As a Christian I believe that as a republic our government has been empowered, not by God, but by the people to represent them, and in the execution of that empowerment, has the responsibility to protect and defend that rights which the Declaration of Independence recognizes as coming directly from God, which are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I believe that it is the responsibility of government to oversee all those matters that pertain to the common good, and that laws should be made always with consideration for the common good of all, and the common good and protection of the country. I believe that as a free people, laws should not be made that restrict or deny the rights of some citizens for the benefit of others, particularly the wealthy or the powerful. I believe that the citizens have the right not only to earn a living, but to invest their resources in business ventures for the purpose of increasing their personal wealth and resources, and that they have the right to the fruits of those resources, and should not be unfairly or unjustly deprived in any way, particularly by inequitable taxation by the government, of the use of this honestly earned income.
I believe as a Christian in the sovereign right and jurisdiction of God over his creation, and that, in his benevolence, he allows us the illusion of thinking that his human family can be separated by artificial barriers we call borders, and that we are responsible only for those who are legally citizens within those borders, and to think that we are free from responsibilities to our brothers and sisters in other countries. I believe that we have a responsibility before God, in times of crises when refugees fleeing starvation and destitution, to treat with civility and compassion those who come across our borders, not to beg, but to work for their living. And I firmly believe that it is a serious sin against God to demean these destitute people by branding them as criminals. I also believe that our elected officials have a duty and responsibiliity to maintain an orderly process of immigration in order to avoid the chaos which has recently occurred because our government tacitly welcomed mass immigration because of our country’s severe shortage of labor, due greatly to our millions of abortions over the years.
I believe that as citizens we have a sacred responsibility to love and defend our country, and to come to the defense of our country when it is attacked by hostile forces. I believe that trust in God and persistent negotiations are far preferable to war, and that war is not always the best solution. It most often destroys more lives than it saves, and through the hatred that it generates, sows the seed for future wars. Even the price paid by the victors and the permanent damage done to millions of their families, is a cost that is rarely considered those eager for war. And yet, I further believe that there are some who do not believe it is ever justified to take a human life, and that that conviction in conscience must be respected by the government, and that those of such a mind cannot in justice be forced to bear arms. That conviction in conscience, however, should not exempt those individuals from their duty to assist in the defense of their country through a humanitarian or medical role. I believe that we have a responsibility to support our government by paying our just taxes, and that it is a violation of the virtue of patriotism to dishonestly avoid that responsibility. I believe that as a people we are not exempt from the divine commandment of charity to our neighbors in need, and that we still have the responsibility to care for them either personally or through religious communities, or charitable institutions. However, I believe that it is beyond the financial capabilities of individual and community groups to care for the fifteen percent or more of the national population, not as equally blessed by the Creator as are the majority of the population, either mentally, psychiatrically, or physically, and among them the honest poor and who are not employable for many reasons. I believe that they have a right to a dignified and respectable living and that the government has the obligation to make that possible, as the elected instrument of the people, on whom that responsibility ultimately falls.
I believe that at various times in history when there are catastrophes affecting whole populations and causing them to migrate to other lands, as is happening today throughout the world, neighboring countries have the responsibility to realize that controlling mass movement of destitute and starving peoples cannot be expected to move in orderly fashion across borders while people are desperate to stay alive and keep their families from starvation. I believe that they can a blessing especially when they fill a vast void in a country’s labor market, and are for the most part paying taxes. They then become an important asset to the host country. I believe that among them there will always be a miinoity, who are not employed or are not paying taxes, and are a burden, but they should not be held responsible for a country’s massive debts or deficits, and that the responsibilities for that problem should be faced honestly and laid at the doorstops of the sixty-two percent of the biggest corporations, according to the Government Accounting Office, that have not paid taxes in the last five years, and the forty million business people, according to the Internal Revenue Service, who have avoided paying taxes in the last three years. I believe that all countries should be, and most have been, responsive to the needs of people suffering from natural disasters.
I believe as a Christian that all human beings on the face of this earth are brothers and sisters, and that no matter what country we belong to, most are decent people, trying hard to live decent lives. I believe that each country’s leaders should not prejudge other countries as friends or enemies, and treat them accordingly. I believe that we should make every effort to reach out to establish friendly relations with all countries, and let the relationships unfold through the natural course of events. All relationships are difficult and such must be expected, but with prudent persistence and strength, most obstacles between countries can be overcome, as each country has needs that their leaders must eventually face and realize that they can be met only with the help of friendly countries.
As a Christian I believe that most criminal justice systems are short-sighted and destroy more people than they help, and rather than be Christian in the way they treat inmates, they are no more creative in their solutions to critical community problems than would be expected in a totally pagan country. It is fiercely denied but yet it is true, that penalties for crimes, even non-violent crimes, and those involving drug and alcohol abuse are vindictive, and not crafted for rehabilitation, and have destroyed the potentially productive lives of tens of thousands of young people who were first imprisoned many years ago as teenagers, and are still in prison. As a Christian I believe we should make every attempt to rehabilitate perpetrators especially of non-violent crimes, so they can be taught how to live as productive citizens in their communities. I believe that the death penalty is evil because it attempts to deny God jurisdiction over the life of beings he has made with infinite love. I believe that no government has the right to take life, as the government receives its authority from the people and people have no jurisdiction over life so they cannot give to the government a power that they do not possess. Only the one who creates life can take life. And in executing a person the state denies God the right to continue his work of salvation in that person. That is one of the few direct sins against God himself, and those who vote to supposedly give the state the power to execute are also guilty of each execution.
I believe that abortion is evil, as it destroys a human life, and can in no way be justified, even though tragic circumstances often lead a person to precipitously make a panic decision to terminate a pregnancy. I believe that abortion is responsible, and has been responsible in other countries, for a drastic drop in the native population, and for a severe shortage of labor, especially skilled labor and as such is a threat to the economy and the national defense. I also believe it is possible for an elected official to be opposed to abortion, while still believing that it is not feasible to continually struggle to overturn the abortion law. I believe that it is the responsibility of the clergy to persistently teach the evil of abortion and that having failed in that responsibility in the past, it is a strange anomaly for the clergy, after having failed in their responsibility, to now force that responsiblity on the government. That responsibility still rests on the clergy, since the present law does not mandate or force people to have an abortion but places the responsibility on the individuals and the doctors.
I believe that as Christians and as citizens we have a responsibility to use our gifts, talents and resources not just for ourselves and for our families but to act as the heart of God in sharing with others the riches he has given to each of us, so that after our lives in this world, the lives of many others as well as the world itself will be more richly blessed because we have passed through here.
