Good news! The Narrative podcast is returning next week for a fifth volume, and this time we're doing it a little bit differently. Listen to this teaser episode with Center for Christian Virtue President Aaron Baer to get the inside scoop on the exciting changes to come!



To learn more about Center for Christian Virtue and to get involved, visit CCV.org.

Good news! The Narrative podcast is returning next week for a fifth volume, and this time we're doing it a little bit differently. Listen to this teaser episode with Center for Christian Virtue President Aaron Baer to get the inside scoop on the exciting changes to come!
 
To learn more about Center for Christian Virtue and to get involved, visit <a href="https://www.ccv.org/join">CCV.org.</a>

The Narrative breaks away from the script to reveal the driving forces behind the most important and divisive issues facing our culture today.

Visit CCV.org to learn more.

The Narrative breaks away from the script to reveal the driving forces behind the most important and divisive issues facing our culture today.
Visit <a href="https://www.ccv.org/">CCV.org</a> to learn more.

The Narrative

🔊 Talk to Us

We want to hear from you! Your feedback helps us keep The Narrative insightful, relevant, and engaging. Have a guest suggestion, a topic you're curious about, or a question you want answered? Let us know! We host “Ask Us Anything” episodes where we respond to your questions on the show.

👉  Leave us a voicemail or text at 614-769-7077.

👉  Email us at thenarrative@ccv.org.

To learn more about Center for Christian Virtue and to get involved, visit CCV.org.

⭐️ How are we doing?

If you've found any episode of The Narrative to be insightful, let us know by leaving a review or rating! It really helps us to know what you're enjoying and it brings the podcast to other listeners, meaning you'rehelping equip your neighbors to understand today's hottest cultural and political topics. So, thank you!

🔎 About The Narrative

The Narrative breaks away from the script to cut through the typical media narratives, and helps you understand the root causes of today’s culture, and political controversies.

Join Center for Christian Virtue (CCV) President Aaron Baer, Policy Director David Mahan, Communications Director Mike Andrews, and world-renowned experts as they dissect current issues and events from multiple angles and viewpoints, equipping you to be a critical thinker on some of the hottest topics today.

Visit CCV.org/TheNarrative to learn more.

Produced by Wessler Media.

🔊 Talk to Us
We want to hear from you! Your feedback helps us keep The Narrative insightful, relevant, and engaging. Have a guest suggestion, a topic you're curious about, or a question you want answered? Let us know! We host &ldquo;Ask Us Anything&rdquo; episodes where we respond to your questions on the show.
👉&nbsp; Leave us a voicemail or text at <a href="tel:614-769-7077">614-769-7077.</a>
👉&nbsp; Email us at <a href="mailto:thenarrative@ccv.org">thenarrative@ccv.org.</a>
To learn more about Center for Christian Virtue and to get involved, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ccv.org/join">CCV.org.</a>
<hr>
⭐️ How are we doing?
If you've found any episode of The Narrative to be insightful, let us know by leaving a review or rating! It really helps us to know what you're enjoying and it brings the podcast to other listeners, meaning&nbsp;you're helping equip your neighbors to understand today's hottest cultural and political topics. So, thank you!
<hr>
🔎 About The Narrative
The&nbsp;Narrative&nbsp;breaks away from the script to cut through the typical media&nbsp;narratives, and helps you understand the root causes of today&rsquo;s culture, and political controversies.
Join Center for Christian Virtue (CCV) President Aaron Baer, Policy Director David Mahan, Communications Director Mike Andrews, and world-renowned experts as they dissect current issues and events from multiple angles and viewpoints, equipping you to be a critical thinker on some of the hottest topics today.
Visit <a href="CCV.org/TheNarrative">CCV.org/TheNarrative</a> to learn more.
Produced by <a href="https://www.wesslermedia.com/">Wessler Media</a>.

Volume 5 Coming Soon...

In this explosive episode of The Narrative, Aaron, David, and Mike dive deep into the shocking federal indictment against the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) involving allegations of wire fraud, money laundering, and bank fraud. The self-appointed "arbiters of hate" allegedly funneled hundreds of thousands of dollars through shell organizations like "Rare Books Warehouse" and "CIA" (Center Investigative Agency) to pay extremist activists. For an organization that raised over $120 million following the Charlottesville riots, the irony is staggering. The indictment states that they essentially manufactured the very radicalism they claim to fight. Once again, for the radical Left, victimhood is a multi-million dollar business model.

