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Quote Of Week 1

In a blog post entitled 'Obama's First Week', Corner-ite Michael Novak looks at some of the president's words and deeds and concludes:

From these announcements we learn that President Obama recognizes no difference between the Jewish-Christian covenant between a woman and a man (a covenant that they will have and nurture children, if they are so blessed), and a civil contract between two persons of any sex, in order to set up a household of affection and sexual favors.

This is a relapse into paganism. The point of monogamous family networks is to treat male and female with complementary and mutually cooperative dignity and to tie the power of sexuality (male, especially) to self-sacrificing communities of love. [Italics Mine]

The real surprise here, at least for those of us who have long followed Novak's career, is his apparent belief that America had not "relapsed" into paganism a long time ago. Who knew that he had previously been so sanguine? 

Update: Damon Linker commented--quite humorously--on Novak's post yesterday.

--Isaac Chotiner