Showing posts with label socialism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label socialism. Show all posts
Friday, November 18, 2011
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Ever have any doubts about greed and capitalism? - Must Watch!
In his book "Capitalism and Freedom" (1962) Milton Friedman (1912-2006) advocated minimizing the role of government in a free market as a means of creating political and social freedom.
An excerpt from an interview with Phil Donahue in 1979. (Still rings true today!)
An excerpt from an interview with Phil Donahue in 1979. (Still rings true today!)
Thursday, November 3, 2011
The Occupy Protestors could learn a few lessons from my kids.
by R. Murdock
As I was watching the news and seeing the video footage of the unrest going on around the country and specifically in Oakland, something seemed vaguely familiar about the protestor’s behavior. Then it hit me. They reminded me of my kids! At first I sympathized with their movement and even empathized with them. But as the protests have dragged on without any specific goals, and as they’ve become violent and destructive, I have no more sympathy for them. They are a bunch of adults throwing a group tantrum. If they lived in my home, these are the lessons I would teach the so called 99%.Lesson 1: My two-year old has recently entered the notorious tantrum stage, or terrible twos. She is perfectly happy as long as she can eat candy all day long and watch Dora. But if I take away the candy or turn off the TV, she throws a huge tantrum and is nearly inconsolable. But I don’t get too upset. After all, she’s only two, and after awhile she’ll learn that We don’t throw tantrums when we don’t get our way.
Lesson 2: I also have a six and eight year-old who get extremely upset anytime one gets to do something that the other doesn’t. Whenever they eat, they assess their portion sizes or count every sliced piece of fruit to make sure that they have an equal amount. If they discover that the other person has more than them, a big whine fest ensues about how life isn’t fair. How do I respond? With the same answer my mom gave me when I was a kid:
“Who said life is fair?”.
I hated that answer when I got it, and my kids don’t like it either. But I’ve tried to teach them that throughout their entire life, they will constantly see people who have more of something than they do. It may not seem fair. But life isn’t meant to be that way. The sooner they accept that, the less disappointing their life will be.
Lesson 3: My eight year-old son loves to earn money. He’s constantly looking for jobs around the house to earn a quarter here and there. We’ve tried to teach our kids the value of hard work and entrepreneurship, and he’s the child that seems to fully embrace those concepts. By working hard and saving, as well as coming up with various “business ideas” to sell things to kids in the neighborhood, he normally has a fair amount of change on hand to buy the things he wants.
This doesn’t make his little sister very happy. In fact, she thinks it’s just not fair that he has money to spend when she doesn’t. She wants me to just give her money. But whenever I ask her to do a chore, she refuses. She doesn’t normally look for opportunities to make money like he does. She would rather play dress-ups and Barbies than spend the day folding laundry, scrubbing the bathroom or washing the dishes. And who can blame her? She is only six after all! Since she normally doesn’t have any change on hand to spend I explain to her that If you aren't willing to do the work (any work), you are not going to get paid.
I’m assuming that these Occupy protestors were taught similar lessons in their own homes. By now, they are all old enough to have learned that we don’t throw tantrums when we don’t get our way. Life isn’t fair. If we want money, we need to be willing to work for it. And another important lesson: we shouldn’t covet what someone else has.
I know that 14 million people are out of work in this country. In fact, my husband lost his job when the economy came crashing down, too. We almost went bankrupt and lost our house. But we avoided our own financial meltdown by renting our house out, moving into my parent’s basement, starting a business and working every random job we could find. We could be out there with those protestors with signs that read, “Death to Capitalism” and “We’re part of the 99%” But we don’t give our power away that easily. My husband has a degree, a lot of experience and has worked in management. But when he could only find a job that paid $10 an hour, he took it. It was not enough for us to even barely scrape by. So we started a business. In the last three years since losing his job, we’ve managed to keep our house, avoid bankruptcy, pay off over $30k in debt and provide employment to other people. Those things would never have happened for us had we pointed the finger of blame at others rather than work towards a solution.
