Principles
of Conservatism
Three core principles of
conservatism:
(1) Traditional biblical
values and morals: Social (cultural) conservatives
try to “conserve” traditional ideals that are threatened in modern culture,
such as a biblical view of the sanctity of human life and on human sexuality
and the institutions that were built upon them, such as marriage and family and
religious faith.-E.g., no abortion, gay marriage, promotion of sexual
promiscuity (e.g., pornography); upholding the traditional family; and fighting
the removal of God from the public square.
(2 Limited
government/maximum freedom consistent with traditional biblical values,
including free enterprise
and self-reliance (vs. government control of businesses, the
economy, and our lives as the nanny state).
The state exists to preserve individual freedom, restrain evil, and
promote justice. Economic conservatives
and libertarians believe that the federal government should be limited to
those duties laid out in the U.S. Constitution.
This includes: (a) protection of citizens from enemies domestic (e.g., police,
FBI, etc.) and foreign (strong military/national defense, no illegal
immigration). Security is the wellspring
from which freedom flows,
(b) Creating laws promoting morality. E.g., no government
welfare, which is the responsibility of families, churches, &
charities. E.g., minimal government
regulation of individuals and businesses, only to promote moral behavior. E.g., no gun control, no regulation of
smoking in private restaurants, etc.
(c) Protecting
negative/liberty rights—the right to be left alone, both by other
individuals and by government, such as owning private property and having wages
and prices set by the marketplace, not government. Government should not provide for positive/welfare
rights—rights to whatever is necessary to satisfy basic needs, e.g. health
care, a job, an education, support of the arts, etc., which come at the coerced
expense of someone else and restrict choice (e.g., you must go to a school that
prohibits prayers and teaches sex education and evolution. Rater than meeting such needs through
government programs funded by redistributed wealth,
they should be met via private individuals, charities, and religious
institutions consisting of people of faith giving through compassionate
hearts. Government should promote justice (e.g., through the
courts), such as equal opportunity (vs. equal results).
(d) Encouraging
individualism and self-reliance, which lead to a smaller government, as
evidenced in low taxes (vs. socialism)
(3) The rule of law: the principle that
governmental authority is legitimately exercised only in accordance with
written, publicly disclosed laws adopted and enforced in accordance with
established procedure. The principle is intended to be a safeguard against
arbitrary governance. “We are ruled by
laws, not men.” E.g., no justices
legislating from the bench—their role is to interpret what the law is, nt say what it should be.
.
See Romans 13 and