The Fair Trade movement is becoming quite active, but its premise–that consumers will pay a bit more for better pay to workers–is often based on stories and assumptions rather than data. At least some economists, however, have begun to study the so-called Ben & Jerry effect, and they are finding that at least some consumers purchasing some products, fair trade works
In an effort to both bridge the gap between science and Catholic teaching on bioethical issues such as abortion and stem cell research, the Vatican is organizing a conference next week on the origin and development of the human embryo.
Charles Taylor, Board of Trustees Professor of Law and Philosophy at Northwestern University, is causing quite a stir with his new book A Secular Age. Among his more interesting arguments is that Christianity itself is responsible for the rise of secularism. Robert Bellah writes of this new book that “A Secular Age is his breakthrough book—one of the most important books to be written in my lifetime. Taylor succeeds in no less than recasting the entire debate about secularism.”
The National Council of Churches elected new leadership. Archbishop Vicken Aykazian, who represents the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern) in Washington, and the Rev. Dr. Michael Kinnamon, a Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) clergyman, were installed as NCC president and general secretary, respectively. The National Council of Churches represents 45 million worshippers in over 100,000 congregations, and includes the Episcopal Church.
I have urged the need to chip away at national sovereignty and expand global loyalty. But I believe that global loyalty will be reached through patriotism, not by rejecting it. Christians simply cannot allow political leaders to hijack patriotism in the service of fervent jingoism.