Volume > Issue > A Response to David Stolinsky

A Response to David Stolinsky

DON'T SWALLOW SNAKE OIL

By James G. Hanink | May 1997
James G. Hanink is Professor of Philosophy at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.

Dr. Stolinsky’s “house calls” are always welcome. But it’s a mixed bag he’s carrying.

Make no mistake, he’s right about the patient being sick. There’s a moral silliness in the land about the use of force, and it’s compounded with a “double-standarditis.” Some folks have an acute case of it, and the bug’s contagious.

Take a closer look, though, at the medicines our friend’s toting in that bag of his. The best of them are generic. The worst are snake oil. Swallowed together, they might cure some problems, but they’ll exacerbate others. The truth is, well, we

need stronger medicine.

What’s behind my caveat? OK, cards on the table. First, I’m an aspiring pacifist, so I don’t like pacifist-bashing. Second, Stolinsky’s stingy in citing Exodus. (Besides, St. Thomas does a better job getting at what’s at issue there.) Maybe that’s why the good doctor goes wrong with many of his domestic and foreign prescriptions.

Enjoyed reading this?

READ MORE! REGISTER TODAY

SUBSCRIBE

You May Also Enjoy

From Murderer to Monk

Clayton requested a "formal tie to the monastery" while in jail. He said he was already leading a monastic life and was eager for it to be embraced by the Church.

Central America: Perspective & Judgment

Throughout Central America the Church is a voice of the simple people. Often it is hemmed in by at best suspicious regimes, of the Right or the Left.

The Truth About Claude Newman

The story of this repentant and reformed killer is an astounding tale of redemption and sacrifice that has inspired authors, playwrights, and filmmakers.