Ken Connor column
Ken Connor is an attorney and co-author of "Sinful Silence: When Christians Neglect Their Civic Duty." He is also the Distinguished Fellow in Law and Human Dignity at the John Jay Institute's Center for a Just Society.


A message from Ken Connor
Ken Connor
February 2, 2016

On March 8, 2005, nearly eleven years ago, the Center for a Just Society published its first Ideas in Action column. The title was "Fight for Terri Schiavo . . .


It's not too late to save America
Ken Connor
January 6, 2016

As has always been the case for Americans, the new year is a time for setting new goals, seeking restoration and renewal, shedding harmful habits, and . . .


Progressives' misguided sentiment on guns
Ken Connor
December 16, 2015

In the wake of the recent mass shooting in San Bernardino, the New York Times ran their first Page One editorial in nearly a century, calling for an end to . . .


No excuse for murder, no justification for abortion
Ken Connor
December 2, 2015

By now most people are aware of the shooting that took place at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs last Friday. Robert Lewis Dear, Jr., killed . . .


Time for a reality check
Ken Connor
November 18, 2015

Perhaps the most unfortunate rhetorical moment in the presidency of George W. Bush was his now infamous "Mission Accomplished" speech. Delivered from the . . .


What the legacy of China's one child policy can teach America
Ken Connor
November 5, 2015

News broke this week that China has reversed its infamous one child policy after 35 years, increasing the permitted number of children per family to two. . . .


Suicidal "dignity"
Ken Connor
October 22, 2015

The secular progressive tactic of advocating death in the name of liberty continues, this time in the state of California, where Governor Jerry Brown . . .


A Christian call to action at home and abroad
Ken Connor
October 7, 2015

A new article over at CNS News paints a disturbing picture of the state of religious liberty across the globe. Citing religious persecution as "a leading . . .


An immoral quandary
Ken Connor
September 23, 2015

Participation in the global community of nations has always required compromises, sometimes uncomfortable ones. How the United States confronts these issues . . .


Enough is enough
Ken Connor
August 27, 2015

Human beings have always had an extraordinary capacity for self-delusion. We justify horrible things by telling ourselves that we are acting in the service of a . . .


The Donald dilemma
Ken Connor
August 13, 2015

Unless you've been living under a rock for the last couple of months, you are undoubtedly aware of how Donald Trump has upset the apple cart when it comes . . .


The reality of abortion exposed
Ken Connor
July 28, 2015

"Unless you stand for something, you will fall for anything." Everyone is familiar with this famous quote, though its original origins are unknown. What is . . .


Reining in judicial supremacists
Ken Connor
July 15, 2015

"The biggest myth about judges is that they're somehow imbued with greater insight, wisdom, and vision than the rest of us; that for some reason God . . .


Faith in action
Ken Connor
July 1, 2015

"I have no choice. I am not in the position to, alone, go into the ghetto and fight. I chose Charleston because it is most historic city in my state, and at . . .


Enough is enough
Ken Connor
June 17, 2015

Survey after survey shows that Americans are more disillusioned with politics than ever before. They don't trust that their representatives truly have their . . .


The right side of history
Ken Connor
June 3, 2015

If any two issues illustrate the awesome power of public relations campaigns to define important cultural and policy debates, they are abortion and gay . . .


The future of freedom hinges on faith
Ken Connor
May 20, 2015

In a May 2014 article entitled "Can Christianity in the West Endure?", I expressed concerns about the fate of the Christian faith under the stewardship of . . .


Whatever the cost
Ken Connor
May 6, 2015

A year ago, I wrote an article challenging the American Church to do more in the face of religious persecution of our Christian brethren abroad. At that . . .


Enough is enough
Ken Connor
April 1, 2015

"I think all of us should have a respect for innocent life. With regard to the freedom of the individual for choice with regard to abortion, there's one . . .


Reaping the harvest of relativism
Ken Connor
March 18, 2015

The social cost of relativism has been on the minds of some folks at the New York Times. Columnist David Brooks ran an excellent piece last week entitled  . . .


God or government?
Ken Connor
March 5, 2015

By now, most people have heard something about Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore's order defying a federal ruling legalizing same-sex marriage in Alabama. It . . .


Politicians have nothing to fear from faith
Ken Connor
February 17, 2015

The 2016 Presidential race may not have officially begun, but that hasn't stopped potential frontrunners from beginning their campaigns in earnest. And with . . .


Free speech and The Book of Mormon
Ken Connor
February 4, 2015

If you have any doubt as to whether Americans respect the First Amendment, all you have to do is take a cab to the Eugene O'Neil Theater at 230 W. 49th . . .


Erring on the side of life
Ken Connor
January 21, 2015

The history of human knowledge as it relates to the human body is a fascinating and terrible thing. In every age, the ability for physicians and other . . .


Conscience counts
Ken Connor
January 7, 2015

America has always been a nation with great respect for the right of conscience. As a people, we like the idea that a person should follow their heart, go . . .


A future fraught with tension
Ken Connor
December 9, 2014

The impending retirement wave of Baby Boomers and its impact on American society is something that the Center for a Just Society has been discussing for several . . .


Liberty v. comfort
Ken Connor
November 26, 2014

For decades, liberal society has been obsessed with multiculturalism and tolerance. Generations of children have been raised to believe that it's good to accept . . .


We won. Now what?
Ken Connor
November 12, 2014

Well, it's finally over. With the exception of a few run-offs and perhaps a re-count or two, the 2014 elections are history. The House and the Senate are firmly . . .


Philadelphia's finest need to set a better example
Ken Connor
October 28, 2014

A recent post on Reason.com's "Hit and Run" blog tells a disturbing tale of law enforcement run amok in Philadelphia. According to data collected by the freedom . . .


Time for a leaner, smarter penal system
Ken Connor
October 21, 2014

This week the Washington Post drew attention to a new Pew poll indicating that a majority of Americans believe it's time to move away from the policy of . . .


Marriage still matters
Ken Connor
September 30, 2014

A recent Pew study made headlines last week, revealing that "as values, economics, and gender patterns change...the share of American adults that have never . . .


"Life is worth living, and life is worth receiving"
Ken Connor
September 17, 2014

Physician-assisted suicide, much like abortion and same-sex marriage, has become something of a cultural bellwether. Support for the right to end your own life . . .


The secular left's end around
Ken Connor
September 2, 2014

In the public policy arena, the past few decades have seen a constant conflict between Christian conservatives and secular liberals. These two factions have . . .


Disposing of those with Down syndrome
Ken Connor
August 20, 2014

In today's culture we are constantly cajoled about the need to concern ourselves with "niche interests" and to demonstrate acceptance for those who choose to . . .


Corruption and cronyism in the old dominion
Ken Connor
August 6, 2014

The first week of the McDonnell corruption trial has concluded, and if the testimony thus far is any indication, things aren't looking good for the defendants. . . .


Lies, damned lies, and missing hard drives
Ken Connor
July 22, 2014

If ever a federal agency has made ineptitude into an art form, it has to be the IRS. After months of stonewalling and grandstanding and Fifth Amendment . . .


The triumph of law over ideology
Ken Connor
July 9, 2014

It's been almost a week since the Supreme Court issued their ruling on the Hobby Lobby case, and there appears to be no end in sight to the Left's outrage over . . .


All politics is local
Ken Connor
June 25, 2014

They say all politics is local, but this is easy to forget amidst the incessant frenzy of a 24-hour news cycle that tends to focus exclusively on national . . .


