From my most recent NRO article, on George Will’s brilliant and flawed lecture on American principles: “It was, as it has been acclaimed to have been, a brilliant speech, from a brilliant man (who is also a good and loyal friend whom I have known, liked, and admired for more than 30 years), and I agree fervently with his conclusion, and most of the reasoning that generated the conclusion. But unfortunately, there are a few problems with it. First, it is slightly disconcerting to have a professed atheist pat those of us who practice a religion (I am an observant, though not uncritical or intolerant, Roman Catholic) on our heads and urge us to carry on with something that he implicitly considers to be rubbish but is one of the pillars of American civil society. . . . Will effectively states that American democracy reposes in large part on beliefs and activities that he does not consider intellectually persuasive on their objective merits. I find this undermines the credibility of his faith in the ability of the United States to defend a system of natural rights as he knowledgeably defines it. ”
Whether you agree or disagree, your comments are, as always, most welcome.