today and the events of three hundred and twenty-five years ago we will commemorate tomorrow, to offer up a prayer to Blessed Marco D'Aviano and the Blessed Virgin Mary, whose Most Holy Name is a symbol of victory over sin and death, for the conversion of all Muslims and an end to the preaching and practice of Jihad.

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-47575207768296808882008-09-11T14:42:00.004-04:002008-09-11T19:17:04.337-04:00

Just in case its removed for being "offensive," I thought I would share my comment (EDIT: posted on the Washington Post's site) on this opinion piece :"All Beliefs Welcome, Unless They are Forced on Others"I hope the good Professor Doninger will join my continuing campaign to overturn any laws that make it illegal for me to kill those who annoy me. After all, what right does anyone have to force

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-56322397385923549222008-09-09T16:20:00.003-04:002008-09-09T16:27:51.475-04:00

In a discussion following one of his posts over at the Chronicles website, Scott Richert notes that politicians, like particles in physics, do not simply have positions. They also have directional velocity. We ignore the latter at our peril.Continually voting for the politicians who will move us leftward more slowly does not have the consequence of stopping our move leftward. But it does have the

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-75543164326531240142008-09-09T16:13:00.002-04:002008-09-09T16:20:13.763-04:00

(Thanks to Zippy of Zippy Catholic and What’s Wrong with the World for first directing me to this idea.)Some preliminaries:1. "Liberal" is hereby being used to mean those who accept as true liberal autonomy theory. "Liberal autonomy theory" is, in turn, generally defined as follows: a political, ethical and anthropological position that holds the individual will to be the foundational attribute

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-71873117512443888032008-09-09T13:39:00.003-04:002008-09-09T14:13:58.690-04:00

Take a man. Remove him from all historic and social context. Take him as a lone, autonomous individual. What rights does he have?A liberal--either a left-liberal or one of those right-liberals we erroneously call "conservatives"--would probably be able to produce a short, or even a long, list. Certainly the left-liberal list and the right-liberal list would differ somewhat in content and emphasis

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-66259103920065947582008-09-08T21:22:00.002-04:002008-09-08T21:30:31.328-04:00

I think I am going to print up a bumper sticker that reads, "Don't blame me, I support a benevolent Hapsburg monarchy."Other ideas:"Don't blame me, I voted for Jefferson Davis.""Don't blame me, I supported the Anti-Federalists.""Don't blame me, I supported the Cavaliers.""Don't blame me, I supported the Vendée.""Don't blame me, I can comprehend Amendment X."

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-35716524518655140862008-09-03T12:04:00.004-04:002008-09-03T13:42:19.561-04:00

thebyronicman: In the heart of every orthodox Catholic man there exists a secret yearning for an evangelical girl who rides motorcycles. Let it go. It's a divine madness.Kevin: You're right. There's something wrong about hoping to get the evangelical babe in short-shorts to pray the rosary with you. Alone.

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-9737981636491839182008-09-03T12:04:00.001-04:002008-09-03T12:04:44.253-04:00

Being anti-Scylla does not make one pro-Charybdis.

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-49971739714044870172008-09-02T16:25:00.000-04:002008-09-02T16:26:49.868-04:00

Q: Why do you oppose abortion?A: I can think of neither a legal nor a moral reason to allow the direct and intentional taking of an innocent human life.Q: Do you oppose abortion even in cases of rape?A: Yes. I oppose the direct and intentional taking of an innocent human life.Q: Do you oppose abortion even in cases of incest?A: Yes. I oppose the direct and intentional taking of an innocent human

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-34793414137011948582008-08-26T22:40:00.002-04:002008-08-26T22:44:38.727-04:00

Zippy, who blogs at Zippy Catholic and What's Wrong with the World, has unleashed some good comments in a current thread at WWwtW: Compromise on the part of conservatives often functions as nothing more than shock absorbers for the chassis of liberalism.Part of being a realist is to avoid defining defeat as victory as long as it is self-inflicted.