Stemming the tide of 'progress'
Ken Connor
June 10, 2014

Many people, when they hear talk of the growing "war on Christianity," roll their eyes and dismiss the charges as mere political hyperbole designed to fire up . . .


Can Christianity in the West endure?
Ken Connor
May 27, 2014

This week I write upon returning from a nine day trip with friends to England, where much of my visit centered on an examination the English Reformation. I was . . .


Our silence is deafening
Ken Connor
May 15, 2014

For several years my wife and I attended a little church in Virginia called St. Peter's. Every Sunday during the "Prayers of the People" we would pray for . . .


Tea anyone?
Ken Connor
April 30, 2014

This week the Washington Post's Chris Cilizza took up the question of whether the ongoing antagonism between the Tea Party and the establishment wing of the GOP . . .


Pro-markets or pro-business? It's time for the GOP to decide
Ken Connor
April 16, 2014

It's no secret that the Republican Party has for some time been coping with a multifaceted identity crisis. With the election of Barack Obama, the fallout from . . .


Missing the forest for the trees
Ken Connor
April 1, 2014

Last week, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc case. As virtually everyone is aware, the CEO of Hobby Lobby is . . .


Reclaiming conservatism
Ken Connor
March 18, 2014

This month, the American Conservative Union's Conservative annual Political Action Conference, or CPAC, convened in Washington, D.C. This year's conference . . .


Praise the Lord and pass the forceps
Ken Connor
March 5, 2014

Secular humanists like to sneer at us religious folk for our stubborn insistence upon seeing God's hand at work in the world. We call "providence" what the . . .


Faith: the only sure foundation for human dignity
Ken Connor
February 19, 2014

Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards recently tweeted out a short video featuring her suggestions of what women really need for Valentine's Day. Among a . . .


Faith at work
Ken Connor
February 6, 2014

Last fall, the Supreme Court agreed to review two religious liberty cases surrounding the Obama Administration's contraception mandate. Hobby Lobby and . . .


Lone Survivor: a tale of horror and heroism
Ken Connor
January 22, 2014

To the extent that art really does imitate life, every American owes it to themselves and to our troops to see the blockbuster film, Lone Survivor. Panned by . . .


Millennials' siren song
Ken Connor
January 14, 2014

Occupy Wall Street activist and "independent journalist" Jesse Myerson recently made waves when he penned a piece for Rolling Stone in which he laid out five . . .


Liberty v. ideology: which will prevail?
Ken Connor
January 7, 2014

Those concerned with the preservation of religious liberty in America are keeping a keen eye on the Supreme Court in 2014. The august body of jurists that . . .


Sider's Frankenstein
Ken Connor
December 31, 2013

A recent feature on the politics page of The Christian Post discusses the issue of income inequality in America, and various Christian proposals for the best . . .


Bowing our knees at the name of Jesus
Ken Connor
December 24, 2013

In exhorting Christians as to how they should behave toward one another, the Apostle Paul pointed to the example of Christ himself: Have this attitude in . . .


Republicans v. conservatives
Ken Connor
December 17, 2013

Given the magnitude of the Obamacare debacle, it's hard to imagine how Republicans could manage to one-up the dysfunction and dissolution of the Democrat party. . . .


Abortion's nadir
Ken Connor
December 11, 2013

For those who believe that life begins at conception, abortion hangs over society like a dark cloud. So long as the culture and the courts continue to embrace . . .


Alabama v. Auburn: a metaphor for life
Ken Connor
December 3, 2013

College football fans across the country are still buzzing over the shocking outcome of the Alabama-Auburn game. As a graduate of Florida State University, I . . .


Two choices, worlds apart
Ken Connor
November 27, 2013

Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas recently celebrated the opening of a new facility in Ft. Worth, TX. More than a few critics have noted the irony that the . . .


Obamacare: big government in action
Ken Connor
November 20, 2013

The hallmark distinction between Liberals and Conservatives in America is our radically divergent view of government and its role in the lives of citizens. . . .


The GOP: a house divided
Ken Connor
November 12, 2013

It has been said that success has many fathers, but failure is an orphan. Not so in the current political milieu. As the GOP continues its march towards . . .


What we say and how we say it
Ken Connor
November 6, 2013

It's become a favorite pastime among the press and punditry to blame the Tea Party for the problems plaguing the GOP. If those radicals would just shut up and . . .


The emperor has no clothes
Ken Connor
October 29, 2013

"Obamacare isn't a political abstraction any longer. Its success doesn't depend on spin or solidarity. What matters for the law – and for the people who . . .


The winds of change
Ken Connor
October 23, 2013

In the flurry of post-government-shutdown analysis, the talking heads are speculating about the demise of the Tea Party. According to the New York Times, "In . . .


All creatures great and small
Ken Connor
October 15, 2013

"The righteous care for the needs of their animals...." Proverbs 12:10 (NIV) Here at the Center for a Just Society we spill a lot of ink discussing issues . . .


Blinded by the light of celebrity
Ken Connor
October 2, 2013

It is no secret that we live in a celebrity obsessed society. This isn't just an American phenomenon, it's a global phenomenon. We look to celebrities to tell . . .


Refuse to render unto Caesar
Ken Connor
September 25, 2013

[R]ender therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's (Matthew 21, KJV). It's been 18 months since Secretary . . .


Welcome to the club
Ken Connor
September 18, 2013

In the last 50 years or so, America has become a nation obsessed with rights. Elites in government, academia, the media, and entertainment take great pains to . . .


A person's a person, no matter how small
Ken Connor
September 10, 2013

"Imagine in a thousand years someone doing IVF with a long-frozen embryo just to see what a 21st century – or, in this case, 20th century – human . . .


Time to make "unborn" the new gay?
Ken Connor
September 3, 2013

Last week marked 50 years since Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his seminal "I Have a Dream" speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, . . .


Emasculating the faith of our fighters
Ken Connor
August 27, 2013

"There are no atheists in foxholes." When Barack Obama ran for President, he promised to "fundamentally change" America. Over the last five years or so, the . . .


Big Brother is watching you
Ken Connor
August 20, 2013

Unless you've been living under a rock for the last month or so, chances are you've heard the latest revelations regarding the NSA's unlawful invasion of . . .


Wendy Davis, political opportunist
Ken Connor
August 14, 2013

Wendy Davis excels at keeping herself in the news. In June, the pro-abortion Texas state senator became a liberal darling by filibustering against a bill that . . .


Bad news/good news Bible
Ken Connor
August 6, 2013

The Bible is a book of bad news and good news. First the bad news: Human beings are sinners. Our sin separates us from a holy and righteous God, provokes . . .


Reflections on sin and shame
Ken Connor
July 31, 2013

Sexual scandal is always an attention grabber, so it's not surprising to see the media frenzy that has accompanied the latest revelations about NYC-Mayor . . .


McDonnell's folly
Ken Connor
July 24, 2013

"I can resist anything except temptation." Oscar Wilde, Lady Windermere's Fan Of the myriad things wrong with politics in America today, perhaps the . . .


The court of law v. the court of public opinion
Ken Connor
July 16, 2013

Well, it's finally over. The verdict is in. George Zimmerman was acquitted of the murder and manslaughter of Trayvon Martin. Despite the sensationalism and . . .


For whom the bell tolls
Ken Connor
July 9, 2013

"When the government has the power to deny legal rights and due process to one vulnerable group, everyone's rights are at risk." So says the American Civil . . .


Would Anthony Kennedy brand Jesus a bigot?
Ken Connor
July 3, 2013

With the decision of the US Supreme Court last week in U.S. v. Windsor, the subject of marriage has been much in the news. By a vote of 5 to 4 the high court . . .