Are we mad at capitalism for putting us in that position? NO! Capitalism saved us. It provided the opportunity for us to recover. We don’t have time to protest and whine about life not being fair. We are too busy working, providing jobs, paying off our debts and trying not to be a burden on society.
To these protestors I’d say: instead participating in a massive group tantrum by causing civil unrest, rioting, putting police officers’ lives in danger, destroying property and setting fires-they should be taking control of their lives. They should be using capitalism to their own advantage; to improve their own situation, whatever it may be. Government can’t create jobs. Yet, if these 14 million unemployed people tried to start their own businesses, surely a good percentage of them could succeed. It is totally possible.
We are not wealthy. We are not part of the so-called 1% and we still live in my parent’s basement. But I don’t covet what the rich have. I didn’t earn their riches. They did. I didn’t sacrifice, take risks and put in the hard work to get where they are. But you know what? I’m willing to do what it takes to get myself in a better place. And after all that we have sacrificed to pay off debt, build our business and create wealth, I would sure as heck not want any of the 99% saying they want an “equal share” of my hard earned money. If they want it, they need to go out there and be builders, not wreckers.Monday, September 19, 2011
How a Socialist became a Conservative
By R. Murdock
I consider myself a very religious person. Recently as I’ve studied the scriptures with renewed interest, certain topics and passages have continually jumped out at me. Those are succoring the poor and needy, and the importance of liberty. These topics may not seem to have much in common. But through studying these areas, I have gained a greater understanding of the importance of free will, and the charge we have been given to care for those in need.
I never thought that Religion and Politics had much to do with each other. In fact, they seem to clash frequently. But through understanding some of my religious beliefs, I have restructured some of my political leanings. This has occurred by studying the founding principals of our country, and the fact that God fearing people firmly believe in the principle of "Free Will."
In the news today, we hear a lot about bank and company bailouts, increased taxation of the wealthy, budget deficits, social welfare, nationalized health insurance and so on. Our country is deeply divided over social and economic issues. I’ve always tried to understand where people of opposing opinions are coming from. If we can first understand that most people hold firmly to their differing viewpoints because they believe it is morally right, then perhaps we wouldn’t judge each other so harshly. We all come from different backgrounds and have had different experiences-- which shape our individual worldviews. We need to respect each other and learn to carry on constructive conversation about our opposing viewpoints.
I live in one of the most conservative states in the country. I was raised Republican but have always based my political viewpoints and decisions based on what I personally believed about certain issues, and not strictly on the GOP platform.
However, I must confess-- my views have been more in line with socialist thinking. As friends and family have passionately expressed to me their fears that our country is slipping into socialism, I’ve shrugged my shoulders wondering inwardly what was so bad about that? I didn’t know exactly what all socialism entailed, but if it meant helping the poor and needy at the expense of the wealthy, I was all for that!
I grew up in an environment where there was constant financial pressure. There were times when there was not enough food to eat. The phone line, electricity and water were shut off all too often. We’d run out of toilet paper and not be able to afford more until the next paycheck. This was a huge inconvenience!
We struggled. Yet both of my parents are some of the hardest working people I know. Despite having eight children of their own, they were always taking people in who needed a place to stay. This didn’t help their financial situation, but they take seriously the charge to care for the needy, widowed, orphaned and sick. They have shown true charity as they have given even when it seemed like that had nothing to give.
There were times growing up when we had to seek help from our church. We also were on food stamps and Medicaid. If it weren’t for Medicaid, my little sister would have died due to chronic illness that required very expensive treatment. Never during these times of assistance were my parents NOT working. In fact, during the worst period of financial stress, my father was working 3 jobs while my mother ran a daycare out of our home.