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-63093962778955366382008-08-22T15:51:00.005-04:002008-08-28T23:17:10.252-04:00

I want to briefly discuss something I've touched on before. To say an act is objectively evil is to say that an act is evil by its very nature. An objectively evil act cannot be changed to a good act by our intentions or the circumstances surrounding its being committed.But to say an act is objectively evil is not to say anything about the seriousness or gravity of the act. An act can be

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-6584304543689276662008-08-22T05:16:00.002-04:002008-08-22T05:28:26.963-04:00

So, as the last brief ethics post should make clear, I'm done writing about specific current events for the moment. Certain current events may inspire a brief post or two--after all, we do have an election coming up--but I'm done dealing with particular current events for at least awhile.Looking back, that first post on the situation in the Caucasus was intemperate. At least the original post,

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-34689163945510238192008-08-21T22:24:00.002-04:002008-08-21T22:28:31.765-04:00

1. To say that "act A is not objectively evil" is not equivalent to saying that "act A is good." An act can fail to be objectively evil and still be evil.It's not objectively evil to go have a few beers with your buddies after work. That doesn't mean that there is no moral difference between going home to eat dinner with your family and going out for said beers. It is illegitimate to say that one

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-20310612406178566592008-08-19T20:52:00.005-04:002008-08-20T10:11:44.049-04:00

As I've said elsewhere, justice involves treating similar things similarly and different things differently. I believe that I've also mentioned the fact that certain particulars--especially certain relations--are not simply circumstantial to acts, but play a part in defining the object of an action. And I am quite certain that I have spelled what I believe to be the connection between justice,

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-36111400314478618302008-08-13T22:40:00.009-04:002008-08-18T14:34:50.845-04:00

I do not like to post too much on specific current events, but there are some things being said about this conflict that are so foolish and obviously false that I have decided to post something.As far as I can tell, the following are all true:1. South Ossetia has, it seems, closer historical and current ties with Russia than it does with Georgia. Over half the population of South Ossetia are

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-22930967980042483222008-08-13T20:39:00.000-04:002008-08-13T20:40:44.358-04:00

Ex amore enim bonitatis suae processit quod bonitatem suam voluit diffundere et communicare aliis, secundum quod fuit possibile, scilicet per modum similitudinis et quod eius bonitas non tantum in ipso maneret, sed ad alia efflueret.Indeed, from love of His goodness [God] proceeds insofar as He willed His goodness to be diffused and communicated to other things, according to all that is possible,

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-11111633317423107242008-08-13T20:34:00.002-04:002008-08-13T20:35:39.565-04:00

The wiser you get, the more you realizes what a fool you are. The more foolish you are, the more you believe yourself to be wise.

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-24712360929022210302008-08-12T15:25:00.002-04:002008-08-12T15:27:30.446-04:00

I have been, for whatever reason, thinking a bit about artificial intelligence (AI). More precisely, I have been thinking about what is generally called "strong AI," i.e. artificial intelligence that matches or supersedes the human intellect, the kind you see in science fiction books and movies. My thinking has led me to believe that such a thing will never be.First, the intellect is, for lack of

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-71329614664686704882008-08-12T14:13:00.002-04:002008-08-12T14:16:47.076-04:00

Poor Mexico, Poor America, by Thomas Fleming:Poor Mexico, Poor America IPoor Mexico, Poor America IIPoor Mexico, Poor America: Extracts OmittedPoor Mexico, Poor America: One More Time

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-4348279693791911702008-07-29T21:24:00.001-04:002008-07-29T21:24:58.783-04:00

Reality is heteronormative.

