The Anti-Dominion Mandate

[This was originally posted at Townhall Finance.]

Star Parker recently wrote that “Marriage and Family Reduce Crime.” According to Parker,

There’s a general assumption in public policy discourse that economic policy and social policy are separate universes.
When economic policy is the topic, we think about taxes, government spending, business, jobs, etc. When social policy is the topic, we think about marriage, family, children, abortion, etc.
But, in reality, the line between economic policy and social policy is ambiguous, if it exists at all.

She cites a study that suggests that pregnancy is an amazingly effective intervention reducing the parents’ propensity for criminal behavior.

Other studies have shown similar correlations. And some have pushed back against such studies. A couple of years ago, The Federalist published an essay, “Why It’s Cruel and Stupid to Politicize Marriage and Hard Work as ‘Racism.’”

“Overture” to The 12 Rules for Life”

I’ve taken more time to do this series than I intended. One reason has been the chaos of life (one small consolation: that has included getting my manuscript closer to publication).

Another reason is that I didn’t realize how much I hate reading and note-taking at the same time. It seems similar to a parent who misses “being there” with his children because he is too busy taking pictures. Alternatively, reading the book is more pleasant than figuring out how to best write about it. So I haven’t, up to now, gotten past the introduction and one chapter, even though I’ve read into Rule 6.

Homestead Yourself

[Originally posted at TownHall Finance.]

Some Libertarians like to talk about how each person is a “self-owner” and then derive political (or anti-political) conclusions.

I don’t agree with that method of deriving political ethics, but the model of self-ownership can be useful. Consider another piece of Libertarian theory: homesteading. The idea is that a territory becomes your personal property once you “mix your labor” with it. When you have transformed a field by working it, then anyone who tries to take over that field is a robber violating your rights.

New Podcast: Who Is Proverbs Written For?

Spoiler: Everyone, but especially to young men.

Uri Brito recently interviewed me for the Kuyperian Commentary podcast.

Here it is:

12 Rules for Life: Buy the book to read chapter 3!

When I promised to “blog through” Jordan Peterson’s bestselling book, I intended to post about the chapters in order (as well as do it faster than I have been).

For reasons I may explain later, I am not following my plan. I’ve read through chapter 3 and this post is about that chapter. I’ll write about chapters 1 and 2 later.

Chapter 3, “Make friends with people who want the best for you,” is pure gold. If it was the only chapter in the book it would still be worth the price.

Foreword to 12 Rules for Life

I almost skipped this because of some Exodus chronology mistakes on the first page (for one: the writer says that Sinai occurred after the forty years in the wilderness). But I am glad I didn’t.

Be a Wise and Unified Ruler of Your Self, Your Life

When a land transgresses, it has many rulers,
but with a man of understanding and knowledge,
its stability will long continue.

via Passage: Proverbs 28:2 (ESV Bible Online).

As I’ve mentioned before (most recently, I think, here), Proverbs is written to a prince–a young man who is going to inherit a kingdom. But Proverbs obviously is written to everyone. It seems that, in an important sense, we are all kings called to rule over responsibilities, most basically over our selves.

With that in mind, Proverbs 28:2 applies not only to a land but to a person.

Jordan Peterson coming soon…

One book I REFUSED to read while working on my forthcoming introduction to Proverbs was Jordan Peterson’s Twelve Rules for Life. I didn’t want to be influenced by it nor tempted to respond to it.

I am not sure I even knew who Peterson was when I began working on my manuscript. I became aware of him during the process (of course!) and, at one point, when I was studying something Proverbs says about speech and “deep waters,” I noted the theme was in line with the subtitle of his book.

Stray Thoughts on Hezekiah & Solomon

My forthcoming book is not a commentary on Proverbs so it doesn’t address all the questions I have about the book. It addresses nine major lessons that Solomon says we should learn.

But there is a lot more to explore about Proverbs.

Disordered Eating?

I don’t recommend Ted Talks often, or often write about diet on Christian blogs. But this presentation by a secular nutritionist seems to approach the borders of Eucharistic Theology.

I am not posting this for her recommendations of eating more plants. I am posting it for her acknowledgment of the social and personal significance of eating food. I recommend especially the beginning and the end of this video.

Her talk made me think…