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| A Pro-Life Message of the Stranger Things Finale Dr. Kody W. Cooper
Although season 5 and the finale have clear flaws, in the end, Stranger Things delivered a striking if subtle pro-life message about the intrinsic dignity and goodness of life, the need for loving encouragement from family and friends in the face of suicidal despair, the redemptive value of suffering, and the heroism needed to value one's own life enough to preserve it. |
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| Chicago Streets Meet the Egyptian Desert in Moses the Black Matthew Becklo
The film—produced by 50 Cent and starring Omar Epps and rappers Wiz Khalifa (who gives a standout performance) and Quavo—began as the brainchild of producer, writer, and director Yelena Popovic. Moses the Black is not a soft-focus, sugarcoated morality tale. We see Malik's ongoing descent into the hellishness of gang life coincide with stirrings of grace—and a longing for redemption. It's a stubbornly authentic portrait of life in the underbelly of this "valley of tears." |
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| Being There: Faith and Friendship with John Allen Jr. Delia Gallagher
We were unlikely friends, but we both possessed a Catholic pilgrim soul and found ourselves companions on the adventure for nearly thirty years of papal trips, CNN and CBS reporting, thousands of Vatican press conferences and events. John was nonplussed by the idea that people were watching or listening. He was not afraid. He loved it all. John was blessed to have found his vocation and lived it to the full. |
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| A Response to the Minneapolis Shootings Evan Nohara
To respond to a death with "FAFO" is to harden one's heart in the same way as the Pharisee passing the beaten man on the road to Jericho, convinced that his own righteousness justifies his indifference. In the rush to take sides, we have abandoned two fundamental Christian virtues: humility and charity. We do not have to choose between supporting law enforcement and mourning the loss of life. Our faith demands that we do both. |
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| God, Faith, and Andrew Huberman Dr. Christopher Kaczor
Dr. Andrew Huberman is one of the most famous scientists alive. Given his prominence and influence, it is not surprising that his recent remarks about God went viral. Not only does Huberman believe in God, but his belief in God is not merely theoretical. He said, "The one thing that I wish that I had done earlier was to stop resisting the voice in my head that said, 'You know, I think there's a God, and I'm going to pray.'"
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| Beast Games, Rationality, and the Revenge of Conscience Dr. Kody W. Cooper
What does it mean to be rational? One of the most interesting social experiments exploring this question is Beast Games. The expected value of a decision in the show for many contestants isn't just dollars and cents. What they value apparently includes the goods of honesty, integrity, and friendship, including their friendship with God. Contrary to what the Nash equilibrium would suggest, promises matter to real persons. |
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| The Graphic Reality of Iran's Theocracy Henry T. Edmondson III
The latest episode of citizen protests against the Iranian government's ineptitude and brutality began in late December 2025. It is difficult for those in other countries to understand just how horrific are the conditions under which Iranians live, even in normal times, but an acclaimed graphic novel provides a view that other genres cannot equal. These events, transpiring in one of the world's few theocratic regimes, offer an opportunity to reflect on the Catholic Church's guidance on the relationship between church and state.
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| THE COLLEGE BEAT: ARTICLE XI |
| Music Is a Form of Worship Lucy Spence
I learned that service needed to be forced on me if I was to consistently live with a focus on others. One of the ways I found I could do that, surprisingly, was through music. Piano became an outlet for my soul and taught me the value of dedicated work. I still dread performing, and often dislike it. But after that living room concert, I said, "Lucy, you need to get over yourself. It's not about you. It's about the beauty you can bring to others."
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| Triumph, Disappointment, and Hope in Spain Henry T. Edmondson III
The Vatican announced that Pope Leo XIV will visit Spain in June. This may well be a divinely ordained trip, given that Spain seems to be at a tipping point politically and spiritually. The constitutional monarchy has begun a slow transition of the crown. The leftist government may be at its end stage, and an apparent migration of Spanish voters to rightist parties may—or may not—portend hope for the future. We may also see a growth spurt in Christian renewal movements. |
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| Exclusive Love: God's Blueprint for Marriage Senne Van Boven
Polyamorous relationships are regarded as an infringement upon the exclusivity of the bond between spouses, one of the fundamental characteristics of marriage. On November 25, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith issued a doctrinal note, entitled Una Caro: In Praise of Monogamy, to explain the rights and obligations that arise from the spouses becoming one by virtue of the marital bond.
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| Surprised by St. Francis De Sales Peggy Haslar
In the letters of C. S. Lewis, he often recommends a book titled Introduction to the Devout Life by St. Francis de Sales. Curious, I bought a copy. De Sales has a charming way of illustrating spiritual principles by comparing them to wonders in the created world. But those honey-dipped metaphors are aimed at more serious matters than they initially seem. As I read his Introduction, the holy bishop seemed to hover around my heart, drawing from it a thousand spiritual questions.
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| Why STEM Fields Need the Humanities Dr. Richard DeClue
Even some highly educated professors working in the hard sciences may not understand the basics of moral philosophy or are otherwise incapable of grasping human sentiments that lie outside of their particular area of expertise. Unless and until they understand moral reasoning and other aspects of what makes human life valuable, they may be misguided about how to judge the moral character of the application of their knowledge and inventions.
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| A Pioneer in Education: St. Angela Merici's Mission Edyta McNichol
Pope Benedict XVI explains, "Angela Merici presented a path of holiness also to those who were living in a secular environment." St. Angela remains for us a model of personal holiness, a pioneer in Catholic education, and an example of complete and total dedication to one's God-given mission. Both secular and religious Ursuline groups are active around the world and remain committed to her mission.
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| A Novel Deeply Concerned with the Dignity of Life Lindsay Schlegel
Sally Thomas's 2022 novel Works of Mercy is not explicitly a pro-life novel. In illustrating the value that remains in Kirsty's life, in the ways she still has the capacity to grow and to love more deeply, the novel makes a strong case for the value of life at every stage. A life that is not so obviously active is not one that society needs any less. Each soul is called to go where she is needed. We are all called to marvel at this world's beautiful, glorious strangeness.
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| Is Jesus Ableist? Mark Bradford
Without question, the marginalization and stigmatization of those with disabilities is a grave concern with a long and damaging history. However, those who claim that Jesus's cures were in some way exclusionary, stigmatizing, or a "cathartic scourge" are going way too far in laying blame on Jesus rather than accepting what he taught through his healings.
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| Did Kant Really Disprove Aquinas's Five Ways? Dr. Christopher Kaczor
Although philosopher Dr. Sebastian Ostritsch's lecture entitled "Is God's Existence a Matter of Rational Understanding? Thomas Aquinas vs. Immanuel Kant" was banned at the Munich School of Philosophy, he was able to give his lecture recently at the University of Notre Dame. So what is Kant's critique of Aquinas, and why does Ostritsch think Kant's critique fails?
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| Aristotle Was Smarter Than AI Thomas Griffin
We can find tremendous aid from our old friend Aristotle to understand what AI is and how it is not able to replace the human person. Human beings remain irreplaceable for their capacities to know, to choose, and to contemplate the truth. No matter the advancement of artificial intelligence, it can never perform the "use-less" art of contemplation that makes the human person most human.
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