Exchanging Liberty for Tyranny
Ken Connor
June 25, 2013

"The only foundation for . . . a republic is to be laid in Religion. Without this there can be no virtue, and without virtue there can be no liberty, and . . .


The lost art of education
Ken Connor
June 18, 2013

When American parents send their children off to college, the deluge of emotion can be overwhelming. No matter how much time and money you spent preparing . . .


Vive La France: it's about the children
Ken Connor
June 12, 2013

fgWhen we gaze across the pond at our European cousins, the general assumption is that we're looking at our future. From food and fashion to politics and . . .


Father: feminism's four letter word
Ken Connor
June 4, 2013

In a recent Washington Post article, "The New F-Word: Father," Kathleen Parker discusses a recent study on household income dynamics by the Pew Research Center . . .


The responsible thing to do
Ken Connor
May 29, 2013

America's obsession with political correctness is undermining our security and our Constitution. So argues newly-initiated American citizen Ayaan Hirsi Ali in . . .


Collusion and corruption at the IRS
Ken Connor
May 14, 2013

They say there are only two sure things in life: death and taxes. Try as we might, it's virtually impossible to escape the clutches of the Grim Reaper or the . . .


Crony capitalism protects wrongdoers, harms consumers, and disrupts markets
Ken Connor
May 8, 2013

Thanks to a renewed interest in the works of Ayn Rand and high-profile figures like John Stossel, Glenn Beck, and Rand Paul, libertarianism is enjoying a moment . . .


Want to know how Washington really works? Just follow the money
Ken Connor
May 1, 2013

"You see, boys forget what their country means by just reading The Land of the Free in history books. Then they get to be men they forget even more. Liberty's . . .


Making sense of the senseless
Ken Connor
April 23, 2013

"An individual is not just the product of the forces around him. He has a mind, an inner world. Then having thought, a person can bring forth actions into the . . .


An abortion ghoul's chamber of horrors
Ken Connor
April 17, 2013

Last week, I wrote a column entitled "Brutality in the Brave New World" discussing an appalling movement within the scientific community in which researchers . . .


Brutality in the Brave New World
Ken Connor
April 10, 2013

In his seminal work, Nichomachean Ethics, the philosopher Aristotle begins his meditation on the subject of morality and the ultimate end of human life with an . . .


No surer bet
Ken Connor
April 3, 2013

This past Sunday, Christians around the world celebrated Easter as a memorial of Christ's resurrection. If Christians are correct about what happened on the . . .


The consequences of historical ignorance
Ken Connor
March 27, 2013

In the Walt Disney classic Mary Poppins, the magical nanny informs the impetuous Jane and Michael that their father will be taking them on an outing to his . . .


Discounting parents' rights
Ken Connor
March 20, 2013

For people of faith in America, the Obama administration's birth control mandate represents an unprecedented assault on religious conscience. It seems that the . . .


Is there room in the G.O.P. tent for the poor?
Ken Connor
March 12, 2013

Writing for the Wall Street Journal, American Enterprise Institute president Arthur C. Brooks recently suggested that the G.O.P. is way off base in their . . .


Don't wait 'til it's too late to decide
Ken Connor
March 6, 2013

This past week, health care journalist Charles Ornstein wrote a compelling piece for the Washington Post detailing his personal experience with heart-wrenching . . .


Abortion: the new American family value
Ken Connor
February 26, 2013

Most parents would agree that protecting your children from harm and doing everything possible to set them on a path of success and happiness are fundamental . . .


An agent of intolerance seeks to stifle debate
Ken Connor
February 20, 2013

When you hear the name Southern Poverty Law Center, it immediately evokes images of Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, Freedom Rides... all iconic symbols of . . .


Defending the right to self-defense
Ken Connor
February 13, 2013

The recent spate of mass shootings has prompted President Obama and his allies in Congress to pursue new gun control laws with special urgency. Mr. Obama is . . .


Progressives embrace moral and medical schizophrenia
Ken Connor
February 6, 2013

"Your freedom is likely to be someone else's harm." So says bioethicist Daniel Callahan of the Hastings Center, responding to the recent controversy over . . .


A call to conscience
Ken Connor
January 29, 2013

"Theological courage calls the inner-man to ignore his buckling knees and take theologically driven stances that, while potentially controversial, are righteous . . .


Killing begets more killing
Ken Connor
January 23, 2013

In the wake of the brutal, senseless tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School, the gun control debate is once again aflame in Washington, D.C. Advocates of . . .


Subsidizing the slaughter of innocents
Ken Connor
January 15, 2013

During the 2012 election season the American people were subjected to hundreds of campaign ads. Among these were several geared towards women, and many of these . . .


Cliff notes
Ken Connor
January 9, 2013

It's that time of year again, time for fresh starts, optimism for the future, and New Year's resolutions. Unfortunately, there's nothing fresh, optimistic, or . . .


Old and worn out? Why not suicide?
Ken Connor
January 2, 2013

This week, blogger Wesley J. Smith directed his readers' attention to an article on Salon.com written by Lillian B. Rubin. Eighty-eight years old and in failing . . .


A light in dark times
Ken Connor
December 24, 2012

Every year the week before Christmas, St. Peter's Church in Purcellville, VA hosts a "Blue Christmas" service. The aim is to offer a message of hope and comfort . . .


Free to choose?
Ken Connor
December 19, 2012

Americans' affirmation of the "right to choose" is a feature of our national identity. No matter where you go or what you're doing, chances are you are . . .


Please enter and exit through the revolving door
Ken Connor
December 12, 2012

If you are the average Joe or Jane, chances are you feel your government doesn't pay much attention to you — and you're probably right. Your chances of . . .


Killing them softly?
Ken Connor
December 5, 2012

During the months leading up to the passage of Obamacare, Sarah Palin was mocked and excoriated for her use of the term "death panels" to describe the . . .


Restoring the foundations of civil society
Ken Connor
November 28, 2012

In the wake of President Obama's decisive reelection, the GOP is engaged in some serious soul-searching. Pundits on the Right and Left are cautioning . . .


Give thanks for the blessings of God
Ken Connor
November 21, 2012

Thanksgiving is traditionally a time where the people of the United States turn their eyes toward heaven and give thanks for the many blessings which have been . . .


Romney in retrospect
Ken Connor
November 14, 2012

Well, it's finally over. After 18 months of intense political conflict, the American people chose to give President Obama another four years at the helm. Not . . .


Benghazi baloney
Ken Connor
November 7, 2012

The mystery surrounding the 9/11 terror attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi continues to deepen. One of the more recent revelations in the ever unfolding . . .


Vote your vision
Ken Connor
October 30, 2012

President Obama has said many times that this election represents a choice between two very different visions for America. Do we want to go back to the same . . .


Rationing and redefining personhood
Ken Connor
October 24, 2012

On October 10th, as part of Chicago's annual "Ideas Week," I participated in a debate on health care rationing hosted by "Intelligence Squared." My partner was . . .


The silence of American feminists is deafening
Ken Connor
October 16, 2012

Unless you've been living under the rock for the past month or so, you've probably noticed that the campaign season has kicked into overdrive. One of the . . .


Infertility and selective abortion: steering a course between Scylla and Charybdis
Ken Connor
October 2, 2012

A lot of people, conservatives in particular, tend to idealize the past. We like to wax lyrical about simpler times, the "good old days." Of course, if we are . . .


Can the Islamic faith tolerate criticism?
Ken Connor
September 25, 2012

The violent response to an anti-Muslim movie has cast the subject of religious tolerance into the limelight. Is Islam a religion that can tolerate criticism? . . .


