A recent book edited by eminent psychologists Rogers Wright and Nicholas Cummings delivers a stunning indictment of the mental health professions. Destructive Trends in Mental Health: The Well-Intentioned Path to Harm  documents and critiques the ascent of social activism over … More>

We all remember Hillary Rodham Clinton’s charge of a “vast right-wing conspiracy”: the allegation that there were a bunch of right-wingers out to get her husband, hoping to impeach him and dance on his grave. Admittedly, there were many such … More>

Good intentions, when guided by error and ignorance, may have undesirable consequences. There is no better example than minimum wage legislation. It means to raise the wages and improve the living conditions of poor workers but actually condemns many to … More>

When George W. Bush insisted that Iraqis, like Afghans before them, would go to the polls to elect their leaders, many of us were skeptical, and not unreasonably.

After all, the term “Muslim democracy” has seemed an oxymoron. Of all … More>

Recently, Wal-Mart Corporation announced plans to build a Super Wal-Mart store a few miles outside of the town where I live, Grove City, Pa. In response to Wal-Mart’s plan, a local faith organization held an open showing of a film … More>

This Christmas season is just getting stranger as we go.

All over the place people are trying to figure out what to say to each other (“Happy holiday(s),” “Merry Christmas,” “Get out of my way, I want that iPod”) and … More>

While I cannot say I look forward to Christmas, I celebrate it, even if less enthusiastically as time passes. Perhaps it’s the “bah humbug factor” that comes with fading eyesight and the other vicissitudes of what is, however—at least for … More>

Unfortunately, one of the ways I know that Christmas is coming is that I begin to hear stories about some kerfuffle or another regarding religion in the public square. One year it’s a nativity scene, the next it’s a menorah, … More>

Of the hundreds of articles I’ve written, I’ve never done a piece on the issue of gay adoption. However, I was recently so struck by a particular court case that I feel compelled to weigh in.

Jennifer Roback Morse, a … More>

In a national election, the people pick a president and for four years; thereafter they pick on him.  But few presidents have ever picked on their successors after they failed to be reelected.  Most have made a graceful exit and … More>

Nearly every discussion about sexual education focuses on preventing sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy. However, recent research published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine finds that, especially for girls, the discussion needs to include a third negative possibility: depression.… More>

Thirty years ago, in the wake of the Vietnam War, historian James Clay Thompson warned: the primary lesson learned was that the United States should never again go to war in a former French colony located on the other side … More>

What a spectacle! This week Congress heard testimony from oil executives, who, along with the companies they run, are allegedly making too much money. As such, “Big Oil,” or—more specifically—those rapacious, robber-baron CEOs who stand atop that heaping mass of … More>

Guest Commentary

Editor’s Note: The following correspondence was sent to Dr. Paul Kengor–the executive director of the CVV–by Lt George Kipp, Baqubah, Iraq.

Sir, it has come to my attention, but not to my surprise, that recent incidents that occurred … More>

Sheryl Swoopes is arguably the finest female basketball player ever. No, check that, actually there is no argument; as a three-time MVP in the Woman’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), and three-time gold medal Olympian, she is the best. So when … More>

Many gay religionists insist that Jesus never mentioned homosexuality and thus could not have opposed it. Often conservatives counter that He taught against any form of sexual expression other than heterosexual marriage, so He did not need to specify every … More>

Sir, the voting that took place on the 15th of October was the end goal of months … More>

The Dover Area School District in York County, Pennsylvania is seeking to require that science students be told that Darwin’s theory of evolution is (as it says) a theory and “not a fact,” and that intelligent design is “an explanation … More>

Religious conservatives worried about the Harriet Miers nomination, and her stance on abortion and other social-cultural issues, ought to step back and consider the transparent religious faith of President George W. Bush and his Supreme Court associate justice nominee.

The … More>

Dear Vision & Values Concise Readers,

Here’s an article by Jennifer Biddison at Townhall.com, the leading source for conservative news and commentary, that gets the story straight about Grove City College. If you know high school students or parents who … More>

America needs fewer teachers and more coaches.

