Secularism

Happy Are They Who Practice Righteousness

Happy Are They Who Practice Righteousnessby Pope John Pall II (1999) –
The Psalmist refers thus to those who follow the path of the commandments and keep them to the end (cf. Ps 119:32-33). Keeping the divine law, in fact, is the basis for obtaining the gift of eternal life, that is, the happiness that never ends.

To the question of the rich young man, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” (Mt 19:16), Jesus responds: “If you would enter life, keep the commandments” (Mt 19:17). This response by Jesus is particularly important in our modern reality, in which many people live as though there were no God.

The temptation to organize the world and one’s own life without God or even in opposition to God, without his commandments and without the Gospel, is a very real temptation and threatens us too. When human life and the world are built without God, they will eventually turn against man himself. [Read more…]

Men Without Chests, Men Without Honor, Threaten Civilization

Men Without Chests, Men Without Honor, Threaten Civilization by Chris Banescu –
Mid-twentieth century C.S. Lewis witnessed and wrote about the increasing moral breakdown and intellectual decay of Western civilization. He observed how secular and atheistic academics, philosophers, politicians, intellectuals, and cultural elites abandoned reason, denied universal truths, undermined Christian doctrines, and rejected moral principles that formed the foundation of civilized society.  “Lewis walked our cultural ground,” explained Chris R. Armstrong. “He lived, as we do, in a society that denied objective value; lacked a coherent social ethic; wallowed in instant gratification, sexual license, moral evasion, and blame-shifting; and failed to pass on a moral framework to its children.”

In his book, The Abolition of Man, Lewis warned that moral relativism (the denial of universal and objective moral truths and principles), foolish emotionalism, and the rejection of reason would bring about cultural decay and growing depravity. [Read more…]

Obama Omits ‘God’ From The Gettysburg Address

Obama Omits God From The Gettysburg Addressby Chris Banescu –
One Nation Under Who?
President Obama failed to include the words “under God” while reading from the Gettysburg Address for a PBS documentary. As first reported by Chris Plante, on WMAL, the president recited the Gettysburg Address, delivered by President Abraham Lincoln on November 19, 1863. The video clip is part of a PBS documentary created by filmmaker Ken Burns that includes speeches by other celebrities.

The most historically accurate version of the Gettysburg Address includes the words “under God.” This is known as the “Bliss Copy” and it’s the version most often reproduced and referenced. This copy is displayed on the walls of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. The relevant passage reads as follows: [Read more…]

The ACLU vs. America, Exposing the Agenda to Redefine Moral Values

Book Review by Chris Banescu

In The ACLU vs. America, authors Alan Sears and Craig Osten argue that despite its carefully cultivated image as a defender of individual “rights” and advocate for “the people,” the American Civil Liberties Union stands for intellectual elitism, hypocrisy, and a blatant disregard for democratic processes. The ACLU, write Sears and Osten, wants “one set of rules for itself” and the ability to dictate “other rules for everyone else.” These malevolent and destructive traits are not a new development in the history of the ACLU, but represent the dominant characteristics of its members. The book focuses on key cases and positions the ACLU has supported and promoted in order to drastically affect the American cultural landscape and impose the extreme views of its members on the rest of the country.

One of the great myths about the ACLU is that it “started out as a good, pro-America, pro-liberty organization that somehow got off the track.” Nothing could be farther from the truth. From its very foundation the mission of the ACLU was well defined by its founder, Roger Baldwin:

“I am for socialism, disarmament, and ultimately for abolishing the state itself as an instrument of violence and compulsion. I seek social ownership of property, the abolition of the propertied class… Communism is the goal.”

[Read more…]

Exposing Intellectual Morons

Interview with Daniel Flynn, author of Intellectual Morons book
by Chris Banescu

In his new book, Intellectual Morons, Daniel Flynn exposes the dangers of blindly following intellectual elites who support and promote idiotic ideas and theories. Chris Banescu, who recently wrote the review of the book, interviewed Flynn about the origins of the material and the impact its revelations will have on our culture.

Chris Banescu: What inspired you to write this book?
Daniel Flynn: My goal in writing Intellectual Morons is to get more people to think with their brain rather than their ideology. By exposing ideologically-inspired hoaxes and frauds, the book not only rebuts falsehood but helps immunize readers against future frauds and hoaxes by putting them on alert.

The phenomenon of intellectuals justifying dishonesty when it serves their agenda inspired me to write Intellectual Morons. As evidenced by the mottoes of countless universities (Yale: lex et veritas, Harvard: veritas), truth is (was?) the sine qua non of scholars. For too many intellectuals, political concerns now override truth. [Read more…]

Intellectual Morons – How Ideology Makes Smart People Fall for Stupid Ideas

Intellectual Morons Banescu book reviewBook Review by Chris Banescu
When ideology is your religion and truth becomes just a matter of opinion, anything goes. “There is great danger when lies are institutionalized as truth,” asserts Daniel J. Flynn.

In his new book, Intellectual Morons, Flynn provides us with abundant examples of dangerous ideas that intellectual “gurus” have dreamt up and convinced others to embrace. He exposes a number of cognitive elites whose “idiotic theories, beliefs, and opinions” have attained mythological status, despite the lack of objective and rational analysis of these ideologies’ origins and implications. In lifting the veil of secrecy and ignorance surrounding these individuals, Flynn provides a clear and sobering look into the madness and hypocrisy lurking in the minds and pasts of these demagogues.

Intellectual dishonesty and duplicity exist across the ideological spectrum, alleges Flynn. He argues that the problem is not so much a political leaning as a lack of rational thought and ignorance of the truth. However, with such a large volume of lunacy coming from the Left, Flynn cannot be faulted for including many more examples of liberal idiocy in his analysis. [Read more…]

A Hard Lesson on Home Schools

Homeschool your children, better education for themby Chris Banescu
This June, my wife and I had the privilege of attending the high school graduation ceremonies of several home-schooled youngsters. These events not only impressed us with references to Christian traditions, family values, and heavenly music; they opened our eyes and hearts to the possibility of home schooling. Student after student spoke with such eloquence, maturity, and depth of spirit, that many times tears flowed freely both on stage and in the audience.

Like most parents, my wife and I want to provide our daughter with the best possible education. So despite the fact that she is still too young for elementary school, we have given considerable thought to the various choices. While originally home schooling was not our favored option, the graduation ceremonies piqued our interest. [Read more…]