Muslims misbehaving
Ken Connor
September 19, 2012

Therefore by their fruits you shall know them. (Matthew 7:20, NKJV) As rioting and violence once again erupt across the Muslim world in response to a . . .


The ayes have it... or do they?
Ken Connor
September 11, 2012

According to the breathless reviews of MSNBC correspondents and the like, the Democratic National Convention was a smashing success. With celebrity cameos, . . .


Pounding the table about abortion
Ken Connor
September 4, 2012

In the three days of "speechifying" that constituted the 2012 Republican National Convention, precious little time or rhetoric was devoted to the topic of . . .


Words matter. Truth counts.
Ken Connor
August 28, 2012

Words matter. Truth counts. Or do they in the postmodern age in which we live? Recently The Washington Post reported a story about Obama advisor, Zeke . . .


Propping up corporate America
Ken Connor
August 21, 2012

Conservatives are quick to criticize public welfare for the poor, pointing out that it often undermines natural consequences and the incentives that flow . . .


Let's see you prove otherwise
Ken Connor
August 14, 2012

Harry Reid paints his toenails red and wears a girdle. No, seriously, a former Nevada Democrat who shall remain nameless told me so. And if the erstwhile . . .


Politics, culture, and chicken
Ken Connor
August 7, 2012

Dan Cathy, President of Chick-fil-A, probably did not expect to be at the center of the storm of the gay marriage debate, but his company proved an unexpected . . .


Diminishing the disabled
Ken Connor
July 31, 2012

The results of a recent survey of parents of children with disabilities ran cross-grain to the mentality that characterizes our society's culture of death. . . .


Is liberal Christianity worth saving?
Ken Connor
July 24, 2012

The recent General Convention of the Episcopal Church has prompted a broader discussion of the fate of liberal Christianity. No surprise — the Episcopal . . .


Food stamps: let's provide a safety net, not a mattress
Ken Connor
July 19, 2012

In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said, "It is more blessed . . .


How Washington really works
Ken Connor
July 10, 2012

Want to know how Washington really works? Can you say, "Crony capitalism"? Roll Call has just reported on yet another scandal that shows the character of . . .


Conservatives should tone down criticism of Roberts
Ken Connor
July 4, 2012

"Members of this court are vested with the authority to interpret the law; we possess neither the expertise nor the prerogative to make policy judgments. Those . . .


Boomsday: coming to a theater near you
Ken Connor
June 27, 2012

In his 2007 book Boomsday, Christopher Buckley writes of a fictional future where an overwhelming number of elderly baby boomers are given tax incentives to end . . .


Subsidizing abortion in Connecticut
Ken Connor
June 20, 2012

As the controversy over President Obama's birth control mandate continues to rage at the national level, lawmakers in Connecticut are making news with their . . .


Where there's a will, there's a way
Ken Connor
June 12, 2012

In America, the Left and Right are ever-engaged in a fierce debate over whether we truly are a land of opportunity for all. What, exactly, does equal . . .


America's moral schizophrenia
Ken Connor
June 6, 2012

schiz•o•phre•ni•a — a state characterized by the coexistence of contradictory or incompatible elements. By now most people have heard about New . . .


Refusing to render unto Caesar that which is God's
Ken Connor
May 29, 2012

"Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, "Judge for yourselves whether . . .


Medicine in the nanny state
Ken Connor
May 23, 2012

Most people are familiar with the old adage that says "the hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world." Originally the refrain of a poem . . .


Let's get ready to rumble!
Ken Connor
May 16, 2012

Oh, the irony of it all. For the past two years, the Republican establishment has been insisting that the only effective way to beat President Obama in 2012 is . . .


Trouble in paradise
Ken Connor
May 8, 2012

"Prosperity theology is a false theology. . . . TBN has been a huge embarrassment to evangelical Christianity for decades." R. Albert Mohler Jr., President of . . .


The triumph of ideology over law
Ken Connor
May 2, 2012

With each passing day it becomes more apparent that President Obama has little respect for the intelligence of his ideological opponents. If you don't agree . . .


GOP insiders just don't get it
Ken Connor
April 25, 2012

With Mitt Romney now the presumptive Republican nominee, the battle for the 2012 Presidency has begun in earnest. And, as is not uncommon, the outcome of this . . .


Get a job!
Ken Connor
April 19, 2012

Last week, Democratic strategist Hillary Rosen provoked outrage from the Right when she suggested that Ann Romney is not qualified to speak about women's . . .


Judicial activists undermine the democratic process
Ken Connor
April 11, 2012

Last week, President Obama made news when he suggested that it would be "unprecedented" for the Supreme Court to declare unconstitutional a law passed by a  . . .


Supreme Court mulls not just healthcare, but the role of government in America
Ken Connor
April 3, 2012

As an attorney who has argued a number of appellate cases, I can testify that judges' questions during oral arguments are not necessarily a good predictor of . . .


Aborting women's rights
Ken Connor
March 27, 2012

They say what goes around comes around, or to paraphrase the Good Book, you reap what you sow. Nowhere is this more in evidence than in recent global data on . . .


The triumph of greed
Ken Connor
March 21, 2012

Goldman Sachs executive Greg Smith made headlines last week with a public letter of resignation from the legendary firm. Smith's letter chronicled the ethical . . .


At what price life?
Ken Connor
March 13, 2012

It is no secret that in life, our values tend to guide our decisions. The things we hold dear, the things that are priorities to us, our principles... these . . .


Racing down the slippery slope
Ken Connor
March 7, 2012

The specter of the "slippery slope" is widely considered to be a logical cop-out — an intellectually lazy response employed by the rigid and fearful among . . .


Obama's birth control bait and switch
Ken Connor
February 29, 2012

With the exception of Catholics and others in the religious community that closely follow such issues, few people took note of the Obama administration's . . .


Dare to dream
Ken Connor
February 22, 2012

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Phil 4:13 During the presidential contest of 2008, Barack Obama inspired millions of followers with . . .


Abortion's hard-case exceptions
Ken Connor
February 15, 2012

When it comes to the hot-button issue of abortion, there are some questions that make even the staunchest pro-lifer uncomfortable: What do you say to the woman . . .


Business as usual at the New York Times
Ken Connor
February 1, 2012

For a picture of how low the level of public discourse has sunk in America, look no further than the New York Times. In an editorial following Newt Gingrich's . . .


Newt turns the tables
Ken Connor
January 25, 2012

"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." No doubt this truism was at the top of Newt Gingrich's mind as he responded to John King's lead off question in the . . .


How vulture capitalism endangers America's elderly
Ken Connor
January 18, 2012

GOP presidential hopefuls — most notably Newt Gingrich and Rick Perry — have been attempting to derail Golden Boy Mitt Romney's campaign momentum by . . .


Beware the myth of inevitability
Ken Connor
January 11, 2012

In politics, as with many competitive enterprises, frontrunners love to promote the myth of inevitability. Having squeaked out the narrowest of wins in Iowa and . . .


GOP hypocrisy on display in Virginia
Ken Connor
January 4, 2012

In case you haven't noticed yet, the battle for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination has been a highly volatile, highly unpredictable roller coaster ride . . .


Tebowing v. showboating
Ken Connor
December 21, 2011

Humility is not a virtue readily found in America today — especially on the field of play. A football player makes a touchdown, a forward slam dunks the . . .


Plain 'ole vanilla
Ken Connor
December 14, 2011

The GOP primary process has been chaotic, resulting in ups and downs for candidates and voters alike. Dreams were dashed when Mitch Daniels, then Sarah Palin, . . .


