A Précis

Alright, here goes:

1)                 I'm in favor of capital punishment for (some) murderers.

2)                  I believe that in general government should be limited to doing what only government can do.

3)                 This includes a drastic reduction in government welfare to the poor, since I believe that in general it should be handled by the A) individuals and B) then the church when A) falls short.

4)                  I believe that the main purpose of government is to enforce laws, keep the peace, and protect its citizens from enemies foreign and domestic.

5)                  I believe that abortion should be illegal except in the case where the mother's life is threatened. No, that does not include rape or incest. I believe in capital punishment for murder, and the unborn child is not guilty for anything his/her father has done.

6)                  I believe a Progressive income tax is wrong, and that the steeper it is, the more it resembles theft and disobedience to the 10th Commandment. In fact, I believe that about 90-95% of the Left's philosophy is based on a wholesale rejection of the 10th Commandment.

7)                  I believe that wealth is not a zero-sum game. If my neighbor becomes more wealthy, that does not take wealth away from me. Poverty--in and of itself--is not a virtue, and wealth--in and of itself--is not a crime nor a sin.

8)                   I believe that the world, in general, is a rough neighborhood, and that it is essential for peace and prosperity in the world for the American military to be strong. In fact, humanly speaking, the U.S. military has done more for peace and prosperity in the world, by fighting and deterring bad guys, than any other human institution.

9)                 In general, I don't trust calls for "reasonable" restrictions on gun ownership. Gun control, again speaking generally, does much more to keep guns out of the hands of law-abiding peaceful citizens and does little to nothing to keep them out of the hands of criminals.

10)              I believe in property rights, going back to the 8th Commandment. Yes, it's true that ultimately I don't own what I "own," God does. But just because I don't own my own property in that sense doesn't negate the fact that my neighbor doesn't own my property either. Theft is a sin, even if the thieves can get a majority vote.

11)              Speaking of majority votes, I don't trust "democracy" as such. A lynch mob can be "democratic." I believe that this country has been, and should continue to be, a representative republic. That means that we elect leaders, and they vote on most issues (in most cases referendums are bad ideas), and they must justify everything they do by a strict reading of their powers as stated in the Constitution. If they can't point to something in Article One, Section Eight, they probably shouldn't do it.

12)              Having said all this, I'm fully aware that there are a lot of Bible-believing Christians--people whose salvation I'd never doubt--who disagree with me on one or more of the above statements. There are plenty of Evangelicals who agree with me theologically but who disagree with me politically. That's fine. We can worship together, witness together, encourage each other, and challenge each other to be better followers of Jesus. But I believe that the above statements--to various degrees per topic--can be substantiated by a careful and thoughtful reading of Scripture. And in the days to come, I'm going to make that case.