Rev. Robert Sirico addressed a turn-away crowd at the annual banquet of the Acton Institute for Religion and Liberty in Grand Rapids, Michigan, October 30, 2008. In less than two decades the Acton Institute has become a major center for scholars and clergy focused on religion and liberty. In the early 1990s’ Father Sirico began discussing with Alex Chafuen and Leonard Liggio how to undertake work in that area. At the Mont Pelerin Society regional meeting in Antigua, Guatemala, Fr. Sirico received encouragement from Sir John Templeton. Fr. Sirico, Alex Chafuen and Leonard Liggio then huddled in the shadow of Aqua volcano to plan the Acton Institute with Father Sirico as president. The original Acton board included Leonard Liggio and Alex Chafuen (who continues to serve).

Fr. Sirico’s speech,  entitled, The Way Forward, appears below:

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Election Day is upon us here in the U.S.  I got to the polls at 5:30 AM, a good 30 minutes before they opened here in Arlington, Virginia, and found myself about 30 people back.   15 minutes later the line stretched well around the block, so I imagine the wait times are easily an hour by now.

It’s hard to imagine anyone here in the U.S. is lacking for news about the campaign, but perhaps members of the Atlas network from abroad will appreciate a round-up of think tank commentary related to the election.  For those who are looking for advance analysis of the polls (which almost universally show a strong Obama advantage, but which also depend on assumptions about the election turnout that some question), and how to watch them tonight, Michael Barone is the country’s top analyst of election results and has a lengthy blog post providing a guide.

But here are some additional pieces from the think tank world that you may find interesting:

• An Acton Institute Commentary by Father Sirico about “Catholics and the Election“
• Cato Institute has a special election coverage section, and is hosting an election night gathering with Gene Healey, author of Cult of the Presidency, who argues, “New President Won’t Tame Executive Power.”
• A Heritage Foundation study comparing the tax plans of Obama and McCain
• The NCPA’s chairman Pete duPont writes on that an Obama victory represents “The Europeanization of America.”
• Nathan Benefield at the Commonwealth Foundation in the state of Pennsylvania reminds us, “Winning the war of ideas—not an election—is the true objective“

The Acton Institute has done a great job in recent years of producing compelling, high-quality videos that explore common economic misunderstandings. In one of their more recent videos, they discuss the negative externalities that can arise from good-hearted, but misguided attempts at helping the needy.

hat tip: The Insider

Below is a list of events and news items from think tanks in our network!

• August 6th: Breakfast Discussion: Business in the Social Doctrine of the Church (Asociacin Cristiana de Dirigentes de Empresa -Buenos Aires, Argentina)
• August 13th: Urban Crime: Social Degradation and its Consequences (Fundacion Atlas1853- Argentina)
• August 14th: Acton Lecture Series: The Birth of Freedom (Grand Rapids, MI)
  
• New Publication: Licensed to Hug (CIVITAS)

Read more information about each of these listings after the jump.

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The Acton Instiute and The Heritage Foundation invite you to attend a special screening of the new documentary, The Birth of Freedom, a film which takes a historical look at the perception of human freedom, and asks the question, “How is Freedom Born?” The screening will be followed by a discussion with Jay W. Richards, Ph.D. Research Fellow and Director, Acton Media and Matthew Spalding, Ph.D. Director, B. Kenneth Simon Center for American Studies.
RSVP for this event here. For more information about this event see below.

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Center for Independent Studies‘ 10th Annual Acton Lecture

Must Religion be a Threat to Liberty?

Father Robert Sirico, President of the Acton Institute (United States) will present this year’s Acton Lecture. Is liberty compatible with religion in general, and Christianity in particular? The arguments to the contrary have been advanced since the Enlightenment, and many today believe that an attachment to religious dogma represents a threat to others and preconditions culture to accept a measure of despotic control in place of freedom. Father Sirico will argue the opposite: that the Judeo-Christian belief in a supreme authority, higher than that of the State, is, in fact, what enabled the institutions of liberty to emerge in Western society; contracts, the right to private property, courts and the rule of law, were all derived from ‘nature and nature’s God’.

The Acton Institute was co-founded by Father Sirico in 1990, and aims to integrate Judeo-Christian truths with free market principles. Father Sirico’s writings on religious, political, economic, and social matters are published in a variety of journals including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and the London Financial Times, and his commentary is regularly sought by broadcast media such as CNN, the BBC and the ABC.

Date: Monday, 21 July 2008
Time: 5:30pm - 7:15pm
Venue: Lightwell Auditorium, Commonwealth Bank Building-Level 9, 120 Pitt Street (corner of Martin Place) Sydney, Australia
Light refreshments will be served

• General Admission: $22
• Members: $16.50
• Students: $11

To register your interest in attending please go to plese visit here or call the Center for Independent Studies at (02) 9438 4377.