Divine Law, Constitutional Law, and Conservatism
1st Posting
I will start this discussion by saying that I firmly believe our priorities must ever be in the proper order to most enjoy the good life that our Creator intends for each and every one of us. In proper order, I believe they are:
1. God’s Laws (the sovereignty of God).
2. The U.S. Constitution (the sovereignty of each individual).
3. The Conservative Movement (the preservation of our traditional American heritage and values).
What am I saying here? I am saying that I am a Constitutionalist as long it does not interfere with God’s divine laws, and I am a Conservative as long as it does not interfere with the Constitution. If a conservative principle or action conflicts with the Constitution, then I will err on the side of the Constitution. If a constitutional principle conflicts with God’s divine laws, then I will err on the side of the Divine. In essence, I am a Conservative – as long as Conservatism does not conflict with the Constitution or with God’s divine laws.
Because we live under a constitutional Republic and not a theocracy, I cannot force God’s divine laws over anyone else in this country. I can plead with them to adopt God's ways and standards, but I cannot compel them to do so. When I argue our constitutional rights and freedoms, I am careful to argue from the Constitution itself and not from a solely Biblical perspective. Our Constitution is not perfect because it is man-made, but it is the closest thing to godly perfection that any government has ever recognized. But I recognize that, in many areas although certainly not all, the Constitution is very much in agreement with the Bible.
At the practical level, where the Bible is silent on an issue will I look to the Constitution to determine what it says before I support any Conservative action or principle. If a conservative principle is in full agreement with the Constitution, I will support it. However, if a conservative principle conflicts with the Constitution, in any way, then I must reject it for the greater good of our Federal Republic. If both the Bible and the Constitution are silent on an issue, and I decide to accept a conservative principle, then I must be extremely careful that I do not force my choice on others in this society by force of law, arms, or intimidation.
I am first a man of God, second a Constitutionalist, and third a Conservative. If I rearrange these priorities in any way, then my priorities as an American citizen will be all screwed up. For those of you that are passionately Christian like me, we must realize that our country will never be able to live up to God's highest ideals. When Jesus Christ sets up his millennial reign from the New Jerusalem in Israel, His rule will be perfect and just - but for now do we have to settle for our Constitution as law in this country. Am I disparaging the Constitution? Most certainly not, but I am putting things into their proper perspective for us.
If our President, Congress, Senate, or Supreme Court start rewriting the Constitution to force socialism and marxism over this country, then we have a higher duty to obey God and disobey Man - but at all times must we conduct ourselves in a godly and respectable manner, no matter the evil that surrounds us.
We are facing a titanic clash of cultures in this country - a culture of life and liberty, and another culture of death and violence. We have reached a fork in the road. We must decide where we are going from here. If we make the wrong decision, rejecting life and liberty for death and violence, then we (as a country) will not delay God's inevitable judgment over our sins and rebellion against Him. If our new president is, as some fear, God's hellish instrument for bringing judgment over our land, then God's People can take strength and comfort in knowing that our God will walk with us through the flames of judgment. Now is the time for spiritual reformation and revival, but it must begin in our homes and in our churches.
Given enough interest in this discussion, I hope to highlight some of the differences between Divine Law, Constitutional Law, and Conservatism. I hope to point out the good and the shortcomings of our Constitution and Conservatism and to offer reasonable and practical solutions about what we can, and cannot, do in our Federal Republic to restore the constitutional rights and freedoms that have been stolen and squandered from We the People and the Sovereign States. So, stay tuned!
2nd Posting
One of the areas of conflict between the Constitution and the Bible is the issue of individual sovereign rights. Why do I say this, when most people consider them to be in perfect agreement? Under a theocracy, God is sovereign and not Man. God is the source of our inalienable rights and freedoms and not our Constitution or our Government, make no mistake about this, but we are not living under a theocracy in this country. We were founded by Christians and God-fearing men, but matters of religion were left to the States and not to our federal government. Because we do not live under a theocracy, Christians cannot force other citizens of this country to honor God and follow His commandments (although we can certainly encourage them to do so in a healthy and respectable manner).
