Talking about the “Things That Matter Most” on July 5, 2019

4:00 – Social Science Apologetics: Cohabitation Doesn’t Compare

Data has shown that divorce rates are declining, but it’s not for a good reason. The Census Bureau reports that the percentage of cohabiting adults ages 25 to 34 increased—from 12% a decade ago to 15% in 2018, while the percentage of 25-to-34-year-olds who are married continues to decline. Whereas 59% of 25 to 34-year-olds were married in 1978, only 30% are married today. In other words, you can’t get divorced if you were never married to begin with. What does the data say about the success of cohabitation? We talk with Dr Greg Popcak.

4:20 – Catholicism and the American Founding

As we’ve discussed in the past, the early days of America were a time of rampant anti-Catholicism. Catholics played little direct role in the founding of America, but America was still founded on deeply Catholic principles such as Natural Law and Natural Rights. We talk with Brad Birzer.

5:00 – What Happens at Mass  

The Mass has changed in form over the years, but not in significance. We recently spoke with Fr. John Riccardo’s friend and mentor Abbot Jeremy Driscoll about what happens at the Mass. We’ll share the first part of our discussion today.