The Supreme Court handed down its final decisions of the term this week, right before the Fourth of July weekend. And they were overwhelming wins for conservatives on significant issues of constitutional principle.
The Court unanimously upheld religious liberty in employment law. It also struck down affirmative action, upheld free-speech on matters of faith involving same-sex relationships, and struck down President Biden’s absurd student loan transfer program.
In so doing, it upheld the 1st amendment, the 14th amendment, and the separation of powers generally.
I feel somewhat elated about these decisions. They go at least a small way toward restoring the constitutional structure of our political life. The affirmative action decision in particular is a rejection of identity politics that will have resounding positive effects for our society. Now we can begin the real task of improving education for the poor, starting with reducing the stranglehold the teachers unions have over education policy.
Our country is not in the best shape right now, at home or abroad, but we are heading into this Independence Day with new hope. These were victories, not just for conservatives, but for the country – even if the left won’t quite admit it openly yet.
This week’s portion launches the great story of Abraham, who is told to leave everything of his life behind — except his immediate family — and to leave for “the Land that I shall show you.”
There’s something interesting in the fact that Abraham is told to leave his father’s house, as if breaking away from his father’s life — but his father, in fact, began the journey, moving from Ur to Haran (in last week’s portion). His father set a positive example — why should Abraham leave him?
Some obvious answers suggest themselves — adulthood, needing to make one’s own choices, his father not going far enough, etc.
But I think there is another answer. Abraham (known for the moment as Abram) needs to establish his own household. This is not just about making one’s own choice, but really about choosing one’s own starting point. It’s starting over.
Sometimes we start over in fundamental ways even if much that surrounds us remains the same. Sometimes the journey we have to ...
The story of Noah is familiar; the details, less so.
Noah is often seen as an ambivalent figure. He was righteous -- but only for his generation. What was his deficiency?
One answer suggests itself: knowing that the world was about to be flooded, he built an Ark for the animals and for his own family -- but did not try to save anyone else or to convince them to repent and change their ways (the prophet Jonah, later, would share that reluctance).
Abraham, later, would set himself apart by arguing with God -- with the Lord Himself! -- against the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, saying that they should be saved if there were enough righteous people to be found (there were not).
Still, Noah was good enough -- and sometimes, that really is sufficient to save the world. We don't need heroes every time -- just ordinary decency.
Hi all -- as I noted last month, I'm going to be closing down my Locals page, at least for tips and subscriptions -- I may keep the page up and the posts as well, but I'm no longer going to be accepting any kind of payment.
Look for cancelation in the very near future. Thank you for your support!
