{"id":960,"date":"2012-08-14T12:46:25","date_gmt":"2012-08-14T12:46:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hushbeck.com\/blog\/?p=960"},"modified":"2012-08-14T12:46:53","modified_gmt":"2012-08-14T12:46:53","slug":"responding-to-cornwalls-part-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hushbeck.com\/blog\/2012\/08\/responding-to-cornwalls-part-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Responding to Cornwall on Faith and Politics"},"content":{"rendered":"

Concerning Bob Cornwall\u2019s reply to the first question<\/a> I must say that I find a lot of common ground, particularly when it comes to the problem of balancing involvement in politics and avoiding the dangers inherent in \u201cthe lure of power politics.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 But, not surprisingly, there was some disagreement. One of the most problematic statements was his claim that \u201cI recognize that I cannot coercively impose my beliefs on others. We live in a pluralistic country, not a Christian one.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

What makes this statement so troubling for me is that virtually every act of government is an act of coercion, the imposition of one person\u2019s, or group\u2019s beliefs and values on others who disagree. After all if there was 100% agreement, there would be no need for government.\u00a0 Government passes laws, which if transgressed, can result in the loss of property (fines), freedom (prison) or even death. \u00a0To pay for this government likewise coerces money in the form of taxes. This makes government, at its core, an enemy to freedom and liberty.<\/p>\n

I believe that some of the problems caused by this coercion can be mitigated by the democratic process. But, is it really an exercise of democracy when a majority imposes burdens on a minority, burdens that the majority does not share?<\/p>\n

Now, unlike some of my libertarian friends, I do not see this as a reason to dispense with all government, for I believe that at least some government is needed. But where I suspect that I differ with Mr. Cornwall is over its size, location (local, state, federal), and its efficacy.\u00a0 We will probably\u00a0 get into more detail concerning this later on so let me just say that I believe that as a general rule government should be small and decentralized as much as reasonably possible, and that its\u00a0 mandates should allow for choice and freedom when possible.\u00a0 In addition, I would guess that we have significant disagreements when it comes to the definition of some terms and phrases, such as justice for all,\u00a0 safety net, and what is or is not equitable.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Finally I would point out that when it comes to the \u201cthe lure of power politics\u201d one sure way to exacerbate the problem is to either increase the power, or to concentrate it.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cBig government liberals\u201d do both, increasing the role and influence of government\u2019s power, while centralizing it at the federal level.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

In short, drawing from my reply, because of love, I agree with many of the goals, particularly of tending to needs of \u201cthe least amongst us.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 However, because of my view of truth, I would differ on the ability of a large federal government to actually accomplish this, and frankly believe that such a government is far more likely to only make matters worse.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Concerning Bob Cornwall\u2019s reply to the first question I must say that I find a lot of common ground, particularly when it comes to the problem of balancing involvement in politics and avoiding the dangers inherent in \u201cthe lure of power politics.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 But, not surprisingly, there was some disagreement. One of the most problematic statements […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,15,28],"tags":[1406,533,595,1407,794,808,1317],"class_list":["post-960","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-christianity","category-election","category-politics","tag-bob-crornwall","tag-freedom","tag-government","tag-justice","tag-liberty","tag-love","tag-truth"],"yoast_head":"\nResponding to Cornwall on Faith and Politics - Politics and Religion<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/hushbeck.com\/blog\/2012\/08\/responding-to-cornwalls-part-1\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Responding to Cornwall on Faith and Politics - Politics and Religion\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Concerning Bob Cornwall\u2019s reply to the first question I must say that I find a lot of common ground, particularly when it comes to the problem of balancing involvement in politics and avoiding the dangers inherent in \u201cthe lure of power politics.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 But, not surprisingly, there was some disagreement. 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