Our Constitution is not the source of our inalienable rights. It merely recognizes and seeks to protect that which God has already given to all men. This is the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness that the Constitution freely recognizes for all citizens. Under Constitutional Law, each citizen is his own sovereign authority with the freedom to pursue his own best self interests - as long as that pursuit does not interfere with the sovereign rights or property of another sovereign citizen. So, if a person interferes with or robs another person of their sovereign rights and property, then the guilty party can be charged with a crime and lose their own sovereign rights in the process until restitution has been made and their legal penalties have been satisfied.
Our Constitution does not recognize the concept of "victimless crimes." Where there has been no victim or destruction of someone else's property, no real crime has been committed (this can be confusing to some people because of the judicial activism of our Courts that have twisted up the original meaning and intent of the Framers of our Constitution, but I am here focusing on the Constitution itself). Therefore, as a sovereign citizen, I am not legally entitled to destroy your property - but I am most certainly allowed to destroy my own property as long as doing so does not physically endanger anyone else in the process. If I wanted to junk my property, even if my neighborhood thinks it an eyesore, I am protected under the Constitution to do so. Am I making any sense here?
Under Divine Law, I am commanded to take care of my body (my temple) and to eat and drink in moderation. I know that anything taken in excess can be harmful and dangerous to my health (even food, herbs, vitamins, and prescription drugs). Although many illegal drugs can be grown naturally, I choose not to take them because I do not want to get addicted to them. This is a matter of my personal choice and my relationship with God. But, and here comes the rub, I cannot legally force another sovereign citizen to not ingest drugs into their own bodies if they can do so without committing any crimes. I cannot force Divine Law on anyone against their own free will under our Constitutional Law. Because we do not live under a theocracy, I must respect other people's constitutional right to make their own decisions over their own bodies and their own property. As a Christian, I find this matter matter rather perplexing in its full application; but, as a Constitutionalist, this matter is pretty clear.
Our so called "war on drugs" is a sham. It has only fueled the problem and not solved anything. Our war on drugs has created a violent monstrosity that it cannot control. Just as Prohibition fueled crime and turned victims into criminals, so has our vaunted war on drugs. Prohibition was a failure and not a success, and this is why our government reversed Prohibition. Today, we do not imprison someone for getting drunk when they have committed no crimes, but we are imprisoning people for possessing even the slightest amount of marijuana. I hate marijuana for recreational drug use, but it has terrific medicinal properties for people with certain painful medical conditions. Where is the compassion in forcing people to live in pain because we will not allow doctors to prescribe them very small amounts of marijuana to ease that pain?
As a young man that was very athletically gifted, I never understood how debilitating pain can be. Now that I have partial physical disabilities, severe headaches, high blood pressure, and degenerating discs and nerves in my neck, I can tell you that the pharmaceutical drugs I get from the VA hospital system do little to control my pains but they sure create a lot of other problems in the way of side effects! If I could get a medical prescription for very small amounts of marijuana to treat my pains, I would most certainly like to give it a try and see if it can do a better job than the artificial drugs I now take every day. But, thanks to our so-called war on drugs, I am being forced to financially support the legalized pharmaceutical drugs that are probably doing more damage to my body than simple marijuana ever would.
As a Christian under Divine Law, I certainly do not favor the legalization of drugs (any more than I favor the legalization of alcohol). However, as a sovereign citizen under Constitutional Law, it is none of my business what people do in the privacy of their own homes and bedrooms. If someone is stupid enough to put recreational drugs into their own bodies, then let them pay the consequences for their own decisions - and let them pay for their own medical care without me subsidizing their stupidity. If someone wants to abuse their bodies, in the name of their sovereign rights, then let them answer to their Sovereign Creator for their stupid choices.
It can be argued that, as imperfect and convoluted as it has been, government control and regulation of the alcoholic industry has proven to be a lesser evil than was Prohibition. When many of our top law enforcement officials and think tanks have openly said that our war on drugs has been a dismal failure that this country can no longer financially afford to propagate, perhaps it is time to let the government regulate natural drugs and crush the criminal industry in the process. Let adults make their own stupid choices, but card anyone under 30!
Our Constitution is not perfect, and it does have conflicts with Divine Law, but it is the best thing we have until God himself sets up his throne and kingdom over this planet in the not too distant future. In the meantime, let's restore our Constitution to the full intent of its Framers and enforce it in a fair and reasonable manner. And let us continue witnessing the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to any and all that will listen!
