I thank you for your time, and thoughtful post. My reply, for now, is brief, but I want you to know that we agree on many points, but maybe think differently about how they can/should be implemented/acheived.
“It is not those promoting moral absolutes who want Big Government.”
It’s not those *promoting* moral absolutes that are in the wrong, it’s those who are LEGISLATING SOME things that are none of their business. While I am feverently against many sinful behaviors, for example, the pornography store in your town, I am all for STATES being able to exercise the authority afforded for them by their own constitutions, within the scope of their powers. Democracy is inherently short lived, violent, and anti freedom as soon as living, breathing people are involved.
It is the overstepping of boundaries which allows/has allowed the decay we currently have. As you noted:
“For instance, the entire gamut of the homosexual agenda, the sex-positive movement which has been very influential in the form of sex-ed in schools, Planned Parenthood, and so on. How many parents are opposed to the crass and extreme immorality that is being taught in schools?”
Each and every one of those issues has come about becayse government at all levels was allowed to overstep it’s constitution/proper bounds, caused by an apathetic majority, and a vocal, agenda-pushing minority (on many issues). The answer is not, in my opinion, to get a vocal counter minority (however moral their posture) and get their agenda pushed either, but keep parent’s in charge of their children’s education (whether themselves directly, ie. homeschooling, or involved in the public schooling process), and people/adults in charge of, and responsible for, their behavior.
The situation is that the FedGov is now more or less a totalitarian entity forcing lefitst crap down everyone’s throat. They are the enforcing arm of leftists.
The solution is more states’ rights, without being crippled by junk SCOTUS decisions or unconstitutional federal legislation or agencies, rules, laws, regulations and so forth.
You bring up pornography. The FedGov has forced pornography on eveyrone and no one can prevent or stop it from being sold in their state, county or town.
So what is the solution? Regular Libertarians think that no level of government should set any curbs any social or moral evil. The Constitutional solution is to wipe away much of the legislation including Federal agencies etc that have accumulated for about 3 generaions and get back to Constiutionally mandated powers.
But this is not the Libertarian philosophy at all.