Have the Shepherds Abandoned the Sheep?
The sheep and shepherds metaphor is a central one in Christianity. It is found in both the Old Testament and [...]
Why Aren’t America’s Problems Being Solved?
The United States has had a border problem for decades and both political parties have blamed each other, promised to [...]
“Assessing the Trump Presidency” Revisited
A friend reacted to my essay, “Assessing the Trump Presidency,” and that reaction led to a lively exchange of texts. [...]
Assessing the Trump Presidency
Few reporters and commentators offer fair assessments of the Trump presidency. Liberals generally ignore the positive and focus exclusively on [...]
A Reflection on the Mueller Hearing
Along with millions of Americans and innumerable others around the world, I watched the entire Mueller hearing on July 24. [...]
Democrats, Abortion, and Karma
Republicans have argued that the southern border is in a state of crisis and the situation is hurting Americans (and [...]
America’s Problem with Depression
New data reveals that depression is on the rise in the United States, including among teens and young adults. "Diagnoses of major [...]
Hypersensitivity Revisited
As I noted several years ago, the United States has been suffering from an epidemic of hypersensitivity. Unfortunately, the problem seems [...]
“Maybe I’m Wrong”
The words “Maybe I’m Wrong” are not heard much any more, and it is a fair assumption that fewer people [...]
Remembering Luis Machado
Simon Bolivar University Luis Alberto Machado (1932-2016) was a lawyer who served in various governmental capacities in Venezuela. [...]
When Feelings Take Control
I recently examined four false notions promoted by Carl Rogers (and Abraham Maslow) that are well on the way to [...]
Ideas That Are Destroying America
Many writers have lamented America’s moral and intellectual decline but few have identified the cause. I submit that it is [...]
Pope Benedict on Sex Abuse
Pope Benedict’s recent essay on the Church’s sex-abuse scandal begins by clarifying the cultural context in which the sex-abuse scandal [...]
Why Venezuela’s Lesson Is Being Ignored
Our Lady [...]
A Reflection on Unity and Disunity
I recently wrote an essay entitled “What Catholics Can Learn From Buddhists.” A reader responded by stating that Jesus is [...]
What Catholics Can Learn from Buddhists
For centuries Catholics were discouraged, and even forbidden, from reading non-Catholic works lest their faith be undermined. Such precautions were [...]
Secrets of Successful Enterprise
Amalga, Joan, Vincent, Marianne There is nothing like a couple of weeks at [...]
The Favorite Word of Liberals: “Hate”
“Hate” seems to be the most popular word among liberals. If someone says almost anything about a controversial issue, or [...]
Restoring the Catholic Church
Recently, while dusting my bookcase, I noticed my copy of Malachi Martin’s The Decline and Fall of the Roman Church, published [...]
The Laity’s Response to Sex Scandals
Even before Catholics could fully grasp the enormity of the sex abuse scandals in their church, new revelations came in [...]
On Reading and Listening, Part 2
The first part of this essay noted the reading and listening deficit in America and identified its causes as the [...]
On Reading and Listening
Sir Francis Bacon In a recent essay I chastised the [...]
The Florida Bishops on Abortion and Contraception
On the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, January 22, 2019, the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops published a pastoral letter [...]
Why Is Socialism So Popular?
Socialism has been the rage among intellectual elites for a long time. What was different in 2016 was that it [...]
From “Bronx Cheer” to Rousing “Bravo”
The “Bronx cheer,” as every New Yorker knows, is made by placing the tongue between the lips and blowing in [...]
Author Vincent Ryan Ruggiero
Since retiring from teaching, I have continued my work in promoting sound thinking in education and in the general culture. More specifically, I have kept refining my textbooks, four of which have been continuously in print for an average of 33 years. I have also continued to write books for the general public, the latest of which is Corrupted Culture: Rediscovering America’s Enduring Principles, Values, and Common Sense, and I write a weekly column for an online journal.