Is God Really Necessary?

jerrad@politicallyempowered.com — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 01:10:31 GMT

Now that battle lines are being drawn between so called social and economic conservatives, perhaps it’s time to question importance of God relative to both camps.

Again I ask you to PAY ATTENTION and consider this question whether you are a believing Christian, Jew, Muslim, any of the myriad of God-based religions, agnostic or atheist. I, personally would not be considered particularly religious. I have flirted with atheism and agnosticism and have moved somewhat beyond those perspectives. I would still say that my concept of God is likely quite different from that of most Americans. What we are talking about here is whether God is necessary from a political point of view.

If you think we can get along without God politically and survive with the same rights and freedoms that are currently guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, you are sadly mistaken. Read the Declaration of Independence, and read it critically! Your or anyone else’s BELIEF in God is irrelevant. Without God being acknowledged, the source of our rights and what is a right becomes clouded. God is our strongest argument! If our rights do not come from God, what is their source? When God disappears from the argument, it becomes a clash between the left’s viewpoint that “rights” are granted by government and a counter premise that they are conferred by “natural law.” While I personally think that the natural law argument is strong philosophically, it remains primarily in the realm of logic and thus is a more difficult point to maintain relative to a broad audience.

So this “fight on the right” disagreement should be abandoned no matter what your religious persuasion. I will vote for God every time. For those of us that truly believe in the best that this country has to offer, God is our best ally. From a political perspective, if God didn’t exist, we would have to invent Him. For both social and economic freedom, we need God more than ever. That being the case, I feel it is only fitting that God have the last word.

Quote of the Day:

“God is dead.” Friedrich Nietzche – 1882

“Nietzche is dead.” God – 1900

(Sorry I don’t know the original source of this quote combination.)

Socrates’ corner:

The Oracle at Delphi once pronounced Socrates as the wisest of men. While Socrates did not always know the right answers, he inevitably knew the right questions. The “Socratic method” is simply a method of getting to the truth or challenging a position by eliciting answers to questions about their positions.

Here are some suggested questions on this subject.

What is a right?

What is the source of what we call “rights?”

Based on the source, who can take rights away?

If rights can be taken away by man or groups of men, can they really be called rights?

Government Basics – The Sanction

jerrad@politicallyempowered.com — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 19:22:08 GMT

All Right! Listen up!

In such a contentious period, it’s time we take a look at some basic principles about government. I’ll be covering this and future subjects in short essays that can be absorbed in a very short time.

The “Sanction” I speak of is the very underpinning of government power. Government is the only entity that is sanctioned (i.e. given permission, support, approval) to use physical force. In simple language, government is the only establishment that can force its will on individuals at the point of a gun. Please understand this – let it soak in – GOVERNMENTS HAVE THE TRAPPINGS OF LAW to bend people to their will at the threat of fines, imprisonment and death! Can others, including the “evil” corporations, use the threat of the fist, the club or the gun to enforce their will? Absolutely! The difference is that in taking these actions, these others become thugs and are answerable to the law.

You say, “But this happens all the time, those with money and power bribe government officials to look the other way or to enforce their will.” Quite true, but it still comes back to the government’s sanctioned use of physical force. GET THIS! It is the basis, the premise, upon which this argument is built. Putting your faith in government, willingly supporting more and bigger government, is giving your sanction to thuggery.

Think about this and give me your best argument against it. I welcome the conversation.

Quote of the day: “Concentrated power has always been the enemy of liberty.” Ronald Reagan.

Socrates’ corner:

“Are you afraid of big corporations?”

“If money gives them their power, what exactly does it buy?”

“So of whose power should you really be fearful?”

Steve's 2 Minute Blog

Is God Really Necessary?

Government Basics – The Sanction