Beyond the legal drama, there are real-world consequences of being targeted by the SPLC’s "hate map," from de-banking and "financial death penalties" to actual physical security threats against Christian organizations like CCV and the FRC. Mainstream media outlets have lazily repeated these labels as "fact" despite the SPLC’s increasingly transparent political bias. If you want to understand how the Left weaponizes ideology to demonize traditional values while lining its own pockets, you can’t afford to miss this breakdown of the SPLC’s "outrage machine" and the federal case that could finally dismantle it.

📢Talk to Us

We want to hear from you! As a valued listener, your feedback is critical for us to keep The Narrative insightful, relevant, and helpful. If you have a particular guest, topic, or question you'd like us to cover, let us know! We’ll answer your questions on an “Ask Us Anything” episode later, so send in your questions now.

👉  Leave us a voicemail or text at 614-769-7077.

👉  Email us at thenarrative@ccv.org.

To learn more about Center for Christian Virtue and to get involved, visit CCV.org.

⭐️ How are we doing?

If you've found any episode of The Narrative insightful, let us know by leaving a review or rating! It helps us to know what you're enjoying and brings the podcast to other listeners, meaning you'rehelping equip your neighbors to understand today's hottest cultural and political topics. So, thank you!

🔎 About The Narrative

The Narrative breaks away from the script to cut through the typical media narratives and helps you understand the root causes of today’s culture and political controversies.

Join Center for Christian Virtue (CCV) President Aaron Baer, Policy Director David Mahan, Communications Director Mike Andrews, and world-renowned experts as they dissect current issues and events from multiple angles and viewpoints, equipping you to be a critical thinker on some of the hottest topics today.

In this explosive episode of The Narrative, Aaron, David, and Mike dive deep into the shocking federal indictment against the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) involving allegations of wire fraud, money laundering, and bank fraud. The self-appointed "arbiters of hate" allegedly funneled hundreds of thousands of dollars through shell organizations like "Rare Books Warehouse" and "CIA" (Center Investigative Agency) to pay extremist activists. For an organization that raised over $120 million following the Charlottesville riots, the irony is staggering. The indictment states that they essentially manufactured the very radicalism they claim to fight. Once again, for the radical Left, victimhood is a multi-million dollar business model.
Beyond the legal drama, there are real-world consequences of being targeted by the SPLC&rsquo;s "hate map," from de-banking and "financial death penalties" to actual physical security threats against Christian organizations like CCV and the FRC. Mainstream media outlets have lazily repeated these labels as "fact" despite the SPLC&rsquo;s increasingly transparent political bias. If you want to understand how the Left weaponizes ideology to demonize traditional values while lining its own pockets, you can&rsquo;t afford to miss this breakdown of the SPLC&rsquo;s "outrage machine" and the federal case that could finally dismantle it.
<a href="https://x.com/CCVPolicy/status/2043756438284317124?s=20">📢</a><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/turns-out-families-are-voting-with-their-feet">Talk to Us</a>
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/turns-out-families-are-voting-with-their-feet">We wa</a>nt to hear f<a href="https://www.wsj.com/opinion/free-expression/first-the-ring-then-the-roof-376a2880">rom you! As a valued l</a>istener,&nbsp;your feedback is critical&nbsp;for us to keep&nbsp;The Narrative&nbsp;insightful, relevant, and helpful. If you have a particular guest, topic, or question you'd like us to cover, let us know!&nbsp;We&rsquo;ll answer your questions on an &ldquo;Ask Us Anything&rdquo; episode later, so send in your questions now.
👉&nbsp; Leave us a&nbsp;voicemail&nbsp;or&nbsp;text&nbsp;at&nbsp;<a href="tel:614-769-7077">614-769-7077.</a>
👉&nbsp; Email&nbsp;us at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:thenarrative@ccv.org">thenarrative@ccv.org.</a>
To learn more about Center for Christian Virtue and to get involved, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ccv.org/join">CCV.org.</a>
⭐️ How are we doing?
If you've found any episode of&nbsp;The Narrative&nbsp;insightful, let us know by leaving a review or rating! It helps us to know what you're enjoying&nbsp;and&nbsp;brings the podcast to other listeners, meaning&nbsp;you'rehelping equip your neighbors&nbsp;to understand today's hottest cultural and political topics. So, thank you!
🔎 About&nbsp;The Narrative
The&nbsp;Narrative&nbsp;breaks away from the script to cut through the typical media narratives and helps you understand the root causes of today&rsquo;s culture and political controversies.
Join Center for Christian Virtue (CCV) President Aaron Baer, Policy Director David Mahan, Communications Director Mike Andrews, and world-renowned experts as they dissect current issues and events from multiple angles and viewpoints, equipping you to be a critical thinker on some of the hottest topics today.

