Tom Junod marks the President's first year:
Nobody espouses philosophies anymore, and fewer and fewer people espouse their faith. We are, however, prepared to speak endlessly about our favored philosophy of parenting, and this takes the place of the other two. For centuries, parents believed their primary obligation to their children was to keep them from the fires of hell; short of that, any amount of corporal punishment was justified. As we have shifted away from religious belief toward rationalism, we have shifted our methods of punishment, until we have arrived at the prescription of no punishment at all. The belief behind the "time-in" — essentially a hug — is that children are not sinful beings but rather imperfectly rational ones, capable of empathy and enlightened self-interest. Obama, for all his professions of faith, represents the triumph of the secular movement of our society. Although his language is drawn from religion, his principles, like the principles of positive discipline and community organization, are drawn from therapy.
(Hat tip: Kottke)
The Dish 