The Good News of Good Friday

I recently spoke to a group of Christians and was a little more transparent than I intended to be. I shared an observation that many evangelical Christians appear excessively fearful and anxious, largely over the culture wars and what’s happening in Washington...

March Madness in the Legislature

March Madness is once again upon us, and a cloud hangs over the Big Blue Nation as the beloved Wildcats were knocked out in the first round by a school most of us never knew existed. There’s also a little March Madness going on in Kentucky’s legislature,...

The God Who Enters the Storm

The pictures of the devastation in the wake of the tornado that hit Mayfield and several West Kentucky communities are hard to fathom. Some have described it as a war zone, “like a nuclear bomb went off.” Hundreds are now homeless in Mayfield. According to one...

We’re All Building Something

I’m building a house. I was told by several friends that building a home would be one of the most frustrating things I’d ever do. But I relished the challenge: designing and carving out a livable space on my 39 rugged acres in the Bald Knob area of North...

Engaging the Culture with Love

I was reminded of an important truth the other day at a conference comprised of pastors, political leaders, and Christians in south-central Kentucky: Jesus radically transform lives. At Commonwealth Policy Center’s (CPC) Christianity and Culture conference, one...

God is Integral to American Liberty

Have you ever visited the National Archives and seen the Declaration of Independence? It is featured alongside the U.S. Constitution and other historical documents in the dimly lit rotunda of the National Archives building. Those timeless words on the yellowing...

Loving Your Enemies, Not an Option

I was recently invited to speak to a group of concerned citizens in Northern Kentucky about a “Fairness” ordinance introduced by their city council and how best to defeat this proposal. The problem with these ordinances is they’re often used as a...

Are Casinos Compatible With a Commonwealth?

By Richard Nelson Arguments of casino advocates won the day in the state Senate yesterday. They were told that redefining the term pari-mutuel to include video slot machines is necessary to save the horse industry and help all things thoroughbred related. Twenty-two...

When Big Gambling Gambles and Loses

By Richard Nelson Last week, the Kentucky Supreme Court denied the Horse Racing industry’s appeal to allow historical horse racing, aka video slot machines, at their six gambling venues across the commonwealth. As a result, the Kentucky state legislature is...

Wherein Lies Your Ultimate Hope?

by Richard Nelson, CPC Executive Director Tomorrow, President-Elect Joe Biden will be inaugurated as the 46th president of the United States. Many conservatives are distraught over the impending policy lurch to the left in the next 100 days. Some are convinced the...

What Is Christmas About Anyway?

by Richard Nelson I confess that I really have a hard time with the 21st-century version of Christmas, too often a commercialized free-for-all built on excess. The retail decor goes on display earlier and earlier, crowding out other holidays, making me feel like the...

It’s Becoming Clearer that Churches are Essential

by Richard Nelson Governor Andy Beshear has once again drawn criticism for his response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Commonwealth. Recently the governor requested that churches voluntarily close for in-person services, yet allowed casino operations, liquor stores,...

Gov. Beshear’s Orders Defy the Human Design

by Jordan Tong As numbers of new COVID-19 cases have risen in the state of Kentucky, Governor Andy Beshear has once again put the clamps on the Commonwealth. The newest restrictions issued by the governor include no indoor seating at restaurants, reduced capacity of...

Evangelical Political Calculus Changing

Can Evangelicals support Trump and Maintain their Witness? Evangelical Christians may be one of the most influential voting blocks this election but will they vote according to Biblical principles? According to John Piper’s recent commentary, he thinks...

Qualities of a Justice

What are the qualities of a good Supreme Court Justice? The question is relevant since Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination to the nation’s highest court last weekend. Impeccable integrity, temperament, experience, and fidelity to the Constitution are...