Pride and prejudice?
Ken Connor
December 6, 2011

The inevitable has happened. After weeks of steadily plummeting polls numbers and increasing political pressure, Herman Cain's campaign has finally collapsed . . .


Fiddling while Rome burns
Ken Connor
November 30, 2011

Democrats blame the recent Super Committee's deficit reduction failure on Republican obstinacy and obstructionism. It was the GOP's refusal to raise taxes on . . .


Planned Parenthood: agent of destruction
Ken Connor
November 23, 2011

According to its website, "for more than 90 years, Planned Parenthood has promoted a commonsense approach to women's health and well-being, based on respect for . . .


Cowardice and collusion at Penn State
Ken Connor
November 16, 2011

In March 1964, New York City was rocked by the grisly murder of Kitty Genovese. Returning home from her job at a local sports bar, Genovese was attacked in the . . .


Turning up the heat on Herman
Ken Connor
November 10, 2011

Since the beginning of his meteoric rise to political stardom, Herman Cain has worn his lack of political experience like a badge of honor. That same lack of . . .


An inconvenient truth
Ken Connor
November 2, 2011

For decades now, the "pro-choice" movement has successfully distorted the abortion debate by ignoring the essential question — is an unborn child a living . . .


Mission accomplished?
Ken Connor
October 26, 2011

After nearly a decade of deployments, surges, and setbacks, after thousands of lives lost and over one trillion in taxpayers dollars spent, President Obama has . . .


In politics, money talks
Ken Connor
October 18, 2011

They say that money is the mother's milk of politics, and now that the field of Republican presidential hopefuls has solidified, the media has locked onto . . .


Are Mormons Christian?
Ken Connor
October 12, 2011

"A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with a . . .


Looking for salvation in all the wrong places
Ken Connor
October 4, 2011

The need to worship is hardwired into the human psyche. Yet, as unfashionable as it's become in the last century to worship the God of Creation, the same cannot . . .


A win for elder advocacy
Ken Connor
September 28, 2011

Last week, the MacArthur Foundation announced the winners of their annual "Genius Grant" awards. Among the winners is Marie-Therese Connolly, an attorney and . . .


Marriage matters
Ken Connor
September 21, 2011

In his seminal work, After Virtue, philosopher Alisdair MacIntyre argues that the abandonment of Aristotelian ethics lies at the heart of modern society's slide . . .


Clergy banished from Ground Zero
Ken Connor
September 13, 2011

On Sunday, September 11, 2011, Americans across the country and around the world joined together to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the 9-11 attacks. On . . .


Heaven help the aged
Ken Connor
September 4, 2011

They say there are only two sure things in life: death and taxes. Thanks to unbelievable gains in medical technology in recent years however, most Americans are . . .


Right in our own eyes
Ken Connor
August 27, 2011

"In those days, there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes." Judges 17: 6 (ESV) You have to hand it to the British... they don . . .


Values voters are still in the game
Ken Connor
August 19, 2011

In these difficult economic times, both sides of the political aisle are desperate to convince the American people that they are the party with the best plan . . .


Shooting the messengers
Ken Connor
August 12, 2011

In the wake of Congress's 11th hour vote to raise the debt limit through the fall of 2012, the Tea Party is once again the center of attention for Beltway . . .


On sowing and reaping
Ken Connor
August 6, 2011

Let's face it, if your contentment level is tied to your 401(K), you're probably not feeling too good right now. The Dow Jones Industrial Average has dropped . . .


What's in a name?
Ken Connor
July 29, 2011

"Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12 (NIV) Campus Crusade for . . .


Size matters
Ken Connor
July 23, 2011

Last week, I wrote that the current deficit and debt ceiling negotiations happening in Washington represent politics at their worst — politics on steroids . . .


It's now or never
Ken Connor
July 16, 2011

Another week has come and gone, and our government still cannot agree on a plan for addressing America's impending financial disaster. Each day, Wall Street and . . .


Not guilty!
Ken Connor
July 9, 2011

Casey Anthony's acquittal of the killing of her precious child, Caylee, has shocked the nation. Many who watched the trial on TV — and who were not . . .


Mid East misogyny and the plight of Muslim women
Ken Connor
July 1, 2011

"[S]ome things must be said, and there are times when silence becomes an accomplice to injustice." Ayan Hirsi In her best-selling autobiography, Infidel, . . .


A question of principle
Ken Connor
June 24, 2011

In modern politics, the "single issue voter" gets a pretty bad rap. He is seen as unrealistic and intellectually myopic, a disservice to his party and, . . .


And they're off!
Ken Connor
June 17, 2011

This week in Manchester, New Hampshire, seven Republican contenders faced off in the first GOP primary debate of the season, attempting to make their case to . . .


Time for a return to checks and balances
Ken Connor
June 10, 2011

In December, 2007, the Boston Globe published a Q&A with then-candidate Barack Obama in which the subject of Executive War Powers was addressed. "In what . . .


Enough from the peanut gallery
Ken Connor
June 3, 2011

"Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered with failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither . . .


The folly of forsaking our friends in Israel
Ken Connor
May 28, 2011

"Israel has no better friend than America, and America has no better friend than Israel." Benjamin Netanyahu In a speech before a joint session of Congress . . .


'Til debt do us part
Ken Connor
May 21, 2011

"Pay all your debts, except the debt of love for others — never finish paying that." Romans 13:8 (TLB) As predicted, the American government this week . . .


Can liberty thrive in an illiberal culture?
Ken Connor
May 13, 2011

The desire for freedom is something hardwired into the fabric of the human soul. Unfortunately, so is the desire for power and control. This tension is playing . . .


We got him!
Ken Connor
May 7, 2011

When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices; when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy. Proverbs 11:10, NIV We finally got him. Almost a decade after . . .


Is the party over?
Ken Connor
April 30, 2011

Let's not kid ourselves: The policy train in American government has largely been driven by powerful special interests. These enterprises invest enormous . . .


Do we have the gumption to take our medicine?
Ken Connor
April 23, 2011

With Washington's budget showdown over — for now, at least — attention has shifted to the next major government funding crisis on the horizon. With . . .


Defund Planned Parenthood now
Ken Connor
April 15, 2011

In the days leading up to the eleventh-hour budget deal reached last Friday, the Liberal Left was out in frenzied force, gnashing their teeth in opposition to . . .


Answering the call with feet of clay
Ken Connor
April 8, 2011

Monday, April 4, 2011 marked the 43rd anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s tragic death. Cut down in his prime by an assassin's bullet, Dr. King's . . .


It's more than the economy, stupid!
Ken Connor
April 1, 2011

As the Iowa caucuses loom, potential contenders for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination are jockeying for position, each eager to establish themselves . . .


Slouching toward mediocrity
Ken Connor
March 25, 2011

It's deja vu all over again in Washington, as Republicans and Democrats face off over the budget and the possibility of a government shut-down looms on the . . .


Failing to protect our own in America's nursing homes
Ken Connor
March 18, 2011

"Our society must make it right and possible for old people not to fear the young or be deserted by them, for the test of a civilization is the way that it . . .


Our liberty is what makes us strong
Ken Connor
March 11, 2011

In America, it's easy to take freedom speech for granted. After all, for citizens of the United States, free speech is a birthright, an ideal deeply woven into . . .


Recalculating the odds: Obama and DOMA
Ken Connor
March 5, 2011

During his campaign, Candidate Barack Obama repeatedly cited his opposition to same sex marriage. On the Human Rights Campaign's 2008 Presidential Survey, he . . .


