I think you’re absolutely right on your last point - there are no strong conservative leaders who are adequately explaining to people the long-term dangers of a liberal agenda in the United States and that could have a lot to do with where we are.
I’ve said in some of my economics and finance postings that several of my friends truly believe, with all of their heart, that people like me should pay 70%+ income taxes because there are poor people in the nation and I have more than I need. I try, desperately, to explain to them that the reason I work, and create jobs, is because I’m motivated by stuff that may not make any sense to them at all (e.g., classical music tickets instead of world series tickets, a huge library of great books instead of jet skis, video games instead of a wine collection). Right now, I get those things by building a business which, the byproduct of is, creates jobs for the United States. If they take away my ability to work toward those things, why on earth will I show up to the office in the morning? It would be a pointless endeavor.
They really don’t see the connection. It scares me because I think we’re at a place where a confiscatory tax could actually happen and it would do tremendous economic damage to the nation.
On the social issues, I hate to say it because I don’t agree with litigation as a tool, but I think the Christian right needs to be just as willing and aggressive to sue businesses and people that abridge their freedom of speech and religious expression. We cannot concern ourselves with being “polite” anymore when you hear stories of people being fired for expressing their heartfelt, religious beliefs.
All of my concern on the religious front comes from fear of the government getting involved. As I said earlier, I’m a student of history. If our ancestors were willing to die for questions about sacraments and whether or not Mary remained a virgin, I cannot imagine what would happen if we suddenly introduced that in schools or the public square. That’s why I think, as Christians, the best option is to support Christian schools and put children and resources into them (that’s what I mean when I say a workable solution).
I think what really concerns me is that there are a very, very small group of people that believe you are have bad intentions if you try to look at any problem from a pragmatic point of view. I’m a little too rational in everything (as my family constantly reminds me). I also have a habit of trying to “fix” things. I believe freedom of speech and religions are rights worth dying for. It just scares me when I hear people openly advocate violence or the ballot box to infringe on other peoples’ private lives.
In other words, even if I agree with something, it scares me because I always wonder, in the back of my mind: If I open this door, how long until they use it on me? Christians were silenced in Europe during the second world war.
Perhaps the best way to sum it up is as follows: I despite the KKK with a passion. Yet, I think for freedom of speech to mean anything, the government should not have a right to tell them they cannot exist. The moment the big “G” government is given that power, who is to say they won’t use it on Christians? or Conservatives? Or Capitalists? Or Women? Or Students? Or ... the list goes on and on.
As for your friends who think people like you should pay 70%, tell them to give up 70% of their income and see how much incentive they have to get out of bed. As your friends irk you with their ideas, those who want to take from everyone else bother me. All the news media, Hollywood, sports stars make more than enough money to qualify for that 70% give away. Why don’t they just voluntarily give their money away. These same people who are so worried about the poor give less than everyday working people who want to keep their money for themselves and not give it to the govt. Don’t let them guilt you into doing what they won’t even do themselves.
There are world views at battle here. Those who believe the earth has a limited store of goods and that man is frittering it all away and unless we “conserve” the earth is incapable of replenishing itself. To them Man is the cause of all evil and at the same time the only hope for salvation. Is contrasted with those who believe God created the earth and man to be its steward. God is the one who determines how much resource exists and we are allowed to use it. We don’t have to worry about global warming because God regulates the earth. Droughts and famines will come, but if we are wise with our provisions in times of plenty, we will be all right. We also know from Whom salvation comes and it is not man. It is our Lord, Jesus Christ.
I don’t believe law suits should be between Christians, we should be able to settle things amicably. But the case you cite where the man was fired because he believes in Christianity and a gay manager from another store decided to harass him does not count as Christians suing one another. Even the Apostle Paul claimed the rights of Roman citizenship, so I do believe that we can use the law when our rights are infringed upon.
As far as being worried about what will be used on us, the other side has no such qualms. They use whatever means they have at hand to achieve what they want. Because for them the ends justify the means. They try to force us to abide by rules they imagine we should play by, while they play by no rules at all. We should do as the Bible says, not as they says. They could not interpret the Bible if they wanted to, because the Holy Spirit does not renew their minds. So I rarely worry about what they think I should do or how they imagine I should react as a Christian. Before I became a Christian, I also imagined things that were wrong about Christians. Now I know better and I also know the only person whose opinion really matters is the Lord’s. So I don’t worry about what they think. Oh and I homeschooled my son, so not only don’t I worry about what they think, I don’t bother with their teaching as well.
I believe in freedoms to, to a point. People who walk into stores with foul language written on their t shirts are people I will speak to. People who swear and curse and take the Lord’s name in vain I will speak to as well. They may have the legal right to say most of that but I have the legal right to tell them what I think of their choice of expression. I won’t be violent but I will state my case. Usually the Lord gives them the sense to stop. It may come about that some day I will have to pay for my beliefs, but if I am punished for doing right then all the better.
As much as I may dislike certain groups as long as they are willing to abide by the laws and have not been established to subvert the law, I don’t have a problem with them. NAMBLA for example I have a big problem with because they exist to promote the commission of a crime, the violation of young boys. I don’t understand why they are allowed to exist and I don’t think it is a matter of freedom of speech in their case.