Here are excerpts from some essays written in 1830 by John Quincy Adams: In the seventh century of the Christian era, a wandering Arab of the lineage of Hagar, the Egyptian, combining the powers of transcendent genius, with the preternatural … Continue reading →
During the time James Foley was in captivity, he tried to write letters to his parents, but they were intercepted. Resourcefully, he came up with the solution of composing one and asking a fellow-hostage who was about to be released … Continue reading →
I’ll give you moderate Muslims— And brave ones, at that: The two men on the right are almost certainly too young to remember, but the petals of the “Iraqi rose” used to include many Jews. Some were killed and most … Continue reading →
I am familiar with the Just War doctrine of the Catholic Church, and its list of required criteria for action. To me, though, it can all too easily fall under the heading of this couplet by Hillaire Belloc, who happened … Continue reading →
The Christians of Iraq in the areas controlled by ISIS are being persecuted and either killed or driven from places they’ve occupied since the dawn of Christianity. Not that Obama could stop it at this point (although he probably could … Continue reading →
…just as over half a century ago they became Judenfrei. Here’s the recipe: take a religious group that’s lived in your country for millennia, longer than Islam has been in existence. Kill some, threaten the rest, and soon you’ll soon … Continue reading →
I hadn’t written about this story yet because I kept waiting for less rumor and more official facts. There seem to be a few more available lately, although they come from an unnamed “official” rather being on-the-record announcements. The facts … Continue reading →
But it’s a relatively narrow ruling. It was also another 5-4 decision, indicating how small the margin usually is on the Court. The swing vote this time—the vote that distinguished it from the all-important “is it a tax or a … Continue reading →
Obama’s laissez faire attitude towards Iraq has led us from this good news to its opposite: The insurgents came at midday, walking across a canal, advancing under cover of mortar fire toward the cluster of three Iraqi villages. Within eight … Continue reading →
Let me make this clear at the outset: one case of child sexual abuse by a Catholic priest would be one too many. Priests and all other clergy are in a very special position of both trust and power that … Continue reading →
Mariam Yahia Ibrahim Ishag, under sentence of death for apostasy, has given birth in a Sudanese prison. The US Embassy in Sudan has released a statement protesting her incarceration, and a few US Senators have also supported her. Others, including … Continue reading →
One would think that this would be enormous news, and should have been from the moment the girls were kidnapped: Fears for the fate of more than 200 Nigerian girls [kidnapped from school on April 14, almost 3 weeks ago] … Continue reading →