After twenty-three years of schooling, I have seen my fair share of teachers and perhaps the best was my dissertation advisor Dr. John R. Thelin. As would be expected, Dr. Thelin brought to … More>

Conservatives are blowing it. In Harriet Miers, George W. Bush designated a nominee to the Supreme Court who, without conservative opposition and digging, particularly by the diligent Wall Street Journal, would almost surely have sailed through Senate confirmation. By all … More>

The White House appointed Center for Vision & Values Fellow and Grove City College Professor of History Dr. Earl Tilford to the U.S. Army War College Board of Visitors. The Board is equivalent to a board of trustees and meets … More>

This year, the nation of Austria celebrates the 60th anniversary of its liberation from Nazi occupation. With the Allied victory in May 1945, the German “Anschluss” that had dragooned Austrians into Hitler’s socialist Third Reich in 1938 passed into history, … More>

(Download the PDF white paper here.)

Editor’s note: Jeffrey M. Herbener, Ph.D. is a fellow for economic theory and policy at The Center for Vision & Values. He is a professor of economics and chair of the economics department at … More>

Is there a battle over gay teens? If you can believe a recent Time  Magazine cover story, a war is on between gay activists and social conservatives over adolescents who are declaring gay and lesbian identities at early ages. The … More>

Six hundred million and counting. That is the number of dollars that The Passion of the Christ has grossed and the number of reasons why Disney has been marketing its new film, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, to … More>

Ever eager to observe and command, government officials like to record their countrymen’s economic dealings with people abroad. They create balances of payments which are to help them evaluate and manage economic relations. Last year the American balance posted extraordinary … More>

You love your house, you love your neighborhood, and you are pleased that local officials want to help toward its development. Yet, after the Supreme Court recently declined to rehear the Kelo vs New London, CT decision, economic development in … More>

One of America’s A-list gay couples has broken up.

No, it’s not Rosie and Kelli. It’s Roy and Silo. Roy and Silo are male penguins. Chinstrap penguins to be exact.

About six years ago, Roy and Silo set up housekeeping … More>

I drive through West Virginia all the time, and it’s hard to give directions there.  You always find yourself saying, “Take the Robert Byrd out to the Robert Byrd, and make a left onto the Robert Byrd.”  It … More>

Editor’s note: This article first appeared in the The New York Times.

When John Roberts, President Bush’s nominee for chief justice of the Supreme Court, told the Senate Judiciary Committee last week that “the right to privacy is protected … More>

Opening the hearings on Monday on the nomination of Judge John Roberts to the Supreme Court, Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) claimed that four years ago he was in the minority to emphasize the critical importance of judicial ideology.  … More>

Upon learning that a federal judge issued an order against the Elk Grove (CA) United School District to forbid even the voluntary recitation of “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance, lawsuit instigator Michael Newdow said this: “A federal judge … More>

By now everyone knows that a California judge has ruled the pledge of allegiance unconstitutional. Specifically, Senior District Court Judge Lawrence Karlton has ruled that the pledge’s reference to one nation “under God” violates the right of school children to … More>

The Judiciary Committee hearings for Judge John Roberts provide an arena in which the supporters of the “living Constitution” will clash, however politely, with the advocates of “original intent” sometimes called “originalists.”These two conflicting judicial philosophies lurk behind almost every … More>

Sitting in a black Yukon with a machine gun in his lap, Condoleezza Rice’s bodyguard was not the most striking figure outside of St. Matthew’s Cathedral in Washington, D.C. Neither was the thin, black-clad Secretary of State as she departed … More>

The ancient king of Israel, Solomon, was faced with a dilemma. Two women came before him claiming parentage of an infant son. Each woman was adamant the infant belonged to her. Knowing real maternal instincts, Solomon called for a sword … More>

On July 6, 1992, Tory, my fourteen-year old daughter died after a ten year battle with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. The grief one feels at the loss of a child is indescribable. The natural order is for children to bury their … More>

Guest Commentary

I am an American citizen of Scottish extraction, and few things stir my blood more than the colorful history of my ancestral homeland. Through the centuries, rugged Scots stand tall among those heroes who gave every ounce of … More>