Needless to say, I bristle when I hear people verbally bash those in need of government assistance. While I admit that I’m sure there are some people who take advantage of social welfare programs, there are plenty who are hard working Americans who have simply fallen on hard times. These people have worked hard, paid their taxes, and through no fault of their own, find themselves in situations where they require help. It is humiliating for them to seek that help, but when you have hungry, uninsured children; what do you do? I’m grateful that those programs were available to us. Since that time, I am positive my father has more than paid back the welfare he received through payment of his taxes.
Growing up in a family where the lack of money was a constant source of stress and worry, it was hard not to envy those who seemed to have so much more. The worldwide gap between the ultra wealthy and the poor is enormous. Yet aren’t we all children of God? He created this earth for all of us, yet a few end up with most of its riches. I thought this was incredibly unfair. Especially when those with great wealth seemed to squander it on houses, boats, cars, jewelry and an excess of materialism, while other people in the world were starving.
The idea of taxing the rich to give to the poor just made sense. If the rich were going to be selfish and hoard all the wealth, they deserved to have some of it taken away in order to help those who had very little.
During recent political discussions, I have heard many conservatives rant and rave about the injustice of wealth redistribution. They complained about socialism creeping into our government and a new era of rewarding irresponsibility. During these tirades (See Fox News) they berate, insult and belittle the poor and the needy calling them “lazy” and “losers.”
The scriptures are perfectly clear when it comes to helping the poor and needy. One prophet taught:
“Ye yourselves will succor those that stand in need of your succor; ye will administer of your substance unto him that standeth in need; and ye will not suffer that the beggar putteth up his petition to you in vain, and turn him out to perish. Perhaps thou shalt say: The man has brought upon himself his misery; therefore I will stay my hand, and will not give unto him of my food, nor impart unto him of my substance that he may not suffer for his punishments are just-”
“And if ye judge the man who putteth up his petition to you for your substance that he perish not, and condemn him, how much more just will be your condemnation for withholding your substance, which doth not belong to you but to God.”
Another prophet taught that people should impart of their substance according to that which he had. And if they had more abundantly they should impart more abundantly.
But there was a verse that I had never noticed before in my studies that really caught me off guard. It said: “And thus they should impart of their substance of their own free will…”
Now I apologize to those who so desperately tried to explain this to me. The point that people were trying to make was that it isn’t right for the government to FORCE people to help the poor. I heard the “force” statement, but what spoke louder to me was the anti social welfare sentiment. I wasn’t making the connection that forcing people to do anything, is against God’s nature.
I know that the scriptures teach the importance of free will, but I didn’t see the harm in taxing the rich to help the poor. After all, the rich would still be rich. And none of it belonged to them anyway, right? Everything belongs to God…BUT, if we are taught not to steal, then property rights must mean something to God after all.
It sounded perfectly reasonable to me that those who have plenty should give to those who have little. Why should one man be hungry when another has plenty to share? Even better, if he refuses to share, which he probably will, just take it away from him and give it to the poor man. Let everyone be equal, and let those who have more, pay their Fair Share.
The problem is that government is trying to force people to do good.
So now I understand the foundation of the argument against socialism, against government welfare, against excess taxing and spending. But yet I have benefited from government programs. How do I reconcile this? What would people do if these programs did not exist? Isn’t a little socialism okay?
Ezra Taft Benson answered this question in an article published in 1968 titled “The Proper Role of Government.” He stated:
“In reply to the argument that a little bit of socialism is good so long as it doesn’t go too far, it is tempting to say that, in like fashion, just a little bit of theft or a little bit of cancer is all right, too! History proves that the growth of the welfare state is difficult to check before it comes to its full flower of dictatorship. But let us hope that this time around, the trend can be reversed. If not then we will see the inevitability of complete socialism, probably within our lifetime.”
Socialism leads to communism. And once we enter that door, it is easy to keep sliding down the path-- giving up one freedom at a time. In recent years we have sacrificed our freedom and privacy for the benefit of our safety and security from terrorists. Now we are sacrificing freedom for the benefit of our economic security. After so many fought and died to gain our independence and freedom, we are gradually trading our birthright for a bowl of pottage.