Hate for Hire: The SPLC's Fraud Exposed

American families are fleeing Blue States as the "Big Family Sort" continues across the country. The Family Structure Index, created by the Institute for Family Studies and Center for Christian Virtue, reveals that families are migrating from high-tax, anti-family states like California to Red States that prioritize religious freedom and affordable living.

Brad Wilcox joins Aaron, David, and Mike to discuss how Red State policies offer the stability required for marriage to flourish. They make it clear that to protect Ohio’s future, we must reject failing secular models and champion a culture that anchors economic success in biblical family values.

Tune in now or queue up your commute podcast!

More about Brad Wilcox

Brad Wilcox is Melville Foundation Jefferson Scholars Foundation University Professor of Sociology and Director of the National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia, Future of Freedom Fellow and Director of the Get Married Initiative at the Institute for Family Studies, and a nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. 

The author of Get Married: Why Americans Should Defy the Elites, Forge Strong Families and Save Civilization (Harper Collins, 2024), Wilcox studies marital quality, marital stability, and the impact of strong and stable marriages upon men, women, and children. The author and editor of six books, Wilcox has written for scientific journals such as The American Sociological Review and The Journal of Marriage and Family, and The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, and National Review.

More about the Family Structure Index

The Family Structure Index tracks the changing fortunes of marriage and family across America's states. By measuring marriage rates, family stability, and fertility, the Index reveals how the strength of the family is deeply connected to the health and attainability of the American Dream. The results have recently been featured on Fox News (here and here), Fox Business, The Daily Wire, and the Wall Street Journal.

📢 Talk to Us

We want to hear from you! As a valued listener, your feedback is critical for us to keep The Narrative insightful, relevant, and helpful. If you have a particular guest, topic, or question you'd like us to cover, let us know! We’ll answer your questions on an “Ask Us Anything” episode later, so send in your questions now.

👉  Leave us a voicemail or text at 614-769-7077.

👉  Email us at thenarrative@ccv.org.

To learn more about Center for Christian Virtue and to get involved, visit CCV.org.

⭐️ How are we doing?

If you've found any episode of The Narrative insightful, let us know by leaving a review or rating! It helps us to know what you're enjoying and brings the podcast to other listeners, meaning you'rehelping equip your neighbors to understand today's hottest cultural and political topics. So, thank you!

🔎 About The Narrative

The Narrative breaks away from the script to cut through the typical media narratives and helps you understand the root causes of today’s culture and political controversies.

Join Center for Christian Virtue (CCV) President Aaron Baer, Policy Director David Mahan, Communications Director Mike Andrews, and world-renowned experts as they dissect current issues and events from multiple angles and viewpoints, equipping you to be a critical thinker on some of the hottest topics today.