The article … More>

This month marks the 80th anniversary of the Scopes Trial, the original trial of the century. Civility, not a survival-of-the-fittest demeanor, marked the proceedings. It’s not a bad precedent for our U.S. Senators to follow in their deliberations over U.S. … More>

On Wednesday, July 20, Paul Kengor, executive director of The Center for Vision & Values at Grove City College, will do a booksigning and lecture at the Ronald Reagan Library in Simi Valley, California. His lecture will be titled, “The … More>

Well I have finally seen it. “Protect Yourself,” the movie, that is. The seven and a half minute condom demonstration video produced by the Montgomery County Public Schools will be shown to all 10th grade students this Spring. I had … More>

Devising a strategy appropriate to the war at hand is fundamental to military success. Neither massive firepower nor effusions of heroically-shed blood will redeem a faulty strategy. The big question in the “Global War on Terror” must be, “Is U.S. … More>

With the arrival of a national holiday, concomitant weekend getaways, and the ceaseless pounding of sensationalistic news headlines, it sadly becomes far too easy to miss the passing of an age. And, in fact, that has just happened when at … More>

Summer’s arrival means one thing to Hollywood: money. For decades summer blockbusters have represented both Hollywood’s largest budgets and revenues. Not looking to impress the Academy with thought-provoking scripts or virtuoso acting performances, movie studios offer roller-coasters not Shakespeare-in-the-park.

Perhaps … More>

How will you celebrate the 4th of July? Will you have/Are you having a picnic? Going to one? Picnics are fine, but all of us should also truly celebrate the essence of the Fourth – the propositions about rights and … More>

Through the first three weeks of May, the Rockridge Institute, a California-based politically progressive think tank, partnered with a coalition of religious organizations to host an online conference on “Values and Building a Movement.” After going to http://www.rockridgeinstitute.org, signing on … More>

For years, the National Education Association has taken teachers’ dues money and pursued left of center social advocacy objectives. And now, another acronym in the American educational establishment, the National Parent Teacher Association has joined the NEA in choosing sides … More>

For the American radical left the July 23, 2002 “Iraq: Prime Minister’s Meeting” memorandum, dubbed “The Downing Street Memo,” was the “smoking gun” that convicted President George W. Bush of manipulating intelligence to support his decision to go to war … More>

(Download the PDF white paper here.)

(Download the accompanying PowerPoint presentation here.)… More>

Professors Calabresi and Lindgren in a recent Wall Street Journal article entitled “Supreme Gerontocracy” (April 8) complain that U.S. Supreme Court justices are retiring 10 years later on average than were the earlier justices. Therefore, they support the adoption of … More>

The howling started as soon as the Department of Defense released … More>

Students are approaching the final days of this educational year but increasingly parents are heading back to school. While many students will soon be thinking of summer jobs, administrators, teachers and parents will not be getting a break. Controversies involving … More>

In a ruling that may create ripples throughout the nation’s public schools, Federal District Court Judge Alexander Williams, Jr. decided on May 5 to issue a temporary restraining order directing the Montgomery County, Md., Public Schools to halt planned field … More>

(Download the PDF white paper here.)… More>

Washington state, the bill’s supporters were outraged. Failing by one vote in the Senate, the bill’s demise has been blamed on Microsoft’s official neutrality.

Gay rights supporters were livid. Columnist Wayne Besen reacted by suggesting gay activists “…dust off your … More>

Thirty years ago Friday, April 29, a North Vietnamese tank crashed through the walls of Saigon’s Presidential Palace to raise a Viet Cong flag over Ho Chi Minh City ending the twenty-year Republic of Vietnam and America’s longest war. This … More>

Well, soon schools will be taking another well deserved break from academics and plunge headlong into political advocacy. Yes, Virginia there is a Day of Silence and it is coming to a school near you.

