[OrthodoxPresbyterian]

This fairly describes Burkean conservatism or so-called social conservatism. It is conservatism's living soul without which conservatism is a dead body, a money-grubbing atomistic exercise in moral relativism. It is also the core life and power that animates our Great Constitution and makes freedom possible within its ambit of governance. As John Adams said, "Our Constitution was made for a moral and a religious people. It is wholly unsuited to any other."

And yet, this is exactly the disconnect between ancient British Burkean Conservatism and modern American "Social Conservatism", which owes far more to the Progressive-Prohibitionist alliance of the early 20th Century -- a "secularized post-millenial" attempt to build God's Kingdom on earth through the Agency of the State, culminating in the frankly-hilarious folly of the 18th Amendment and "Prohibition", with its attendant redefinition of Christianity as the hand-maiden of Caesar.

Burkean Conservatism regards a Moral Society as the logical antecedent to Limited Government in the context of a Free Society, not as the logical consequent. In fact, a Moral Society CANNOT be the logical consequent of State Action, for (in and of itself) the State enforcement of "Outward Morality" upon an apostate populace can never generate inward righteousness, it can only generate outward hypocrisy -- which is, itself, a Sin against God.

Thus the modern American "Social Conservative" -- the bastard-child of early 20th-Century Progressivism and Prohibitionism -- looks to State Action to enforce "outward morality", and only manages to compound Sin upon Sin: adding the Sin of Outward Hypocrisy to the Sin of Inward Apostasy.

If we were to be Burkean Conservatives, we would profoundly reject the modern "American Social Conservative" habit of looking to State Action for the artificial enforcement of Outward Morality, and instead recognize that Moral Society is the logical antecedent of Limited Government in the context of a Free Society...

...And recognizing that the Church of Jesus Christ, as the primary institutional conduit of the Holy Spirit's action upon Men and Nations in history, we would instead look to the Church, the Church alone, and nothing but the Church as the principal Means of Grace for the institution of a Moral Society amongst Men.

Not the State. The State can, if the Church provides a Moral Society, institute Limited Government in the context of a Free Society. But the State cannot create a Moral Society without the Church -- Without the Church, the State can only enforce outward hypocrisy upon Apostates, compounding Sin upon Sin.

The Church, and the Church, and the Church. Without the Church, the State cannot "create" Morality. She can only enforce Hypocrisy -- i.e., she can only create More Sin.

Conservatism must begin at The Church.

[happygrl]

Conservatism must begin at The Church.

Very, very well said.

[B Knotts]

Conservatism must begin at The Church.

Frankly, I don't know why so many "conservatives" cannot grasp this simple truth.

[x]

But Burke's England had a state church -- Anglicanism. The Presbyterian church was established in Scotland. Wales and Ireland had their own state-financed churches subject to royal appointment, though it was the wrong church (Anglican) from the point of view of most of the inhabitants.

Thus the state was seen as sharing responsibility for morality with the established national church. The subsequent development of conservatism in England was very influenced by this fact.

The American tradition developed differently, but that is because of Jefferson, Madison and others who fought for church disestablishment (ca. 1777-1833). Our experiment has worked admirably so far, but from the point of view of history -- perhaps even Orthodox Presbyterian history -- it is very much an innovation.

[rdb3]

O-Peezy! Where you been, dude?

[MrLeRoy]

the modern American "Social Conservative" -- the bastard-child of early 20th-Century Progressivism and Prohibitionism -- looks to State Action to enforce "outward morality", and only manages to compound Sin upon Sin: adding the Sin of Outward Hypocrisy to the Sin of Inward Apostasy.

If we were to be Burkean Conservatives, we would profoundly reject the modern "American Social Conservative" habit of looking to State Action for the artificial enforcement of Outward Morality, and instead recognize that Moral Society is the logical antecedent of Limited Government in the context of a Free Society...

OUTSTANDING post!

[Pyro7480]

AMEN to that, from a Catholic fellow traveler.