A big part of the problem is that if we don’t appreciate and value what we don’t understand, then like Esau, we’ll easily trade it away for the hopes of something better or more immediately rewarding, not realizing that the thing we gave away was more precious than all the safety and security in the world.
In 1950, Mark E. Peterson said about the Constitution:
“Nobody is going to risk very much to save an instrument which he does not understand, nor is he going to jeopardize his life or property to preserve principles he does not accept.”
I am actively studying daily, the principles of the founding fathers and the rights given to us in the Constitution. It has been an extremely rewarding experience to learn about the men who established our nation. Most Americans know very little about these great men. I have heard it argued that the founding fathers are irrelevant to our times because they presided over a nation that was significantly smaller, existed mainly on the east coast, and had completely different challenges and circumstances. These people fail to appreciate that if it weren’t for the divinely inspired constitution, they wouldn’t enjoy the rights and freedoms they have today, nor would they be living in the most prosperous nation in the world.
I would challenge everyone to study the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence and history of the founding of our nation. We can’t appreciate something we have no knowledge about.
If a communist country attacked us for the purpose of taking over our country and gaining power and authority over us, you can bet every American would stand ready to defend their country, families, liberty and freedom. But we're more likely to lose our freedoms in more subtle ways.
A few become convinced that they are doing mankind a great service by providing for the poor and essentially taking care of all temporal needs, by increasing taxes and creating government programs. With the power of the government, they can compel, force, and coerce people to take care of the poor.
Much has been said about the Tea Party movement. I've heard them called racist and angry. I can understand their anger when they see subtle government decisions that put us on the slippery slope to socialism. But I would caution them to be careful where they direct their anger. Do not heap the blame on the poor. Do not fling insults and ridicule at those who are working hard to support their families but still come up short. This kind of attitude does nothing to further their cause. In fact, it makes it easier for people to justify in their minds that they are absolutely correct…the rich won’t help the poor, so they must be forced.
Others become so fearful of the path they see us on that they over reach and talk about over throwing the government or seceding from the union (Rick Perry.) This goes against all reason and against the mandate of God. We are “One nation under God.” Those who wish to destroy the nation instead of seeking out positive ways to educate people about basic liberties are just as bad as those who would lead us to communism and just as dangerous.
There are so many good people throughout this nation. Despite our weaknesses, we are better than we give ourselves credit for. I know of many good families who are wealthy and give generously to those in need. They are shining examples of what Jesus Christ taught and how he wants us to live. If enough people with means did all they could to take care of the poor among them, what need would we have for government programs and social welfare?
It all comes down to freedom. Are we being forced, or do we get to choose?
Do we have any choice in big bank bailouts? No. They are using our tax dollars to bail out these companies. And if we don’t pay our taxes, we go to jail. That’s force. What about Universal health care? In theory it sounds good. Everyone gets health insurance. But who pays for it? Our tax dollars-- which all are compelled to pay.
Ezra Taft Benson gave a great example in his article on “The Proper Role of Government.” His argument is that the government cannot have a power that a single individual couldn’t have. People created and empowered the government. So any powers the government has can only come from the people.
“Suppose pioneer “A” wants another horse for his wagon, He doesn’t have the money to buy one, but since pioneer “B” has an extra horse, he decides that he is entitled to share in his neighbor’s good fortune, Is he entitled to take his neighbor’s horse? Obviously not! If his neighbor wishes to give it or lend it, that is another question. But so long as pioneer “B” wishes to keep his property, pioneer "A" has no just claim to it.