Balancing the budget: do Americans have what it takes?
Ken Connor
February 25, 2011

Many times, the problems in life that seem most complex are quite the opposite: They are simple issues that have been complicated and muddled by factors such as . . .


Bloated budgets endanger freedom
Ken Connor
February 18, 2011

Inside the beltway, discussion of President Obama's proposed budget for fiscal year 2012 has provoked the "Sturm und Drang" that we have come to expect in the . . .


Have a little faith
Ken Connor
February 11, 2011

"We like to pretend that our experiments define the truth for us. But that's often not the case. Just because an idea is true doesn't mean it can be proved.  . . .


So much for tolerance
Ken Connor
February 4, 2011

One of the hallmarks of contemporary Liberalism is an embrace of multiculturalism. A truly progressive society, so the thinking goes, is one in which people . . .


The GOP's selective constitutionalism
Ken Connor
January 28, 2011

"[The right to trial by jury is] the most transcendent privilege which any subject can enjoy, or wish for, that he cannot be affected either in his property, . . .


Ike's admonition
Ken Connor
January 21, 2011

The 50th anniversary of President Dwight D. Eisenhower's famous farewell address to the nation has prompted much discussion about the prescience of his message. . . .


Why waste a good tragedy?
Ken Connor
January 14, 2011

The tragic shooting in Tuscon, AZ continues to dominate the headlines and occupy the attention of our President and Congress. Fueled by the relentless nature . . .


The diversity police are at it again
Ken Connor
January 8, 2011

An alarm has been sounded for Republicans who advocate big-government, abortion, gay marriage, and gun control: Take heed! The GOP is being taken over by  . . .


One solitary life
Ken Connor
December 22, 2010

A few weeks back, media-mogul and mega-millionaire Ted Turner (himself a father of five and prominent among the "do as I say, not as I do" liberal elite) . . .


Restrained by the Constitution
Ken Connor
December 17, 2010

"In questions of power, then, let no more be heard of confidence in man but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the Constitution." Thomas Jefferson  . . .


The fine art of seduction
Ken Connor
December 11, 2010

Let the American people take note: the wooing has begun. The victors of the 2010 midterm elections haven't even been sworn into office and already they are . . .


Balancing rights: privacy v. life
Ken Connor
December 3, 2010

There's been much controversy in recent weeks over the issue of full body scans and pat-downs at airport security checkpoints across America. Individuals from . . .


The good life is found in Jesus Christ
Ken Connor
November 26, 2010

"... I have learned to be content, whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret . . .


The road ahead: tax and spend or cut and save?
Ken Connor
November 20, 2010

As Congress' lame duck session gets underway, the nation is watching to see if the Democrats will attempt to capitalize on their last few weeks of hegemony . . .


Hell no, she won't go!
Ken Connor
November 13, 2010

With great power comes great responsibility. When things go well, the person in power tends to get the credit, and when they go poorly, that same person will . . .


Change and hope
Ken Connor
November 6, 2010

The results are in, and in the words of former President George W. Bush, it was a thumping. What this nation witnessed on November 2nd was not merely a wave . . .


Left's tolerance limited to liberals
Ken Connor
October 30, 2010

The Good Book tells us that pride goes before a fall, and with the midterm elections looming perhaps nothing encapsulates the truth of this maxim more than the . . .


Multiculturalism: political correctness run amok
Ken Connor
October 23, 2010

"We . . . take our form-freedom balance in government for granted as though it were natural. There is form in acknowledging the obligations in society, and . . .


Elder abuse: America's dirty secret
Ken Connor
October 16, 2010

The plight of elderly Americans has been a top concern of the Center for a Just Society since our inception in 2005, and as senior citizens comprise an ever . . .


What goes around, comes around
Ken Connor
October 8, 2010

"The fate of good men who refuse to become involved in politics is to be ruled by evil men." Edmund Burke The quest for victory in politics and the power it . . .


Colbert testimony funny, but inappropriate
Ken Connor
October 1, 2010

It's hard to imagine how the American public's opinion of Congress could get much worse than it is already, but last week, Representative Zoe Lofgren tested . . .


If you can't beat 'em, co-opt 'em!
Ken Connor
September 24, 2010

As the midterm elections rapidly approach and Tea Party candidates continue to gain ground in primary battles across the country, the Republican establishment . . .


Muslims behaving badly
Ken Connor
September 17, 2010

The freedom to speak freely is a hallmark of the American constitutional tradition, as is the freedom of religion. These twin liberties are two reasons why so . . .


Free to choose -- for now
Ken Connor
September 10, 2010

For a long time, the western world has largely accommodated competing religious views with a "whatever floats your boat" mentality. Religious pluralism has . . .


Deja vu all over again
Ken Connor
September 3, 2010

It's deja vu all over again in Washington as the midterm elections rapidly approach and all signs point to an electoral route of the party in power. Four years . . .


Obama, stem cells, and the rule of law
Ken Connor
August 27, 2010

During his inaugural address, President Obama pledged to "restore science to its rightful place." The comment was interpreted at the time as a not-so-subtle . . .


Right v. rectitude
Ken Connor
August 20, 2010

The growing opposition to plans for a Muslim cultural center and mosque near Ground Zero have prompted some on the Left to speak out in defense of religious . . .


Which is to be master?
Ken Connor
August 14, 2010

In a breathtaking act of judicial overreach, a federal judge in the Golden State overturned California's Proposition 8 recognizing "marriage" as valid only . . .


The purpose of parenting
Ken Connor
August 7, 2010

A recent article in New York Magazine entitled "All Joy and No Fun: Why Parents Hate Parenting," examines the relationship between child-rearing and happiness.  . . .


Ideology v. reality
Ken Connor
July 30, 2010

The dog days of summer are almost upon us, and as autumn approaches and the midterm elections loom, the American people have many important issues on their . . .


A misguided decision
Ken Connor
July 24, 2010

Across the country, the debate rages on over the Obama administration's decision to file suit against the state of Arizona over its recently passed immigration . . .


A libertarian's misplaced attack on the Constitution
Ken Connor
July 16, 2010

"I consider [trial by jury] as the only anchor ever yet imagined by man, by which a government can be held to the principles of its constitution." Thomas . . .


It's the culture, stupid
Ken Connor
July 9, 2010

"[I]f you are dependent on people who do not know you, who control the value of your necessities, you are not free, and you are not safe." Wendell Berry, Sex, . . .


The failing Fourth Estate
Ken Connor
July 2, 2010

"I know no safe depository of the ultimate powers of society but the people themselves; and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control . . .


Too big to care?
Ken Connor
June 25, 2010

It's been a rough few weeks for BP CEO Tony Hayward. Watching the embattled executive weather several hours of angry cross-examination on Capitol Hill last . . .


Washington's double standard
Ken Connor
June 18, 2010

There's recently been some chatter in the blogosphere debating the need for a new amendment to the Constitution — one that would require laws passed by . . .


Banana republic?
Ken Connor
June 11, 2010

A week after Congress passed the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (otherwise known as Massive Bank Bailout Number One), noted journalist and . . .


Going out of business?
Ken Connor
June 4, 2010

In September 2008, as our President announced that he was abandoning the free market in order to save it and Congress was scrambling to pass the Emergency . . .


The importance of America's civil justice system
Ken Connor
May 29, 2010

Over a month after the devastating explosion that took the lives of 11 workers and initiated the biggest offshore oil spill since Exxon Valdez, the oil . . .


Change we can believe in?
Ken Connor
May 21, 2010

"There are those who tout their experience working the system in Washington . . . but the problem is that the system in Washington isn't working for us and hasn . . .


