Society

A few weeks ago, I sat drinking coffee with my sister outside of the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. Just as we got up to leave, we were startled by a yell from across the way: “Hey! You dropped something!” We looked back to see my sister’s sweater lying underneath the bench, and were greeted with a smile when we thanked the nameless man for his help.

In a recent Wall Street Journal interview, AEI scholar and bioethicist Leon Kass explained the dangers that come from an increasing indifference to matters of human dignity. When asked to speak about the ghastly findings in the now infamous abortion clinic of Kermit Gosnell, Kass identified a deep and widespread problem, which appears in a particularly gruesome form in the Gosnell case but doesn’t end with unscrupulous doctors.

After the tragedy in Boston last Monday, Americans came together. The sports section of the Chicago Tribune ran a graphic that stated, "We are Chicago Red Sox. We are Chicago Celtics. We are Chicago Bruins. We are Chicago Patriots."

As a Christian, I am often told that religious points of view are ideological opinions and therefore inappropriate for public policy. In a previous post, I explained that evangelicals have a right and responsibility to be engaged in political dialogue. Now I want to address the claim that secular viewpoints are somehow intellectually superior or more politically valid than religious ones.

We’ve developed a natural aversion to self-interest. An aversion so strong that our altruism is halted by the twisted question, “Do people give because it makes them feel good?” We think it may be better to forego generosity than risk satisfying our self-interest.

As I continue on with this series on men who built America, I would like to introduce you to John D. Rockefeller. Most of us are familiar with the Rockefeller name. Be it either a U.S. Senator or the famous Rockefeller center in New York City, some way or another we have heard of the name. But why?

Among the many ailments afflicting education in the United States is the assessment conundrum: parents and taxpayers alike demand the means to measure effectiveness across schools, but the drawbacks to standardized tests are becoming universally acknowledged.

In a previous post I introduced Cornelius "Commodore" Vanderbilt, the man responsible for bringing down the costs of travel on steamboats for passengers in the Northeast. But in that introduction, I didn't relay the whole story.

Earlier this month, the Higher Education Research Institute reported that today's young people are more narcissistic than ever. Our drive to succeed surpasses that of our parents. We expect a great future for our generation. Our intellectual, leadership and social self-confidence are at all-time highs.

I finally saw Spielberg's "Lincoln" this week and was gripped by the vision and courage of America's most beloved helmsman. Not surprisingly, the silver screen version of Abe's life couldn't dedicate reel time to every one of his accomplishments.

This past semester, Values & Capitalism welcomed Luke Holladay to the team as one of our fall interns. A recent graduate of Wheaton college, Luke wrote blog posts for us, helped to develop our Q&A series, assisted with writing and research projects, and much more.

As the national dialogue becomes transfixed on the issue of gun control in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook massacre, I cannot escape the thought that Americans are trying to treat the symptoms of a disease without diagnosing the cause.

On more than one recent occasion I have publicly complained about air travel. In nearly every instance, someone responds by sharing a video clip of comedian Louis C.K. reminding us that everything is amazing and nobody’s happy.

'Tis the season to display angel trees. I love the spirit of generosity that characterizes Christmastime. But, if our compassion goes awry, we can do more harm than good (like in this instance, when I totally missed the mark). Here are four tips to make your Christmas gift giveaway both compassionate and dignifying to those you serve.

Thanksgiving never gets its due. Between the Christmas displays and Starbucks cups, the whole holiday gets squeezed into a quick meal on Thursday. And if the retail stores have their way, even that will be cut short this year.

A friend of mine coined a term that I think fits our hookup culture perfectly: "consensual rape." He was writing a review of the second "Atlas Shrugged" film, and shared a draft with me that touched on not only Ayn Rand's odd ideas about sex, but also how widely they are shared...

Near the end of the classic movie "It's a Wonderful Life," George Bailey saw reality in a whole new light. He glimpsed a world in which he was never born and realized just how important he was to those around him. This experience instantly and dramatically changed George's outlook on life.

Over the summer I had a trip to the emergency room that highlighted one of the perversities of the medical industry in the United States: Health practitioners are prevented from helping patients because of regulatory hurdles erected by the state at the behest of vested interests.

The Chicago teachers now on strike make some of the best teacher salaries in the country despite some of the worst student results. But they have been saying they're not striking for the money, and I believe them.

This weekend handed me a few lessons about the nature of free enterprise and cars, though I still have little knowledge of the more mysterious inner workings of either. Early Sunday morning, I guided my Honda Civic to a stop after a slit punctured into the tire sidewall finally gave way.

While the Olympics have injected much excitement into the dwindling days of our summers, many media outlets have given significant coverage to what some might see as the most unexciting aspect of these international games: taxes.

I wrote last time about non-financial sources of capital and private "public" expenditures, as we saw it materialize when a storm knocked out power for 107,000 people for up to a week near where we live in Indiana.

You'd think that downed traffic lights would cause chaos, confusion and road rage on steroids. Aren't human beings too greedy and self-serving to be allowed to drive without traffic lights at even the smallest of intersections?