If “A” has no proper power to take “B’s” property, can he delegate any such power to the sheriff? No. Even if everyone in the community desires that “B” give his extra horse to “A”, they have no right individually or collectively to force him to do it. They cannot delegate a power they themselves do not have. This important principle was clearly understood and explained by John Locke nearly 300 years ago:
“For nobody can transfer to another more power than he has in himself, and nobody has an absolute arbitrary power over himself, or over any other, to destroy his own life, or take away the life of property of another.” (Two Treatises of Civil Government, II, 135; P.P.N.S. p. 93)
In regards to social issues: Does the government have a right to say who can or can’t marry? No. People have the right to pursue whatever course brings them happiness. But as we’ve seen by example in states that have legalized same-sex marriage, if a pastor, priest or bishop refuses to perform such marriages that have now been deemed legal, then they are breaking the law. So in essence they can be forced to do something they believe to be morally wrong.
As Thomas Jefferson spent 17 days working on the rough draft of the Declaration of Independence, he struggled tirelessly to include a least eight of the “ancient principles” he had come to admire. Among these principles he held to was the following:
“Among the most important of the unalienable rights are the right to life, the right to liberty, and the right to pursue whatever course of life a person may desire in search of happiness, so long as it does not invade the inherent rights of others.”
People have the right to live their lives in ways others may find to be morally wrong. But that is their right. However, once their rights invade the inherent rights of others, that is unconstitutional. A person could not force another person to perform a marriage they feel is morally wrong. The government certainly has no right to do so either!
The same goes for abortion. Yes a mother has a right to do whatever she wants with her body. However, when her rights infringe on another human being, namely the unborn baby, then her rights end.
We live in the greatest nation on earth. God has actively preserved this land as a place of freedom and liberty. We must be active participants in preserving that liberty, especially as it is threatened on every hand with obvious brutal attack--and more subtle and crafty worldly reasonings that are formed for the express purpose of destroying our freedoms one by one. We must study the constitution so we understand what our rights are. We must be active in our communities and not stand by the side in hopes that someone else will take up the banner of freedom for us.
I’ve always loved my country. But I grow to love her more everyday. I have a greater appreciation for those who sacrificed their lives for the freedom I enjoy. Let us not dishonor their sacrifice by letting these rights slip away because we think we can get something better in return. My generation has not held the same passion and fervor for this great nation as that of my parents and grandparents. But I see that changing. I see people my age becoming aware of what is happening, and striving to educate themselves. Let us all take up the banner of liberty and preserve this great country that God has blessed us with and never take for granted these sacred freedoms and liberties.
Sources
Kimber, Glenn J., and Julianne S. Kimber. America In History and Prophecy
God-Family-Country Publishing, 2007.
Benson, Ezra Taft. “The Proper Role of Government” http://www.libertythroughcapitalism.com
I consider myself a very religious person. Recently as I’ve studied the scriptures with renewed interest, certain topics and passages have continually jumped out at me. Those are succoring the poor and needy, and the importance of liberty. These topics may not seem to have much in common. But through studying these areas, I have gained a greater understanding of the importance of free will, and the charge we have been given to care for those in need.
I never thought that Religion and Politics had much to do with each other. In fact, they seem to clash frequently. But through understanding some of my religious beliefs, I have restructured some of my political leanings. This has occurred by studying the founding principals of our country, and the fact that God fearing people firmly believe in the principle of "Free Will."
In the news today, we hear a lot about bank and company bailouts, increased taxation of the wealthy, budget deficits, social welfare, nationalized health insurance and so on. Our country is deeply divided over social and economic issues. I’ve always tried to understand where people of opposing opinions are coming from. If we can first understand that most people hold firmly to their differing viewpoints because they believe it is morally right, then perhaps we wouldn’t judge each other so harshly. We all come from different backgrounds and have had different experiences-- which shape our individual worldviews. We need to respect each other and learn to carry on constructive conversation about our opposing viewpoints.
I live in one of the most conservative states in the country. I was raised Republican but have always based my political viewpoints and decisions based on what I personally believed about certain issues, and not strictly on the GOP platform.
