Those dots don't connect. Libertarianism is the push for the smallest possible government with the least possible amount of power over people's right to personal business and contract. Libertarian critics point to the necessity of a certain level of government power for infrastructure and defense needs, but there is certainly no connection with socialism in any libertarian criticism - the two political philosophies are headed in diametrically opposite directions.
As for the requirement that conservative Christianity be the necessary basis for political Conservatism - even during the Founder's day, when the vast majority of religious affiliation was overwhelmingly Christian, the differences between churches and sects was often virulently argued over the accuracy of each one's fundamental truth, each truly believing the others were bound for hell, and that laws should be made to support their position. And in those days, the moral issue that was tearing churches apart in the name of "God versus political expediency" was not gays, but that of SLAVERY - so much so, that the Constitution was nearly not created over the vitriolic differences of religious, moral and political opinion.
For these reasons, the Founders based the Constitution on the immortal foundation of negative rights, and the People over the government, rather than specifying which Christian affiliation should be regarded as the backbone of the country (and the fact that that such a brilliantly Solomonic solution is ANCHORED in the Judeo-Christian religious teachings of Western Civilization IS MY POINT). The 1st Amendment, as a matter of fact, was created precisely to protect this ongoing argument between religions (and Jews and Hindus were also acknowledged as religions in that day, so the intent was not to limit it to Christians alone).
This thread has turned Freeper against Freeper, and it is a direct result of CPAC enabling the infiltration of a major conservative organization by GOProud - a gay activist group. If Freepers could take a breather, they'd see that such destructive infighting - and NOT the belief that gay activism will be accepted by conservatives - WAS GOProud's GOAL!
Such infiltration WILL CONTINUE AS LONG AS IT WORKS. That's why I believe that focus on original Constitutional principles is the only effective way to fight this kind of POLITICAL sabotage under the GUISE of Christian-baiting by gays - and I believe the Founder's would agree, because it's literally how THEY handled it effectively enough to hold together and form the country.
>Libertarian critics point to the necessity of a certain level of government power for infrastructure and defense needs, but there is certainly no connection with socialism in any libertarian criticism - the two political philosophies are headed in diametrically opposite directions.<
If souls are not sufficiently controlled from within, they will inevitably controlled from without. It is a charter of the born again church to effect the former, by both bring souls to yield to the Spirit of Christ, and indirectly by influencing the formation of conscience, while to the State is given the sword of men, without which is really is powerless. The two work together, but the former is not to employ the means of the latter, nor may the State require formal adherence to one religion.
As even the Unitarian (which were then not so liberal) “Father of the Common School,” Horace Mann stated, “it may not be easy theoretically, to draw the line between those views of religious truth and of Christian faith which is common to all, and may, therefore, with propriety be inculcated in schools, and those which, being peculiar to individual sects, are therefore by law excluded; still it is believed that no practical difficulty occurs in the conduct of our schools in this regard.” (Stephen V. Monsma, J. Christopher Soper, “The Challenge of Pluralism: Church and State in Five Democracies”, The Unites States, cp. 2, p. 21)
It is impossible for the State to not enforce general moral beliefs, but in a democracy the people effectively decide what that shall be, whether the morality of general Christian (esp. evangelical) faith which America reflected (and which supports separation of powers), and its basic interpretive grid, or that which allows the Constitution to be silly putty, among other things.
In short, unless one wants anarchy, smaller government requires a strong evangelical church, not an institutionalized form which promote liberalism. http://peacebyjesus.witnesstoday.org/RevealingStatistics.html#Sec4