I will start this discussion by saying that I firmly believe our priorities must ever be in the proper order to most enjoy the good life that our Creator intends for each and every one of us. In proper order, I believe they are:
1. God’s Laws (the sovereignty of God).
2. The U.S. Constitution (the sovereignty of each individual).
3. The Conservative Movement (the preservation of our traditional American heritage and values).
What am I saying here? I am saying that I am a Constitutionalist as long it does not interfere with God’s divine laws, and I am a Conservative as long as it does not interfere with the Constitution. If a conservative principle or action conflicts with the Constitution, then I will err on the side of the Constitution. If a constitutional principle conflicts with God’s divine laws, then I will err on the side of the Divine. In essence, I am a Conservative – as long as Conservatism does not conflict with the Constitution or with God’s divine laws.
Because we live under a constitutional Republic and not a theocracy, I cannot force God’s divine laws over anyone else in this country. I can plead with them to adopt God's ways and standards, but I cannot compel them to do so. When I argue our constitutional rights and freedoms, I am careful to argue from the Constitution itself and not from a solely Biblical perspective. Our Constitution is not perfect because it is man-made, but it is the closest thing to godly perfection that any government has ever recognized. But I recognize that, in many areas although certainly not all, the Constitution is very much in agreement with the Bible.
At the practical level, where the Bible is silent on an issue will I look to the Constitution to determine what it says before I support any Conservative action or principle. If a conservative principle is in full agreement with the Constitution, I will support it. However, if a conservative principle conflicts with the Constitution, in any way, then I must reject it for the greater good of our Federal Republic. If both the Bible and the Constitution are silent on an issue, and I decide to accept a conservative principle, then I must be extremely careful that I do not force my choice on others in this society by force of law, arms, or intimidation.
I am first a man of God, second a Constitutionalist, and third a Conservative. If I rearrange these priorities in any way, then my priorities as an American citizen will be all screwed up. For those of you that are passionately Christian like me, we must realize that our country will never be able to live up to God's highest ideals. When Jesus Christ sets up his millennial reign from the New Jerusalem in Israel, His rule will be perfect and just - but for now do we have to settle for our Constitution as law in this country. Am I disparaging the Constitution? Most certainly not, but I am putting things into their proper perspective for us.
If our President, Congress, Senate, or Supreme Court start rewriting the Constitution to force socialism and marxism over this country, then we have a higher duty to obey God and disobey Man - but at all times must we conduct ourselves in a godly and respectable manner, no matter the evil that surrounds us.
We are facing a titanic clash of cultures in this country - a culture of life and liberty, and another culture of death and violence. We have reached a fork in the road. We must decide where we are going from here. If we make the wrong decision, rejecting life and liberty for death and violence, then we (as a country) will not delay God's inevitable judgment over our sins and rebellion against Him. If our new president is, as some fear, God's hellish instrument for bringing judgment over our land, then God's People can take strength and comfort in knowing that our God will walk with us through the flames of judgment. Now is the time for spiritual reformation and revival, but it must begin in our homes and in our churches.
Given enough interest in this discussion, I hope to highlight some of the differences between Divine Law, Constitutional Law, and Conservatism. I hope to point out the good and the shortcomings of our Constitution and Conservatism and to offer reasonable and practical solutions about what we can, and cannot, do in our Federal Republic to restore the constitutional rights and freedoms that have been stolen and squandered from We the People and the Sovereign States. So, stay tuned!
2nd Posting
One of the areas of conflict between the Constitution and the Bible is the issue of individual sovereign rights. Why do I say this, when most people consider them to be in perfect agreement? Under a theocracy, God is sovereign and not Man. God is the source of our inalienable rights and freedoms and not our Constitution or our Government, make no mistake about this, but we are not living under a theocracy in this country. We were founded by Christians and God-fearing men, but matters of religion were left to the States and not to our federal government. Because we do not live under a theocracy, Christians cannot force other citizens of this country to honor God and follow His commandments (although we can certainly encourage them to do so in a healthy and respectable manner).