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-14485846413342312612008-07-21T19:04:00.002-04:002008-07-21T19:11:56.939-04:00

What, then, if anything, can one legislate, pray tell?Look, lets be clear here. The law both prescribes and proscribes human action. All human action is governed by morality. Thus, any legislature, by definition, is the legislation of morality in some way or another. The real question is whether or not it is the legislation of correct morality.So let us hear no more of this "You can't legislate

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-3382659178123415242008-07-21T12:27:00.005-04:002008-08-02T21:04:21.782-04:00

Here's an interesting article on the X-Files:"The Truth About 'The X-Files," by Tom Piatak.Addendum:I have recently participated in a discussion of the X-Files and Mr. Piatak's article over on Mark Shea's blog. The discussion is in the comments on this post. I have decided to repost my comment here, making some minor additions and edits. The context: I am replying to a poster who thought Mr.

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-11709844045948516542008-07-20T03:04:00.003-04:002008-07-20T03:09:49.659-04:00

Since I have been accused of having some kind of particular devotion to John Calvin and Thomas Hobbes over the past few weeks, I thought I would take some time to clarify my position.The only Calvin & Hobbes I have any particular devotion to were written and drawn by Bill Watterson. They filled my childhood and early teenage years with much joy and wonder. As for the bucket, Pawtucket.

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-26261052290957744662008-07-19T01:19:00.004-04:002008-08-17T02:42:00.190-04:00

Torture is any act that causes pain to another person where the agent has power over the subject and no relationship exists between the agent and the subject that would offer the subject a guaranty that the agent will not act towards harming the subject per se.By "has power over" I mean that the subject is unable or unlikely to be able to prevent the agent from acting upon the subject.By "harming

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-26237890615584293712008-07-10T16:00:00.006-04:002008-07-10T17:07:11.766-04:00

(N.B This was originally a comment to a post over at Mark Shea's. I've done some minor editing.)Patriotism has little to do with form of government and much to do with land, people, culture and tradition. But insofar as the historic culture and tradition of a people includes and is tied up in certain realities of government, these realities are owed our allegiance more so than others.The

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-50945414117889690202008-07-10T12:00:00.003-04:002008-07-10T13:00:20.942-04:00

According to St. Thomas, one should always render judgment according to the written law, insofar as the written law does not violate the natural law (ST, II-II, q. 60, a. 5).Earlier, in discussing the question of whether or not one must always act according to the letter of the law, St. Thomas argues that one can sometimes ignore what appears to be the letter of the law in favor of the intention

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-54778204163208813412008-07-10T01:30:00.004-04:002008-07-11T03:03:48.383-04:00

... a socialist is worried about blogs.I wonder who gets to decide who the "less principled people" are and what constitutes "misinformation and malicious intent?" The socialists, I guess? After all, they may be the only ones qualified to discern what's doubleplusungood crimethink and what's doubleplusgood goodthink.And blogs might "considerably pollute cyberspace." Why do I see a "save the

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-75295717301557315962008-07-09T23:47:00.005-04:002008-07-11T03:04:33.769-04:00

I hate the word "sentient." Though, to be honest, it's not so much the word I hate as the way it's used. "Sentient" is often used to describe beings that possess intelligence, reason, intellect &c. But "sentient" is derived from the Latin sentire, which means "to feel." "Sentient" can still be found in modern dictionaries defined as "having sense perception" and "experiencing sensation or feeling

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-4911939257270729242008-07-09T14:35:00.006-04:002008-07-11T03:05:11.709-04:00

I did not post anything on Independence Day. Partially because I spent most of the day away from the computer with my family, and partially because my thoughts on the Declaration of Independence are complicated. But I found the following poem by Robert Frost and thought it said something important about my native country, the land that I love, these United States.The Gift OutrightThe land was

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-40738739056337414192008-07-06T12:42:00.003-04:002008-07-06T12:46:30.477-04:00

The one, true love story is the story of the love that exists between God and the soul. All other love stories are reflections or distortions of this one.