The DOS is an advocacy … More>

CVV Inaugural Conference
The Road From Poverty to Freedom: A Look Backward and Forward at the War on Poverty
(Sticht Lecture Hall in the Hall of Arts and Letters)

“NCNE Video”
Robert L. Woodson, Sr.
Founder and President, National Center … More>

CVV Inaugural Conference
The Road From Poverty to Freedom: A Look Backward and Forward at the War on Poverty
(Sticht Lecture Hall in the Hall of Arts and Letters)

“A Biblical Theology of Almsgiving”
By T. David Gordon, Ph.D.
Professor … More>

CVV Inaugural Conference
The Road From Poverty to Freedom: A Look Backward and Forward at the War on Poverty
(Sticht Lecture Hall in the Hall of Arts and Letters)

“The Bad Effects of Good Intentions: Why the Welfare State Inevitably … More>

CVV Inaugural Conference
The Road From Poverty to Freedom: A Look Backward and Forward at the War on Poverty
(Sticht Lecture Hall in the Hall of Arts and Letters)

“Education Means Emancipation: Poverty and Schooling, the Hope and Reality”
By … More>

EDITOR’S NOTE: In the following essay, Dr. Sennholz provides perspective and proposals on the current Social Security debate.

Introduction
An old English saying perfectly applies to election promises made by presidential candidates: “Vows made in a storm are forgotten in … More>

Well I have finally seen it. “Protect Yourself,” the movie, that is. The seven and a half minute condom demonstration video produced by the Montgomery County Public Schools will be shown to all 10th grade students this Spring. I had … More>

A few weeks ago Senate Republicans unveiled a twelve-point poverty alleviation program. Many items on that agenda are controversial, but one of them—a push to reauthorize the welfare reform legislation that was enacted in 1996—won’t be. Although Democrats disagree with … More>

A giant of the 20th century died on Thursday, March 17. George F. Kennan lived for 101 years. Many things will be said of Kennan this week: He was a leading thinker of our time, the founding father of containment, … More>

Are abstinence education programs dangerous’ A recent editorial in the Philadelphia Daily News titled “Real Sex Ed for Real Lives” by ACLU staffers Nancy Hopkins and Louise Melling opines, “If the president gets what he asked for, the federal government … More>

“We’re going to lead the world to fight for freedom.” — George W. Bush, exchange with reporters, September 19, 2001

“I truly believe that out of this [September 11] will come more order in the world—real progress to peace in … More>

arly last summer, I was among a dozen American university professors studying terrorism in Israel. On the Sabbath we took a day off to visit the religious sites in Jerusalem.

Given the terrorist threat, armed security personnel always accompanied us. … More>

Probably you have heard of the Sponge Bob Squarepants flap. Dr. James Dobson, Founder of Focus on the Family mentioned the words Sponge Bob and gay in a speech and then all heck broke loose. If you want to get … More>

Effective wartime presidents are generalissimos, commanders-in-chiefs wielding military power to achieve historically monumental strategic ends; visionaries who shape and mold events through bold political and military action. Abraham Lincoln and Franklin D. Roosevelt, America’s two greatest wartime Presidents, served the … More>

In a week I will be a reluctant recipient of plundered property. The modern day Robin Hood purloined the cash last year on my behalf and without my knowledge. Technology comes into play too. Using a piece of sophisticated software, … More>

Recently controversy has erupted in Rockville, Maryland and Houston, Texas over billboard advertising concerning the right of people to seek change in homosexuality. The Alexandria billboard sponsored by Parents and Friends of Ex-gays and Gays (PFOX) shows the picture of … More>

Recently I wrote a column criticizing an event known as “No Name Calling Week.” NNCW is an event created by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Educators Network to address name calling and gay public policy objectives all at once. Since … More>

A little success is a dangerous thing, especially with regard to a political movement fuelled by ideas. Perhaps some sober self-examination at this time of inauguration would be prudent, if only as a healthy antidote to current conservative triumphalism.

Yes, … More>

Editor’s note: This article first appeared in National Review.

George W. Bush will soon be delivering his second inaugural address. Will he mention God? Or, perhaps the better question is: Will any mention of God by Bush be tolerated … More>

In 1988, George Michael won a Grammy award for his album Faith. This disc featured sexually graphic songs, the most controversial being “I Want Your Sex.” Apparently teens were listening to Mr. Michael. That same year, the Centers for Disease … More>