"You are your brothers keeper."
Nice to see you are finally owning up to your socialism.
The article derails right here.
The double negative here can be translated into "the right to the pursuit of happiness means we must have a gov't that makes us do what God commands". You've just attempted to argue for a theocracy.
Bzzzt. Thanks for playing.
LQ
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness."
Whether you say UNalienable or INalienable, understanding the concept of rights you can't give, sell, or trade away is key to understanding Christian freedom.
I searched my copy of the Constitution and it seems the word Christian was omitted.
Personally, I don't want the Sky Pilot's Union advising me on which rights are alienable.
Man. Trying to decide what load of crap to address first was difficult until I realized that since the whole article was based on this flawed premise, the details didn't matter. Consent and morality are two totally different animals. While they may agree at times, often they do not. If you were to state that 'libertarianism holds that consent is the the basis of legality', it might be closer to accurate, but then that makes the rest of the article pointless. Your aticle equates morality with legality. Using the Christian idea of morality (which I personally ascribe to) as a basis for legal code is the definition of a Theocracy.
"For example, God does not command us to have children..."
Wrong!
Genesis 1:28
And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it:...
youve gotta see this
Nonsense.
Hmmm... What's this?
And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
Genesis 1:28
And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.
Genesis 9:1
Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table.
Psalm 128:3
I like the Libertarians' view on some things. Too bad they lean waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too far left for me.
That's a lot of totalitarian, socialist crap to be posted on a forum named Freerepublic. (And theocratic, to boot)
article nomination for philosophy ping list
FAREWELL ADDRESS (1796)
George Washington
Friends and Fellow-Citizens:
".. Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports.
In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness -- these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens.
The mere politician, equally with the pious man, ought to respect and to cherish them. ...
And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion.
Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.
.... In proportion as the structure of a government gives force to public opinion, it is essential that public opinion should be enlightened.
...Though in reviewing the incidents of my Administration I am unconscious of intentional error, I am nevertheless too sensible of my defects not to think it probable that I may have committed many errors. Whatever they may be, I fervently beseech the Almighty to avert or mitigate the evils to which they may tend. ...
Source: J.D. Richardson, ed., Compilation of Messages and Papers of the Presidents, vol.1 (1907), 213.
http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/infousa/facts/democrac/49.htm
"The answer depends on whether using sex in a way that violates God's rules can really increase the welfare of the individuals who engage in that activity"
Interestingly the above is one of the favorite arguments used by left wing gun banners, they always pose the question: "What possible reason is there for anyone to own an 'assault rifle,' or what possible reason is there for an American to own a magazine that holds more that 10 rounds? The Left demands, as does the writer, that we must submit an approved reason as justification for "pursuit of happiness."
We're not living free anymore, time we can't move without using some state sanctioned "reason."
The writer would have us, as Americans, be forced to justify all our actions to the government, based on whether those actions will "increase our welfare!" Not only that, but apparently the government will judge based on the state religion. I can't wait to see the list of approved freedoms we'll have to consult before doing anything.
The fact is that our founding fathers did not intend a system of positive freedom, in which we enjoy only certain freedoms, as specified by the generosity of our rulers, they intended negative freedom, in which we enjoy all liberties not expressly prohibited, within the bounds of our Constitution(s), by our legislatures.
ping
Do you have any differences with the libertarians when it comes to gun issues?
This must be the most well thought out argument for social conservative led goverment in this country that I have ever read. Stand back for a second and look at this treaties and tell me how it is different from a theocracy though. Theocracies don't have to be despotic, totalitarian or even autocratic, but what you propose is a theocracy none the less. That is not what the FFs intended nor should it be that way. While I have no doubt that the framers assumed a religious foundation for federalism to work, they certainly didn't intend for religion to flow from the federal government to the people. They assumed religious belief would flow from the people toward it. That it hasn't worked out that way or hasn't worked out the way many christians intended doesn't give you justification for changing the dynamics the founders intended.