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-26359121431956239862008-07-01T14:17:00.005-04:002008-07-02T01:42:21.926-04:00

"But I say to you not to resist evil: but if one strike thee on thy right cheek, turn to him also the other" (Matthew V, 39).Is the preceding quote from the Sermon on the Mount a universal moral precept? It would seem not. Commenting on John XVIII, 22-3--"And when he had said these things, one of the servants standing by, gave Jesus a blow, saying: Answerest thou the high priest so? Jesus

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-87853675133271677752008-06-27T20:59:00.005-04:002008-08-17T02:44:27.520-04:00

I hate talk of "rights" because it is so often void of content. Rights do not exist except as the result of duties, both of which exits only within the context of relationships, which are in turn governed by justice. If you do not speak about "rights" in connection with these other three things, then you are not speaking about anything at all.A right is, by definition, something which a person is

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-20682562370618711882008-06-23T21:34:00.012-04:002008-11-06T16:04:47.515-05:00

This essay is going to be on the topic of, "What is conservatism?" Or, more accurately, this essay is going to be on the topic of, "What is conservatism as I understand it?" I make no claims to originality. In fact, this essay will be extremely derivative. It will be derived from the thoughts of many men, men who in turn derived their thoughts from many other men &c. But that is necessary and as

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-83921587968742038152008-06-21T18:14:00.002-04:002008-06-21T18:22:34.620-04:00

I want to take a moment to bring to everyone's attention a book that I believe to be a major work of philosophy: Phenomenology of the Human Person by Msgr. Robert Sokolowski. I had the pleasure of reading an earlier draft of this book during a course I took with Msgr. Sokolowski last year at CUA. The book is well worth our time.A review post by Hierothee at Cosmos-Liturgy-Sex.A review by Fr.

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-16253614264414640102008-06-20T13:31:00.001-04:002008-06-20T13:35:16.008-04:00

Sex and Marriage in San Francisco, by Thomas Fleming, editor of Chronicles.

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-85408314199758057502008-06-16T17:40:00.002-04:002008-06-16T17:57:23.337-04:00

This blog is normally lucky to average 10 or so unique hits a day. Then Mark Shea links a post and I get 245 unique hits (and still counting).To any new visitors: If you like what you see, feel free to return. Substantive posts as time and duties allow, less substantive posts as whim warrants.Future offerings are likely to include: why St. Thomas' much-bandied-about views on woman are both

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-87282964190075722822008-06-12T18:25:00.002-04:002008-06-12T18:28:29.429-04:00

Perhaps the Constitution isn't dead yet.

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-84218670933635463242008-06-12T13:00:00.002-04:002008-06-12T13:01:40.243-04:00

"Equality" means that every member of society can have the aristocratic vices of Imperial Rome.

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-2709092767930622772008-06-09T17:55:00.004-04:002008-06-12T18:29:18.267-04:00

(Why? Because I'm feeling rather pessimistic today.)Whose Presidency will leave us with a better country in four to eight years, Barack Obama or John McCain?The fact that people are seriously asking and trying to answer this question is proof that the American Constitutional system is horribly broken, possibly beyond repair. The President should have little or no power to do anything that would

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-18444717490273022502008-06-09T13:58:00.003-04:002008-06-09T16:28:39.193-04:00

There is no moderate position on abortion. The questions involve do not admit to it. They are binary questions, and as such they must be answered in either the affirmative or the negative.Does a new human being come into existence at the moment of conception? The answer can only be yes or no. Any attempt to speak of acquiring humanity over a period of time is bunkum. Substance does not admit to

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10328789.post-10313239698607942022008-06-07T20:20:00.004-04:002008-06-07T23:08:59.740-04:00

It would seem that: No one who is in favor of capital punishment can be called pro-life, for "pro-life" means that one is in favor of protecting the life of all men, but being in favor of the use of capital punishment means that one is in favor of the death of some men. But the premises "no man should be killed" and "some men should be killed" are in contradictory opposition to each other, and

brendonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10074867504254411465noreply@blogger.com13