Constitution, not court, is Supreme
Ken Connor
May 14, 2010

"The democratic integrity of the law . . . depends entirely upon the degree to which its processes are legitimate. A judge who announces a decision must be . . .


Out of touch and out of focus
Ken Connor
May 8, 2010

"The chief purpose of government is to protect life. Abandon that and you have abandoned all." Thomas Jefferson One of the most compelling arguments made . . .


The consequences of religious apathy
Ken Connor
April 30, 2010

"Liberty cannot be established without morality, nor morality without faith." Alexis de Tocqueville In his treatise, The Christian Manifesto, published in 1 . . .


Free to choose what's right
Ken Connor
April 23, 2010

"We can breathe the air of liberty only to the extent that we are ready to bear the burden of moral responsibility associated with it." Wilhelm Roepke "We . . .


Subsidizing bad behavior: the injustice of tort reform
Ken Connor
April 16, 2010

On April 5, 2010, the community of Montcoal, West Virginia was devastated when an explosion at the Upper Big Branch mine took the lives of 29 men. For the . . .


Tea anyone?
Ken Connor
April 9, 2010

It's been almost a year since America's Tea Party protesters first gathered to voice their opposition to Washington's profligate ways. What began as a loosely . . .


An Easter people: the centrality of the resurrection
Ken Connor
April 2, 2010

In recent weeks, some local governments and activist groups around the country have made headlines for attempting to remove Good Friday from municipal calendars . . .


We've been had
Ken Connor
March 26, 2010

This time last week, Representative Bart Stupak (D-Michigan) was the hero of social conservatives who were anxious to secure binding language banning federal . . .


The economics of abortion
Ken Connor
March 19, 2010

"We are bound by an inescapable garment of mutuality: Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly." — Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Letter from the . . .


Boomsday: coming to a theater near you
Ken Connor
March 12, 2010

"Do not cast me off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength is spent." Psalms 71:9 ESV "You shall stand up before the gray head and honor the . . .


Diagnosing "disorder"
Ken Connor
March 5, 2010

"For a man to conquer himself is the first and noblest of all victories." Plato Over the course of the last century, Americans have become increasingly . . .


Credit culture: incentivizing greed and irresponsibility
Ken Connor
February 26, 2010

On February 22, 2010, nine months after President Obama signed the legislation, new credit card rules designed to protect consumers from the unscrupulous and . . .


Where's Al?
Ken Connor
February 19, 2010

"I'm like Punxsutawney Phil, but do you know what it means when I see my shadow? It means the earth is dying. Have you been outside today? It's 60 degrees in . . .


Taking care of people, not problems
Ken Connor
February 12, 2010

Three years ago, the medical community was stunned when Rom Houben — diagnosed to have been in a persistent vegetative state since a horrific car crash in 198 . . .


Change you can believe in
Ken Connor
February 5, 2010

"We have met the enemy and he is us." -Pogo Possum On January 24, 1995, President Bill Clinton delivered his State of the Union address to a Congress that . . .


(Mis)reading the tea leaves
Ken Connor
January 29, 2010

Anyone but Bush. This was a popular and oft-repeated phrase during the twilight of our 43rd president's first term. People incensed by the war in Iraq, people . . .


Whose sin?
Ken Connor
January 22, 2010

"Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do . . .


Haggling over price
Ken Connor
January 15, 2010

Less than a month ago, on December 19, 2009, all eyes in Washington were fixed on one man: Senator Ben Nelson, Democrat from Nebraska. Senator Nelson found . . .


Taming the Tiger
Ken Connor
January 8, 2010

Unless you've been living under a rock or were recently abducted by aliens, chances are you've heard about Tiger Woods' humiliating exposure as a serial . . .


The wonder of the incarnation
Ken Connor
December 22, 2009

Have you ever noticed how, when it comes to the rich and powerful, the most impressive people are those that eschew the many benefits of their position in favor . . .


The bondage of debt
Ken Connor
December 18, 2009

The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower is the slave of the lender. (Proverbs 22:7 ESV) In the Old Testament book of Proverbs, King Solomon details . . .


Principle v. pragmatism
Ken Connor
December 11, 2009

There's nothing in the middle of the road but yellow stripes and dead armadillos." -Jim Hightower, Texas commentator and humorist As the political seas . . .


Global warming in the hot seat
Ken Connor
December 4, 2009

"... to be possessed of a vigorous mind is not enough — the prime requisite is rightly to apply it." -Rene Descartes "Don't bother me with facts, Son. I . . .


Pull up a chair
Ken Connor
November 25, 2009

In anticipation of Senate Democrats' introduction of an $849 billion dollar plan to overhaul the nation's health care system, Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn last . . .


Free to choose
Ken Connor
November 20, 2009

Affordability, accessibility, quality — the hallowed trifecta at the center of the debate over health care reform. Proponents of reform argue that these . . .


Without life, no rights
Ken Connor
November 13, 2009

"The world has never had a good definition of the word liberty, and the American people, just now, are much in want of one. We all declare for liberty; but in . . .


Planned Parenthood: your tax dollars at work
Ken Connor
November 6, 2009

"The most merciful thing that a large family does to one of its infant members is to kill it." -Margaret Sanger, founder of Planned Parenthood "[Our goal is] . . .


Population control in an aging society
Ken Connor
October 30, 2009

Most would agree that conserving resources and minimizing adverse impacts on the environment make sense, but something has gone terribly awry within the Green . . .


End of life care should not end life
Ken Connor
October 23, 2009

The subject of how best to honor and care for those facing death due to terminal illness or old age has always been controversial. As talk of "death panels" . . .


Welcome to the school of social engineering
Ken Connor
October 16, 2009

In the wake of the controversial dismissal of Green Jobs Czar Van Jones, another of the President's men has been attracting negative attention. The President . . .


Celebrity justice in a just society
Ken Connor
October 9, 2009

"The vices of the rich and great are mistaken for error; and those of the poor and lowly, for crimes." -Lady Marguerite Blessington Cynics say the term  . . .


The time for transparency is now
Ken Connor
October 2, 2009

"Educate and inform the whole mass of the people... They are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty." -Thomas Jefferson The principle of . . .


Pounding the table: health care and the race card
Ken Connor
September 25, 2009

There's an old adage popular among lawyers: If your case is weak on the law, pound the facts. If it's weak on the facts, pound the law. If your case is weak . . .


Warning: Obamacare may be hazardous to the unborn
Ken Connor
September 18, 2009

President Obama attempted to allay the concerns of pro-life advocates last week by assuring Americans that federal funding for abortion will not be included in  . . .


Tort reform: remedy or red herring?
Ken Connor
September 11, 2009

"In the state of nature... all men are born equal, but they cannot continue in this equality. Society makes them lose it, and they recover it only by the . . .


Blinded by the light of discovery
Ken Connor
September 4, 2009

Sometimes fairy tales are better than non-fiction at communicating essential truths. Anyone who has read Shakespeare or been transfixed by the tales of Tolkien . . .


Something's got to give
Ken Connor
August 28, 2009

This has been the "Summer of the Senior" in America. While the health care debate has raged, senior citizens have been front and center at town hall events, . . .


Don't let your wants hurt you
Ken Connor
August 21, 2009

"We must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt. We must make our election between economy and liberty or profusion and servitude. If we run into such . . .


Is this America's better history?
Ken Connor
August 14, 2009

Ask any politician in the free world, and they will tell you that intense public scrutiny and uncomfortable clashes with detractors are all in a day's work for . . .


