Grieving for John
by Rachel MacNair My first inclination when I thought about writing this post soon after the event was that I better not. It was a private event and my thoughts shouldn’t be broadcast for fear of invading privacy. But it’s now been publicized in The Washington Post, which is about as public as it…
“She Is a Beautiful Person”: Parents of Children with Down Syndrome Speak Out
by Sarah Terzo Babies with Down Syndrome are common targets for abortion. Estimates of the percentage of pregnancies involving children with Down Syndrome that end in abortion vary, but one study found that abortion has reduced the number of babies born with Down Syndrome by 30%. Ethicist Joseph Fletcher described people with Down Syndrome…
The Christmas Truce of 1914
World War I was starting, and the war that was expected to be over by Christmas lasted for years. But on Christmas Eve and through Christmas Day, up and down the 500-mile front, about 100,000 soldiers out of a million had spontaneous truces. Christmas carols on one side were joined in by the other side,…
Becoming a Catholic Conscientious Objector
by Tony Magliano A few years back, I was doing some serious soul-searching, trying to discern what God wanted me to write about. I walked into my 16-year-old son’s bedroom to discover a military calendar hanging on the wall. It highlighted young men and women in combat fatigues, fighter jets, an aircraft carrier battle group…
Asking Questions about Miscarriage and Abortion
by Ms. Boomer-ang While on a vacation in New York’s Adirondacks in September 2018, I ran into a family that included two gospel singers, a mother and a daughter. One day we ended up hiking together. During the hike, the daughter said, “I have a little sister in heaven. That’s neat!” The mother told her story: She…
The Need for Peacemakers: Two Urgent Dangers That Require a Response
by John Whitehead Peacemaking is urgently needed today. Peacemaking is needed in response to a variety of ongoing violent conflicts in the world. I will highlight just two conflicts that my own country, the United States, is currently involved in and that demand particular attention from peacemakers. The first is the ongoing conflict with Russia…
A Personal Reflection on a Just War
by Fr. Jim Hewes Presidents and others over the years have tried to make the case to the American people (including those of us who are Christian) of what constitutes a necessary war or “just war.” As we form our consciences about war, let us keep in mind several points when someone is talking…
Abortion on the Ballot
by Lisa Stiller In the state I live in – Oregon – over 50% of the people are underinsured according to a 2017 report by the state. A 2020 report puts our estimated homeless population at 14,655 on any given day. The state poverty rate is currently about 9 percent. We have three very…
Stepping Back from the Brink: The Cuban Missile Crisis and Lessons for Today
by John Whitehead We are now 60 years away from the Cuban Missile Crisis. The October 1962 confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union over Soviet nuclear missiles stationed in Cuba was a moment when the world came perilously close to nuclear war. This crisis’ anniversary has new significance in 2022, as the…