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Select a Month December 2015 September 2015 August 2015 June 2015 May 2015 February 2015 January 2015 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014

December 2015

December 14, 2015

Do we need Philosophy when we have Science?

So, I'm on holidays from my first term at university (sorry blog, will do better...

September 2015

September 14, 2015

Understanding Pro-Lifers: An Open Letter to Una Mullally

I don't want this to become just “Ben's pro-life blog”, and I've got a post on...

August 2015

August 21, 2015

Are pro-lifers sadder than pro-choicers?

I was blogging over at the Iona Institute, the think-tank at which I work, about...

August 13, 2015

Abolishing Abortion: Why I fear the European Equilibrium

As the Planned Parenthood "fetal tissue resarch" videos were shining a spotlight on abortion in the...

June 2015

June 05, 2015

The Tuam Babies and the Golden Age of Children’s Rights

Does the modern west really put children first? Ross Douthat has just written a clear,...

May 2015

May 28, 2015

Irish Catholicism After Gay Marriage

As Samwise Gamgee once said: “I’m back.” For the past few months, I’ve been occupied -...

February 2015

February 05, 2015

Stephen Fry and the Straw Man Theodicy

Stephen Fry recently had a bit of a go at God on Irish television, telling...

January 2015

January 19, 2015

Fair play to Leo: quick thoughts on Ireland’s first gay minister

Ireland’s Minister for Health, Leo Varadkar, came out this morning in a radio interview, becoming...

November 2014

November 27, 2014

Why We All Need Faith (The Argument From Zombies)

Apologies, all, for my prolonged abscence: I'm still figuring out this whole work/life/blog balance business. Fortunately...

November 08, 2014

Loving People In Their Particularity: Making it Easier NOT to Receive Communion

Leah Libresco ran a symposium last week on "Loving Parishioners in their Particularity" about concrete ways...

October 2014

October 21, 2014

We Need Spiritual Directors, and We Need Them Now (Synod Thoughts)

So, the Synod. I remember, at the height of the kerfuffle about dissident priests being...

October 13, 2014

I like most films I watch. Am I a sucker?

I am often told, by a young Catholic gentleman of considerable intelligence, wit, and virtue,...

October 05, 2014

Women Who Have Abortions Are Victims, Not Criminals

When my colleague Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry wrote his “What Should Abortion Penalties Be” blog post...

September 2014

September 30, 2014

What Does Politics Do to Politicians?

What happens to politicians? Why do they talk that way, in clichés, bromides, and waffle?...

September 24, 2014

Les Miserables, Music, and Awe

Sorry for the hiatus, everyone - I've been away playing Inspector Javert in a youth...

September 15, 2014

Civility as Charity, Or Why I’m Not Qualified

Last time, in throwing in my two cents on the discussion of "civility" in debate prompted...

September 12, 2014

Does Civility Matter?

Elizabeth Stoker Bruenig wrote some really thought-provoking stuff recently about civility, which prompted interesting responses from...

September 08, 2014

“Nice Guys” – How Deep Is Your Love?

Leah Libresco had two really great posts recently on the “Nice Guy problem” and the...

September 03, 2014

What Isn’t Optional: Healing the Church and Saving the West

Editors' Note: This article is part of the Public Square 2014 Summer Series: Conversations on Religious Trends. Read...

August 2014

August 29, 2014

Can We Live With Arbitrary Laws?

RTE Radio One held a panel discussion on one of its chatshows last Sunday, one...

August 23, 2014

Porn, Racism, and When Hypocrisy Isn’t So Bad

There's a new poll out on Ireland's moral attitudes, which includes the interesting information that 61%...

August 19, 2014

Those Who You Would Kill, Look Them Straight in the Eye

The first of George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones books opens with a beheading. Lord...

August 05, 2014

The Certainty of Uncertainty

So, hello all. Cead mile failte and all that. I’m Ben. Catholic, Irishman, writer. Eldest...