Semantics matter.

My political ideology has changed over time, progressing from religious right to the culmination of conservative thought: classical liberalism.

In America today, the most beautiful of words, liberal, has been transformed to mean something closer to socialism. Therefore, in modern American terminology, I am a libertarian. Not a hedonistic libertarian, only for the legalization of drugs and sodomy, but a devout Christian libertarian.

What does this mean? Well, if it wasn’t for western civilization, and its basis, the Bible, there would not be universal human rights.

Rodney Stark wrote a terrific book on this topic, “The Victory of Reason: How Christianity Led to Freedom, Capitalism, and Western Success.”

Because God gave humans their rights to life, liberty and property, human governments must protect these rights. To me this includes the right of the unborn fetus to life.

Of course, this view emanates from the Christian worldview I hold, but so do the very rights that secular libertarians hold dear. But only because abortion violates the right to life of the unborn should the government regulate it. Once humans are born, they must be free to live and make choices, as long as they do not violate the life, liberty, and/or property rights of others.

This would include the right to civil marriage benefits for gays and lesbians, even though this could be argued to be contrary to a Christian worldview.

Of course, there is a need for laws which produce ordered liberty, but most laws created by the socialist majorities the last 70 years go beyond this. Any legislation with the intent to redistribute the wealth or property of one to another amounts to legalized theft.

The Constitution is supposed to prevent this kind of abuse. Article I, Section 8 limits the Federal Congress, the only true federal lawmaking body, to a set number of enumerated powers, with an enabling clause to do all that is necessary and proper to fulfill those powers. This clause has been interpreted to mean that Congress can do anything they see fit, unfortunately, leading to a massive growth of government.

It has been said that morality shouldn’t be forced on others. This is in one sense true and in one sense false.

The morality of human rights is something which must be respected by all, and subsequently, forced on some (i.e. slavery).

However, the morality of stealing one person’s wealth to alleviate another’s poverty is also forced (i.e. taxes and the welfare state). Compulsory charity is a contradiction in terms.

It has also been said that God is not a Republican or a Democrat. This is because God seems much more like a Libertarian. According to the Bible, His first act after creation was to give humans the right to choose Him. Thus, even God recognizes that virtue can only be virtue if freely chosen.

My prayer is that the country would return to the classical liberalism of the Founding Fathers, and the government would again limit itself to protecting the life, liberty, and property of its citizens.

Amen.