Our Constitution is not the source of our inalienable rights. It merely recognizes and seeks to protect that which God has already given to all men. This is the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness that the Constitution freely recognizes for all citizens. Under Constitutional Law, each citizen is his own sovereign authority with the freedom to pursue his own best self interests - as long as that pursuit does not interfere with the sovereign rights or property of another sovereign citizen. So, if a person interferes with or robs another person of their sovereign rights and property, then the guilty party can be charged with a crime and lose their own sovereign rights in the process until restitution has been made and their legal penalties have been satisfied.
Our Constitution does not recognize the concept of "victimless crimes." Where there has been no victim or destruction of someone else's property, no real crime has been committed (this can be confusing to some people because of the judicial activism of our Courts that have twisted up the original meaning and intent of the Framers of our Constitution, but I am here focusing on the Constitution itself). Therefore, as a sovereign citizen, I am not legally entitled to destroy your property - but I am most certainly allowed to destroy my own property as long as doing so does not physically endanger anyone else in the process. If I wanted to junk my property, even if my neighborhood thinks it an eyesore, I am protected under the Constitution to do so. Am I making any sense here?
Under Divine Law, I am commanded to take care of my body (my temple) and to eat and drink in moderation. I know that anything taken in excess can be harmful and dangerous to my health (even food, herbs, vitamins, and prescription drugs). Although many illegal drugs can be grown naturally, I choose not to take them because I do not want to get addicted to them. This is a matter of my personal choice and my relationship with God. But, and here comes the rub, I cannot legally force another sovereign citizen to not ingest drugs into their own bodies if they can do so without committing any crimes. I cannot force Divine Law on anyone against their own free will under our Constitutional Law. Because we do not live under a theocracy, I must respect other people's constitutional right to make their own decisions over their own bodies and their own property. As a Christian, I find this matter matter rather perplexing in its full application; but, as a Constitutionalist, this matter is pretty clear.
Our so called "war on drugs" is a sham. It has only fueled the problem and not solved anything. Our war on drugs has created a violent monstrosity that it cannot control. Just as Prohibition fueled crime and turned victims into criminals, so has our vaunted war on drugs. Prohibition was a failure and not a success, and this is why our government reversed Prohibition. Today, we do not imprison someone for getting drunk when they have committed no crimes, but we are imprisoning people for possessing even the slightest amount of marijuana. I hate marijuana for recreational drug use, but it has terrific medicinal properties for people with certain painful medical conditions. Where is the compassion in forcing people to live in pain because we will not allow doctors to prescribe them very small amounts of marijuana to ease that pain?
As a young man that was very athletically gifted, I never understood how debilitating pain can be. Now that I have partial physical disabilities, severe headaches, high blood pressure, and degenerating discs and nerves in my neck, I can tell you that the pharmaceutical drugs I get from the VA hospital system do little to control my pains but they sure create a lot of other problems in the way of side effects! If I could get a medical prescription for very small amounts of marijuana to treat my pains, I would most certainly like to give it a try and see if it can do a better job than the artificial drugs I now take every day. But, thanks to our so-called war on drugs, I am being forced to financially support the legalized pharmaceutical drugs that are probably doing more damage to my body than simple marijuana ever would.
As a Christian under Divine Law, I certainly do not favor the legalization of drugs (any more than I favor the legalization of alcohol). However, as a sovereign citizen under Constitutional Law, it is none of my business what people do in the privacy of their own homes and bedrooms. If someone is stupid enough to put recreational drugs into their own bodies, then let them pay the consequences for their own decisions - and let them pay for their own medical care without me subsidizing their stupidity. If someone wants to abuse their bodies, in the name of their sovereign rights, then let them answer to their Sovereign Creator for their stupid choices.
It can be argued that, as imperfect and convoluted as it has been, government control and regulation of the alcoholic industry has proven to be a lesser evil than was Prohibition. When many of our top law enforcement officials and think tanks have openly said that our war on drugs has been a dismal failure that this country can no longer financially afford to propagate, perhaps it is time to let the government regulate natural drugs and crush the criminal industry in the process. Let adults make their own stupid choices, but card anyone under 30!
Our Constitution is not perfect, and it does have conflicts with Divine Law, but it is the best thing we have until God himself sets up his throne and kingdom over this planet in the not too distant future. In the meantime, let's restore our Constitution to the full intent of its Framers and enforce it in a fair and reasonable manner. And let us continue witnessing the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to any and all that will listen!