American families are fleeing Blue States as the "Big Family Sort" continues across the country. The <a href="https://familystructureindex.org/">Family Structure Index</a>, created by the Institute for Family Studies and Center for Christian Virtue, reveals that families are migrating from high-tax, anti-family states like California to Red States that prioritize religious freedom and affordable living.
Brad Wilcox joins Aaron, David, and Mike to discuss how Red State policies offer the stability required for marriage to flourish. They make it clear that to protect Ohio&rsquo;s future, we must reject failing secular models and champion a culture that anchors economic success in biblical family values.
Tune in now or queue up your commute podcast!
More about Brad Wilcox
Brad Wilcox is Melville Foundation Jefferson Scholars Foundation University Professor of Sociology and Director of the&nbsp;<a href="https://nationalmarriageproject.org/">National Marriage Project</a>&nbsp;at the University of Virginia, Future of Freedom Fellow and Director of the Get Married Initiative at the&nbsp;<a href="https://ifstudies.org/">Institute for Family Studies</a>, and a nonresident senior fellow at the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aei.org/">American Enterprise Institute</a>.&nbsp;
The author of Get Married: Why Americans Should Defy the Elites, Forge Strong Families and Save Civilization&nbsp;(Harper Collins, 2024), Wilcox&nbsp;studies marital quality, marital stability, and the impact of strong and stable marriages upon men, women, and children. The author and editor of six books, Wilcox has written for scientific journals such as&nbsp;The American Sociological Review&nbsp;and&nbsp;The Journal of Marriage and Family, and&nbsp;The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic,&nbsp;and&nbsp;National Review.
More about the Family Structure Index
The <a href="https://familystructureindex.org/">Family Structure Index</a> tracks the changing fortunes of marriage and family across America's states. By measuring marriage rates, family stability, and fertility, the Index reveals how the strength of the family is deeply connected to the health and attainability of the American Dream. The results have recently been featured on Fox News (<a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/states-revealed-best-start-family-amid-cratering-belief-american-dream">here</a> and <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/family-breakdown-pennsylvania-prompts-faith-based-effort-bring-marriage-back">here</a>)<a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/states-revealed-best-start-family-amid-cratering-belief-american-dream"></a>, <a href="https://x.com/CCVPolicy/status/2043756438284317124?s=20">Fox Business</a>, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/turns-out-families-are-voting-with-their-feet">The Daily Wire</a>, and the <a href="https://www.wsj.com/opinion/free-expression/first-the-ring-then-the-roof-376a2880">Wall Street Journal</a>.
📢 Talk to Us
We want to hear from you! As a valued listener,&nbsp;your feedback is critical&nbsp;for us to keep&nbsp;The Narrative&nbsp;insightful, relevant, and helpful. If you have a particular guest, topic, or question you'd like us to cover, let us know!&nbsp;We&rsquo;ll answer your questions on an &ldquo;Ask Us Anything&rdquo; episode later, so send in your questions now.
👉&nbsp; Leave us a&nbsp;voicemail&nbsp;or&nbsp;text&nbsp;at&nbsp;<a href="tel:614-769-7077">614-769-7077.</a>
👉&nbsp; Email&nbsp;us at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:thenarrative@ccv.org">thenarrative@ccv.org.</a>
To learn more about Center for Christian Virtue and to get involved, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ccv.org/join">CCV.org.</a>
⭐️ How are we doing?
If you've found any episode of&nbsp;The Narrative&nbsp;insightful, let us know by leaving a review or rating! It helps us to know what you're enjoying&nbsp;and&nbsp;brings the podcast to other listeners, meaning&nbsp;you'rehelping equip your neighbors&nbsp;to understand today's hottest cultural and political topics. So, thank you!
🔎 About&nbsp;The Narrative
The&nbsp;Narrative&nbsp;breaks away from the script to cut through the typical media narratives and helps you understand the root causes of today&rsquo;s culture and political controversies.
Join Center for Christian Virtue (CCV) President Aaron Baer, Policy Director David Mahan, Communications Director Mike Andrews, and world-renowned experts as they dissect current issues and events from multiple angles and viewpoints, equipping you to be a critical thinker on some of the hottest topics today.

Why Families are Fleeing Blue States with Brad Wilcox

This week, Aaron, David, and Mike dig into the 2026 Family Structure Index, which reveals our state has dropped from #29 to #30 in the US for family stability. This is an economic and safety crisis for our families that no government program can fix, but the Church is uniquely equipped to address. The guys also shed light on the new parasite that Ohio is inviting into our communities through predatory sports gambling apps. They discuss the recent press conference at the Ohio Statehouse, where CCV stood alongside a coalition of lawmakers, public health experts, and former athletes to announce a major overhaul of Ohio’s sports betting laws: The Save Ohio Sports Act.

After the news, David and Mike are joined by Dr. Mark David Hall, Professor in Regent University’s Robertson School of Government. Hall demolishes the secular myths surrounding America’s founding and unmasks the truth: our nation was built on the objective reality of human sin and the necessity of biblical justice. This conversation empowers every believer to reject the godless Utopianism of the Left and stand firmly on our Christian heritage.

Tune in now or queue up your commute podcast!

More about Mark David Hall

Mark David Hall is a Professor in Regent University’s Robertson School of Government and Director of Religious Liberty in the States.  He earned a BA in political science from Wheaton College and a PhD in government from the University of Virginia.  He has written, edited, or co-edited fifteen books, including Did America Have a Christian Founding? Separating Modern Myth from Historical Truth.

📢 Talk to Us

We want to hear from you! As a valued listener, your feedback is critical for us to keep The Narrative insightful, relevant, and helpful. If you have a particular guest, topic, or question you'd like us to cover, let us know! We’ll answer your questions on an “Ask Us Anything” episode later, so send in your questions now.