Seniors left behind?
Ken Connor
August 7, 2009

One of the most controversial issues of the current health care reform debate is the concept of health care rationing — allocating medical care according to . . .


Frankenstein's folly
Ken Connor
August 1, 2009

"None but those who have experienced them can conceive of the enticements of science." — Dr. Victor Frankenstein, from Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein  . . .


Christian charity: good news in hard times
Ken Connor
July 24, 2009

"If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward . . .


Science: theists need not apply
Ken Connor
July 17, 2009

Religious bigotry is alive and well in the scientific community, as evidenced by its response to President Obama's decision to appoint Dr. Francis Collins as . . .


Change: but in what direction?
Ken Connor
July 10, 2009

There is no doubt that President Obama's most valuable political asset is his remarkable charisma — his ability to send the spirit of the nation soaring on . . .


Bread and circuses: America's cult of celebrity
Ken Connor
July 3, 2009

Last week, in the midst of President Obama's efforts to push unprecedented expansions of federal regulatory authority through Congress, North Korea's bellicose . . .


Government subsidy devalues marriage
Ken Connor
June 26, 2009

Last week President Obama signed a presidential memorandum authorizing special benefits for same-sex partners of federal workers. He touted the measure as a . . .


Reviving states' rights
Ken Connor
June 19, 2009

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people . . .


Religious liberty stops at the schoolhouse door
Ken Connor
June 13, 2009

In public school classrooms across the country, religious liberty is under assault. Last month in Florida, two Christian student leaders at Pace High School . . .


Assisted suicide endangers all
Ken Connor
June 7, 2009

Last week in Washington state a 66-year-old woman with terminal cancer made history as the first person to undergo physician-assisted suicide since that state . . .


Checkmate!
Ken Connor
May 29, 2009

The California Supreme Court's decision to uphold Proposition 8 signifies a major victory, not only for the people of California and for proponents of . . .


Respect or revulsion?
Ken Connor
May 21, 2009

In his much ballyhooed commencement address at Notre Dame, President Barack Obama urged protagonists in the abortion debate to respect the opinions of those . . .


GOP: Resurgence or R.I.P.?
Ken Connor
May 15, 2009

Contrary to popular reports by Democrats and members of the chattering class, the Republican Party is not dead — not yet. In the aftermath of the 2008 . . .


Judging the judges
Ken Connor
May 9, 2009

The minute Justice David Souter announced his imminent retirement from the Supreme Court, the media began to engage in rampant speculation about who President . . .


California dreaming: reasoned debate on gay marriage
Ken Connor
May 1, 2009

Carrie Prejean's show of support for traditional marriage in the Miss USA Pageant has provoked a firestorm of controversy. Responding to judge Perez Hilton's . . .


Obama vetoes religion in the public square
Ken Connor
April 24, 2009

The relationship between religion and politics has become murky in recent years. The effort of America's Founders to prevent the establishment of a state . . .


It's not easy being green
Ken Connor
April 18, 2009

I'm going green! Not because I'm a tree-hugger, nor because I have embraced some form of pantheistic environmentalism. Rather, it's because I'm concerned . . .


Prosecuting the prosecutors
Ken Connor
April 11, 2009

Many justice-hungry conservatives are angered at the recent dismissal of ex-Senator Ted Stevens's conviction for lying about gifts he received while in office.  . . .


Obamamania infects Notre Dame
Ken Connor
April 3, 2009

Controversy has erupted over Notre Dame's invitation to President Barack Obama to speak at its May commencement ceremony. The President will address the . . .


Pay to play--gambling with America's future
Ken Connor
March 27, 2009

Let's not kid ourselves. The prevailing modus operandi of Washington politicians — Democrats and Republicans alike — is "pay to play." Money is the "mother . . .


America's faltering faith
Ken Connor
March 20, 2009

Americans appear to be losing faith in God and in our cultural institutions. Is the loss of confidence in one related to a loss of confidence in the other?  . . .


Science without limits
Ken Connor
March 13, 2009

On Monday, President Obama issued an executive order, removing the restrictions on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research (ESCR) instituted by former . . .


Conduct and consequences: putting the bailout in perspective
Ken Connor
March 6, 2009

In a move that surprised no one, mega-insurer A.I.G. and car manufacturers General Motors and Chrysler have all asked the federal government for more bailout . . .


Who's a coward?
Ken Connor
February 27, 2009

President Obama's election as the first African-American President of the United States was symbolic of how far we've come over the last half-century since . . .


Pork and pitchforks
Ken Connor
February 20, 2009

Stimulus: "something that rouses or incites to activity" (Merriam-Webster) Barack Obama promised to get the economy's mojo working again with the passage of . . .


Nuts!
Ken Connor
February 14, 2009

American General Anthony McAuliffe sent a terse one-word response to the Nazi army that had surrounded his forces in Bastogne, Belgium and demanded his . . .


Old age ain't for sissies
Ken Connor
February 7, 2009

"Rise in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am the LORD." -Leviticus 19:32 NIV Old age ain't for sissies — . . .


Science holds the key--or does it?
Ken Connor
January 31, 2009

"Today, more than ever before, science holds the key to our survival as a planet and our security and prosperity as a nation." Thus, proclaimed Barack Obama in . . .


Obama: just a man
Ken Connor
January 23, 2009

"I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone — for kings and all those in authority, that we may . . .


Abortion's future rests with the young
Ken Connor
January 16, 2009

What is the future of the pro-life movement in our coming post-Republican political world? With a new President who strongly opposes any restrictions on . . .


Evicting God from the public square
Ken Connor
January 9, 2009

Militant atheists are intent on evicting God from the public square in America. The latest development is a suit filed by Michael Newdow against Supreme . . .


Charting a new course in the new year
Ken Connor
January 3, 2009

"Out with the old, in with the new!" Rarely have those words been uttered with more enthusiasm than at the beginning of 2009. 2008 was an historic and . . .


The true spirit of giving
Ken Connor
December 22, 2008

Christmas spending is down substantially this holiday season. So, too, is Christmas giving. The International Council of Shopping Centers has declared it an  . . .


One bill you can't afford to ignore
Ken Connor
December 19, 2008

'Tis the season to be spending! But in January, the joy of giving will give way to the pain of "payment due." Bills are not pleasant for anybody, but there . . .


America for sale
Ken Connor
December 12, 2008

The latest political scandal involving Illinois Governor Blagojevich comes as no surprise. In recent years, Americans have been inundated with scandal after . . .


Attention Walmart shoppers
Ken Connor
December 5, 2008

If actions speak louder than words, what do recent events at a New York state Walmart say about the state of American culture? On "Black Friday," two thousand . . .


Giving thanks in difficult times
Ken Connor
November 26, 2008

Thanksgiving comes at a difficult time this year. Our economy is imploding. Stocks are down and anxiety is up. Citigroup, one of the largest companies in the . . .


But regulation IS a good thing
Ken Connor
November 21, 2008

"Do to others as you would have them do to you." (Luke 6:31 NIV) Henry Paulson, Secretary of the Treasury and Chief Architect of the Wall Street Bailout, is . . .


Federal preemption: crony capitalism at its worst
Ken Connor
November 15, 2008

President George Bush likes to describe himself as a "conservative" but his track record doesn't back up his claim. Conservatives believe in limiting the . . .


Still a long way to go for equality
Ken Connor
November 7, 2008

The election of the first African-American President of the United States on Tuesday was a great moment in American history. Regardless of policy or party, the . . .


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The views expressed by RenewAmerica columnists are their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of RenewAmerica or its affiliates.
 

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