Paper Clippings The Blog of The Crossroads Cultural Center

Paper Clippings, more than a classical blog, is a service providing valuable reading material in order to help readers reach a judgment about current affairs. Comments and discussion are more than welcome.

Friday
Feb032006

The shadow campaign

There is a major international election campaign underway. There are guys running to become one of the most important figures in the world. And you didn't know a thing about it. Till now.

Friday
Feb032006

Nothing to fear

An op-ed by Monsignor Albacete in the NYTimes on the latest encyclical.

In this connection, do not miss the presentation of Benedict XVI's and Marcello Pera's new book, this coming monday at Columbia University in New York.

Thursday
Feb022006

An evolutionary deadend

You should be aware that Daniel Dennet is a product of natural selection. In particular his ideas can be explained as a natural phenomenon in terms of Darwinian evolution, although their evolutionary purpose has not yet been fully elucidated. At any rate, his thoughts are certainly a genetic byproduct of socio-biological factors that made his brain especially amenable to feelings of smug intellectual superiority. Hence, you should feel free not to take him too seriously.

Thursday
Feb022006

Reason has many methods

Godspy has a good interview with Michael Behe about Intelligent Design. It shows very well what the core issues under discussion are. Affirming that Mt. Rushmore was designed is a perfectly reasonable statement but not a scientific statement because it derives from a different method. The real danger here is that rationality is identified with science. This is explained very well in a new essay by Card. Schonborn.

Sunday
Jan292006

Interesting times

Lots of conflicting angles on the Palestinian situation: the Washington Post emphasizes the decline of the old (often Christian-backed) Arab nationalist movement; the WSJ emphasizes that this was mainly a rebellion against a corrupt regime; the New Republic warns that Hamas is going to align the PA's foreign policy with Iran.

Sunday
Jan292006

Clueless

The NYTimes is still trying to figure out the Pope, with limited success.

Sunday
Jan292006

The truth

This NYTimes Magazine story on Evangelical missionaries in Africa is worth reading.

Friday
Jan272006

The only measure

Liliana Cavani on the new encyclical.

Thursday
Jan262006

Social intelligence

What could be responsible for this?

Thursday
Jan262006

Evangelical attack

This article from Morocco reveals a slightly different perception of the notion of religious freedom.

Thursday
Jan262006

A new frame

An Israeli view of the Hamas electoral victory.

Wednesday
Jan252006

To experience love

A summary of the new encyclical.

Wednesday
Jan252006

Afraid of what?

This British commentator makes a good point: that the virulent anti-Christian attitude of some people on the political left is really a symptom of deep insecurity about their own values.

Monday
Jan232006

Unavoidable alienation?

Also from S. Magister, more details on the Pope's view of Islam.

Sunday
Jan222006

Symbolic figure

This biography of Maritain sounds interesting. He was a remarkable figure that embodied both the strengths and weaknesses of the Christian experience in Europe in the 20th century. He loved the US as a model of harmony between freedom and Christianity. It would be important to try and understand why, ultimately, he was defeated in his own time.