👉  Leave us a voicemail or text at 614-769-7077.

👉  Email us at thenarrative@ccv.org.

To learn more about Center for Christian Virtue and to get involved, visit CCV.org.

⭐️ How are we doing?

If you've found any episode of The Narrative insightful, let us know by leaving a review or rating! It helps us to know what you're enjoying and brings the podcast to other listeners, meaning you'rehelping equip your neighbors to understand today's hottest cultural and political topics. So, thank you!

🔎 About The Narrative

The Narrative breaks away from the script to cut through the typical media narratives and helps you understand the root causes of today’s culture and political controversies.

Join Center for Christian Virtue (CCV) President Aaron Baer, Policy Director David Mahan, Communications Director Mike Andrews, and world-renowned experts as they dissect current issues and events from multiple angles and viewpoints, equipping you to be a critical thinker on some of the hottest topics today.

This week, Aaron, David, and Mike dig into the <a href="https://familystructureindex.org/">2026 Family Structure Index</a>, which reveals our state has dropped from #29 to #30 in the US for family stability. This is an economic and safety crisis for our families that no government program can fix, but the Church is uniquely equipped to address. The guys also shed light on the new parasite that Ohio is inviting into our communities through predatory sports gambling apps. They discuss the recent press conference at the Ohio Statehouse, where CCV stood alongside a coalition of lawmakers, public health experts, and former athletes to announce a major overhaul of Ohio&rsquo;s sports betting laws: <a href="https://www.ccv.org/news/we-really-do-get-death-threats-time-to-draw-the-line-against-sports-betting-abuse?fbclid=IwY2xjawRF_dNleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFWczg2UHU5NEVDR08ySklzc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHka4TzUcBHze34nxLKTOT0dqWNl0CzX8U4N3bV2mOSxTsJgBMgMFUxyXNZY1_aem_s7pvI5tjnO5s5n9kpa_F0A">The Save Ohio Sports Act</a>.
After the news, David and Mike are joined by Dr. Mark David Hall, Professor in Regent University&rsquo;s Robertson School of Government. Hall demolishes the secular myths surrounding America&rsquo;s founding and unmasks the truth: our nation was built on the objective reality of human sin and the necessity of biblical justice. This conversation empowers every believer to reject the godless Utopianism of the Left and stand firmly on our Christian heritage.
Tune in now or queue up your commute podcast!
More about Mark David Hall
Mark David Hall is a Professor in Regent University&rsquo;s Robertson School of Government and Director of <a href="https://religiouslibertyinthestates.com/">Religious Liberty in the States</a>.&nbsp; He earned a BA in political science from Wheaton College and a PhD in government from the University of Virginia.&nbsp; He has written, edited, or co-edited fifteen books, including Did America Have a Christian Founding? Separating Modern Myth from Historical Truth.
📢 Talk to Us
We want to hear from you! As a valued listener,&nbsp;your feedback is critical&nbsp;for us to keep&nbsp;The Narrative&nbsp;insightful, relevant, and helpful. If you have a particular guest, topic, or question you'd like us to cover, let us know!&nbsp;We&rsquo;ll answer your questions on an &ldquo;Ask Us Anything&rdquo; episode later, so send in your questions now.
👉&nbsp; Leave us a&nbsp;voicemail&nbsp;or&nbsp;text&nbsp;at&nbsp;<a href="tel:614-769-7077">614-769-7077.</a>
👉&nbsp; Email&nbsp;us at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:thenarrative@ccv.org">thenarrative@ccv.org.</a>
To learn more about Center for Christian Virtue and to get involved, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ccv.org/join">CCV.org.</a>
⭐️ How are we doing?
If you've found any episode of&nbsp;The Narrative&nbsp;insightful, let us know by leaving a review or rating! It helps us to know what you're enjoying&nbsp;and&nbsp;brings the podcast to other listeners, meaning&nbsp;you'rehelping equip your neighbors&nbsp;to understand today's hottest cultural and political topics. So, thank you!
🔎 About&nbsp;The Narrative
The&nbsp;Narrative&nbsp;breaks away from the script to cut through the typical media narratives and helps you understand the root causes of today&rsquo;s culture and political controversies.
Join Center for Christian Virtue (CCV) President Aaron Baer, Policy Director David Mahan, Communications Director Mike Andrews, and world-renowned experts as they dissect current issues and events from multiple angles and viewpoints, equipping you to be a critical thinker on some of the hottest topics today.

Volume 5 Coming Soon...

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