However, I must confess-- my views have been more in line with socialist thinking. As friends and family have passionately expressed to me their fears that our country is slipping into socialism, I’ve shrugged my shoulders wondering inwardly what was so bad about that? I didn’t know exactly what all socialism entailed, but if it meant helping the poor and needy at the expense of the wealthy, I was all for that!
I grew up in an environment where there was constant financial pressure. There were times when there was not enough food to eat. The phone line, electricity and water were shut off all too often. We’d run out of toilet paper and not be able to afford more until the next paycheck. This was a huge inconvenience!
We struggled. Yet both of my parents are some of the hardest working people I know. Despite having eight children of their own, they were always taking people in who needed a place to stay. This didn’t help their financial situation, but they take seriously the charge to care for the needy, widowed, orphaned and sick. They have shown true charity as they have given even when it seemed like that had nothing to give.
There were times growing up when we had to seek help from our church. We also were on food stamps and Medicaid. If it weren’t for Medicaid, my little sister would have died due to chronic illness that required very expensive treatment. Never during these times of assistance were my parents NOT working. In fact, during the worst period of financial stress, my father was working 3 jobs while my mother ran a daycare out of our home.
Needless to say, I bristle when I hear people verbally bash those in need of government assistance. While I admit that I’m sure there are some people who take advantage of social welfare programs, there are plenty who are hard working Americans who have simply fallen on hard times. These people have worked hard, paid their taxes, and through no fault of their own, find themselves in situations where they require help. It is humiliating for them to seek that help, but when you have hungry, uninsured children; what do you do? I’m grateful that those programs were available to us. Since that time, I am positive my father has more than paid back the welfare he received through payment of his taxes.
Growing up in a family where the lack of money was a constant source of stress and worry, it was hard not to envy those who seemed to have so much more. The worldwide gap between the ultra wealthy and the poor is enormous. Yet aren’t we all children of God? He created this earth for all of us, yet a few end up with most of its riches. I thought this was incredibly unfair. Especially when those with great wealth seemed to squander it on houses, boats, cars, jewelry and an excess of materialism, while other people in the world were starving.
The idea of taxing the rich to give to the poor just made sense. If the rich were going to be selfish and hoard all the wealth, they deserved to have some of it taken away in order to help those who had very little.
During recent political discussions, I have heard many conservatives rant and rave about the injustice of wealth redistribution. They complained about socialism creeping into our government and a new era of rewarding irresponsibility. During these tirades (See Fox News) they berate, insult and belittle the poor and the needy calling them “lazy” and “losers.”
The scriptures are perfectly clear when it comes to helping the poor and needy. One prophet taught:
“Ye yourselves will succor those that stand in need of your succor; ye will administer of your substance unto him that standeth in need; and ye will not suffer that the beggar putteth up his petition to you in vain, and turn him out to perish. Perhaps thou shalt say: The man has brought upon himself his misery; therefore I will stay my hand, and will not give unto him of my food, nor impart unto him of my substance that he may not suffer for his punishments are just-”
“And if ye judge the man who putteth up his petition to you for your substance that he perish not, and condemn him, how much more just will be your condemnation for withholding your substance, which doth not belong to you but to God.”
Another prophet taught that people should impart of their substance according to that which he had. And if they had more abundantly they should impart more abundantly.
But there was a verse that I had never noticed before in my studies that really caught me off guard. It said: “And thus they should impart of their substance of their own free will…”
Now I apologize to those who so desperately tried to explain this to me. The point that people were trying to make was that it isn’t right for the government to FORCE people to help the poor. I heard the “force” statement, but what spoke louder to me was the anti social welfare sentiment. I wasn’t making the connection that forcing people to do anything, is against God’s nature.
I know that the scriptures teach the importance of free will, but I didn’t see the harm in taxing the rich to help the poor. After all, the rich would still be rich. And none of it belonged to them anyway, right? Everything belongs to God…BUT, if we are taught not to steal, then property rights must mean something to God after all.