In 1987, Wall Street tycoon Gordon Gekko stepped onto the silver screen to announce, “Greed, for lack of a better word, is good.” It is no wonder why people hesitate to embrace capitalism, and why Christians in particular have trouble understanding how a system fueled by greed can be compatible with biblical principles.

In the fifth chapter of his book "Free to Choose," Milton Friedman discusses the three different ways that humans are considered to be equal. Yes, for those that have been faithfully following along, we are only in the fifth chapter.

If you are like most college students, you have already accrued a considerable amount of student loan debt. College is expensive, and without student loans many would simply be unable to obtain a college education.

Charles Murray’s new book, "Coming Apart: The State of White America, 1960-2010," has been making waves in typical Murray fashion. Murray, W.H. Brady scholar at AEI, argues that America has, over the past 50 years, experienced a new class divide between what he calls the “upper middle class” and the “lower middle class.”

A few months ago, a newly minted lawyer appeared at a question and answer session I attended in order to share his first impressions on life as an associate. When asked about communication with partners, he explained the importance of being mindful of their schedules and preferred methods of communication.

He’s a hard interview to book these days, but Patheos recently sat down with the hero of the American Revolution and the United States’ first president, George Washington. He told us about the afterlife and his obsession with young adult literature, especially the red-hot Hunger Games.

It was Christmas time when I first began dating the woman who recently became my wife. She was at home with her family in a different part of the country, so I spent a number of hours on the phone with her. I can still remember the instance when I heard her banging around in the background of our conversation.

Over at the Witherspoon Institute's Public Discourse: Ethics, Law, and the Common Good, Adam J. MacLeod writes: "A successful account of social justice must affirm the primacy of communities, and institutions directed by communities, over both the individual and the state in promoting human flourishing."

Not all books are for everybody. But this book may be a must-read for you if you are any of the following: If you are an American. Or you know an American. Or are at all interested in American culture. If you are a Christian. Or you know a Christian. Or you are all interested in Christian social philosophy.

The real threat to America is Huxley's vision of Brave New World. When government gives people their every desire it creates hollow men, or as C. S. Lewis called them, men without chests. - Jonah Goldberg

Researchers looking at this summer’s London riots have concluded architecture may have helped cause them. Preposterous idea, you say? Let me explain.

Capitalism depends in large part on whether individuals can make "voluntary associations:" freely trade goods, labor or ideas however those making the exchange agree is fair.

“If you’re just hanging out out there, maybe you’re sending a check or bringing some cash by, that’s not being a father. You’re just a human ATM. You’re just an ATM. And if you’re not providing the guidance, and you’re not sending any money, you’re just a sperm donor. You’re just a sperm donor.”

On this two-part episode, RJ talks with Peter Robinson, a senior fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution. Peter was a speechwriter for both George H.W. Bush and President Ronald Reagan in the 1980s. He is a graduate of Dartmouth, Oxford, and Stanford's School of Business.

My day job includes managing an education newspaper, and I’ve been discussing with several friends and experts lately on how teacher

In a full-page Politico ad last week, Christian activist Jim Wallis made the case for protecting government programs for the poor from budget cuts. “God is watching,” the ad claims.

On this podcast, R.J. talks with Jay Richards, a senior fellow at the Discovery Institute. Richards has previously been affiliated with the American Enterprise Institute, The Heritage Foundation, and the Acton Institute.

On this episode, Dr. Marvin Olasky, provost of The King's College and editor-in-chief of World Magazine joins the show.

Here are links to some items R.J. and Dr. Olasky discuss:

I can sum our problem for you in one sentence: Society dissolves when people don’t marry. Yes, dissolves. And I am not an apocalypse-monger. We don’t keep six months of food in the basement. We don’t own a gun (yet). I didn’t believe Jesus was coming back when Harold Camping said he was.

Be sure to catch the latest episode of The RJ Moeller show, recorded from the Acton Institue's annual Acton University in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Regardless of which candidate won Monday night's debate, one thing is for certain: young American voters (18-39) emerged as winners. Young voters desperately want both politicians to focus on the economy, and this is exactly what the debaters did.

The Protestant Bishops’ statement issued last week in opposition to the GOP’s budget proposal gets one thing very much right. The federal budget is a moral document.

Why You Should Be Married (But Probably Aren’t), Part 1

My friend, Jody, decided he wanted to marry and be a father by age 25. At the time, he wasn’t dating anyone. He was 23.

Mr. Macintosh says to Charlie in one of my favorite moments of The West Wing, "If they're shooting at you, you must be doing something right."

Paul Ryan must be doing something really, really right if the vitriol coming from the fellas at Patrol are any indication.

Recently I was asked to do an interview for a group called the Search for Common Ground. It's an organization led by my friend Jonah Wittkamper aimed at connecting young leaders from across the political spectrum. Fair warning: this is pretty juicy stuff.

My new favorite website to frequent during the day is 

One of the simple pleasures I enjoy in life is – and I know this sounds crazy – when former CBS investigative reporter, and current

Thursday evening I had the distinct honor of attending the much-anticipated debate between AEI President Arthur Brooks and social justice advocate Jim Wallis at Wheaton College.