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To: joe fonebone

Possibly I’m not framing MY argument correctly.

The Constitution and Bill of Rights do not “give” us rights, BTW. They enumerate pre-existing rights, which I’m sure you knew. :)

Theft, murder, rape, assault, fraud, and you name it are all illegal because we believe them to be wrong (immoral) and therefore passed laws to prohibit them.

It is bizarre to look back to the Founders as opposed to laws legislating morality (including sexual morality) when such laws were MUCH more prevalent then than now. Adultery, homosexuality, obscenity, blasphemy, etc., etc. were all illegal in their time and enthusiastically punished. I am not aware of any statements by any of the Founders, with possible exception of Tom Paine, that these laws should be eliminated.

“you have your own set of morals, and feel that these morals should be applied to everyone”

Nope. I have certain moral beliefs that I think should be applied to all. Murder, theft, rape, assault, fraud, abortion, slavery are morally wrong and should be prohibited. Other right/wrong (morality) opinions I apply to my own life, as best I imperfectly can, but don’t think are appropriate for the State to impose by force.

BTW, I think it is Adams who said something about the country requiring a moral people.


101 posted on 04/07/2010 6:36:59 AM PDT by Sherman Logan
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To: Sherman Logan
"Nope. I have certain moral beliefs that I think should be applied to all. Murder, theft, rape, assault, fraud, abortion, slavery are morally wrong and should be prohibited. "
You are incorrect in your definition. These are all civil rights issues as I have stated several times already. The reason we need a moral people is that regulating morality is the road to totaltarianism, and as such needs to be avoided at all costs. The main roadblock here ( and this is the main argument ) is defining what is morality and what is a civil right. The constitution tells us what civil rights we have. Anything, and I mean anything, that places our civil rights in jeopardy needs to be regulated by the laws of our land. If it is not a civil rights issue, then the government has no business being involved in it. That is why a moral people are needed to keep this republic that was founded centuries ago.
120 posted on 04/07/2010 6:51:04 AM PDT by joe fonebone (They will get my Fishing Rod when they pry it from my cold dead fingers)
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