It sounded perfectly reasonable to me that those who have plenty should give to those who have little. Why should one man be hungry when another has plenty to share? Even better, if he refuses to share, which he probably will, just take it away from him and give it to the poor man. Let everyone be equal, and let those who have more, pay their Fair Share.
The problem is that government is trying to force people to do good.
So now I understand the foundation of the argument against socialism, against government welfare, against excess taxing and spending. But yet I have benefited from government programs. How do I reconcile this? What would people do if these programs did not exist? Isn’t a little socialism okay?
Ezra Taft Benson answered this question in an article published in 1968 titled “The Proper Role of Government.” He stated:
“In reply to the argument that a little bit of socialism is good so long as it doesn’t go too far, it is tempting to say that, in like fashion, just a little bit of theft or a little bit of cancer is all right, too! History proves that the growth of the welfare state is difficult to check before it comes to its full flower of dictatorship. But let us hope that this time around, the trend can be reversed. If not then we will see the inevitability of complete socialism, probably within our lifetime.”
Socialism leads to communism. And once we enter that door, it is easy to keep sliding down the path-- giving up one freedom at a time. In recent years we have sacrificed our freedom and privacy for the benefit of our safety and security from terrorists. Now we are sacrificing freedom for the benefit of our economic security. After so many fought and died to gain our independence and freedom, we are gradually trading our birthright for a bowl of pottage.
A big part of the problem is that if we don’t appreciate and value what we don’t understand, then like Esau, we’ll easily trade it away for the hopes of something better or more immediately rewarding, not realizing that the thing we gave away was more precious than all the safety and security in the world.
In 1950, Mark E. Peterson said about the Constitution:
“Nobody is going to risk very much to save an instrument which he does not understand, nor is he going to jeopardize his life or property to preserve principles he does not accept.”
I am actively studying daily, the principles of the founding fathers and the rights given to us in the Constitution. It has been an extremely rewarding experience to learn about the men who established our nation. Most Americans know very little about these great men. I have heard it argued that the founding fathers are irrelevant to our times because they presided over a nation that was significantly smaller, existed mainly on the east coast, and had completely different challenges and circumstances. These people fail to appreciate that if it weren’t for the divinely inspired constitution, they wouldn’t enjoy the rights and freedoms they have today, nor would they be living in the most prosperous nation in the world.
I would challenge everyone to study the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence and history of the founding of our nation. We can’t appreciate something we have no knowledge about.
If a communist country attacked us for the purpose of taking over our country and gaining power and authority over us, you can bet every American would stand ready to defend their country, families, liberty and freedom. But we're more likely to lose our freedoms in more subtle ways.
A few become convinced that they are doing mankind a great service by providing for the poor and essentially taking care of all temporal needs, by increasing taxes and creating government programs. With the power of the government, they can compel, force, and coerce people to take care of the poor.
Much has been said about the Tea Party movement. I've heard them called racist and angry. I can understand their anger when they see subtle government decisions that put us on the slippery slope to socialism. But I would caution them to be careful where they direct their anger. Do not heap the blame on the poor. Do not fling insults and ridicule at those who are working hard to support their families but still come up short. This kind of attitude does nothing to further their cause. In fact, it makes it easier for people to justify in their minds that they are absolutely correct…the rich won’t help the poor, so they must be forced.
Others become so fearful of the path they see us on that they over reach and talk about over throwing the government or seceding from the union (Rick Perry.) This goes against all reason and against the mandate of God. We are “One nation under God.” Those who wish to destroy the nation instead of seeking out positive ways to educate people about basic liberties are just as bad as those who would lead us to communism and just as dangerous.
There are so many good people throughout this nation. Despite our weaknesses, we are better than we give ourselves credit for. I know of many good families who are wealthy and give generously to those in need. They are shining examples of what Jesus Christ taught and how he wants us to live. If enough people with means did all they could to take care of the poor among them, what need would we have for government programs and social welfare?
It all comes down to freedom. Are we being forced, or do we get to choose?
Do we have any choice in big bank bailouts? No. They are using our tax dollars to bail out these companies. And if we don’t pay our taxes, we go to jail. That’s force. What about Universal health care? In theory it sounds good. Everyone gets health insurance. But who pays for it? Our tax dollars-- which all are compelled to pay.
Ezra Taft Benson gave a great example in his article on “The Proper Role of Government.” His argument is that the government cannot have a power that a single individual couldn’t have. People created and empowered the government. So any powers the government has can only come from the people.
“Suppose pioneer “A” wants another horse for his wagon, He doesn’t have the money to buy one, but since pioneer “B” has an extra horse, he decides that he is entitled to share in his neighbor’s good fortune, Is he entitled to take his neighbor’s horse? Obviously not! If his neighbor wishes to give it or lend it, that is another question. But so long as pioneer “B” wishes to keep his property, pioneer "A" has no just claim to it.
If “A” has no proper power to take “B’s” property, can he delegate any such power to the sheriff? No. Even if everyone in the community desires that “B” give his extra horse to “A”, they have no right individually or collectively to force him to do it. They cannot delegate a power they themselves do not have. This important principle was clearly understood and explained by John Locke nearly 300 years ago:
“For nobody can transfer to another more power than he has in himself, and nobody has an absolute arbitrary power over himself, or over any other, to destroy his own life, or take away the life of property of another.” (Two Treatises of Civil Government, II, 135; P.P.N.S. p. 93)
In regards to social issues: Does the government have a right to say who can or can’t marry? No. People have the right to pursue whatever course brings them happiness. But as we’ve seen by example in states that have legalized same-sex marriage, if a pastor, priest or bishop refuses to perform such marriages that have now been deemed legal, then they are breaking the law. So in essence they can be forced to do something they believe to be morally wrong.
As Thomas Jefferson spent 17 days working on the rough draft of the Declaration of Independence, he struggled tirelessly to include a least eight of the “ancient principles” he had come to admire. Among these principles he held to was the following:
“Among the most important of the unalienable rights are the right to life, the right to liberty, and the right to pursue whatever course of life a person may desire in search of happiness, so long as it does not invade the inherent rights of others.”
People have the right to live their lives in ways others may find to be morally wrong. But that is their right. However, once their rights invade the inherent rights of others, that is unconstitutional. A person could not force another person to perform a marriage they feel is morally wrong. The government certainly has no right to do so either!
The same goes for abortion. Yes a mother has a right to do whatever she wants with her body. However, when her rights infringe on another human being, namely the unborn baby, then her rights end.
We live in the greatest nation on earth. God has actively preserved this land as a place of freedom and liberty. We must be active participants in preserving that liberty, especially as it is threatened on every hand with obvious brutal attack--and more subtle and crafty worldly reasonings that are formed for the express purpose of destroying our freedoms one by one. We must study the constitution so we understand what our rights are. We must be active in our communities and not stand by the side in hopes that someone else will take up the banner of freedom for us.
I’ve always loved my country. But I grow to love her more everyday. I have a greater appreciation for those who sacrificed their lives for the freedom I enjoy. Let us not dishonor their sacrifice by letting these rights slip away because we think we can get something better in return. My generation has not held the same passion and fervor for this great nation as that of my parents and grandparents. But I see that changing. I see people my age becoming aware of what is happening, and striving to educate themselves. Let us all take up the banner of liberty and preserve this great country that God has blessed us with and never take for granted these sacred freedoms and liberties.
Sources
Kimber, Glenn J., and Julianne S. Kimber. America In History and Prophecy
God-Family-Country Publishing, 2007.
Benson, Ezra Taft. “The Proper Role of Government” http://www.libertythroughcapitalism.com
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