17 December 2014

What I Believe

I am a follower of Jesus Christ, politically a Conservative first and, these days, no longer even a distant Republican -- but with more than a dash of libertarian mixed in for good measure. 

I believe in God, the strength of America, the Divinely-inspired brilliance of our Founding Fathers, the valor of our military, and the need for Leadership in all forms and on every level. 

I am not an advocate of censorship, as I believe everyone has a God-given right to be painfully stupid -- as I have a right to expose said stupidity. Unless, of course, I suffer from the same blind spot(s) -- which is more likely than I want to believe.

I believe in the rightness of God's instructions to us, and that we will most often screw things up by trying it our way, first.

I am a staunch believer in original intent: that the founding documents, the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence should and must be interpreted in the light of what the Founders said and wrote that they intended when those documents were first composed.

I staunchly refuse to believe in "living" documents, which would somehow metamorphose over time into an unrecognizable mutant form which bears little or no resemblance to the original.

I believe that the United States of America are the greatest assemblage of talent, intelligence, and Providential blessing ever seen on the earth -- and that that description in no way necessarily applies to the Congress of the United States, nor any other political body per se.

I believe in the sovereignty of the People, and of the individual States, and that the general government, based in the District of Columbia, is -- and rightly ought to be -- subservient to the People, and the States, as codified in the U.S. Constitution.

I believe that there is yet hope for America, although the path may be over unfamiliar and uncomfortable ground.

I believe in the American people: that we can be primarily just and fair, and that with God's help we can once more turn this country around and make it a beacon of freedom and hope in a dark world.

20 comments:

OldAFSarge said...

Amen.

Rev. Paul said...

Thanks, Sarge.

PioneerPreppy said...

Well Said RP.

I don't disagree with any of it. I vote Republican pretty much for one reason alone these days and that's Second Amendment rights and I am not much of a Libertarian because of immigration and foreign policy mostly.

The biggest mistake the Founder's made was not being specific enough about Religion though and I wish that could be changed somehow. They never thought for a second freedom of Religion would mean freedom to be an atheist or satanist or pagan. But that is how it is being taken. I wish they had said freedom from denomination instead.

Rev. Paul said...

Preppy, I don't suppose the Founders would have even considered satanists, in those days. It's more a problem, for me, that so many in government think they have to muck about with things that must not be infringed (2nd Amendment is only one of those).

Cathy said...

Powerful words. Beautifully stated. And, yes:
Amen.

Rev. Paul said...

Thank you, Cathy.

Six said...

Amen.

Rev. Paul said...

Thank you, sir.

Sandy Livesay said...

Rev. Paul,

Great post my friend!
You've got me at I am a follower of Jesus Christ.

Rev. Paul said...

Thank you, Sandy. :)

joated said...

Well said, Rev.

Rev. Paul said...

Thank you, my friend.

Ed Bonderenka said...

The American Creed

Rev. Paul said...

Thank you, Ed; I'll take that as a great compliment.

ProudHillbilly said...

Yep.

And I believe that, Constitutionally, people have a right to be satanists etc. What they DON'T have a right to do is force me to live that way. Diests, Anglicans, or Whatnot, the Founding Fathers held to a Judeo-Christian view.

Anonymous said...

And THIS is why blogging matters, even when you really think you have nothing to say. You have the opportunity to affirm to others that, despite what they're told to think by "educated people", that they really aren't all by themselves; and that kindred spirits do indeed exist in and perhaps beyond this world.

So, thanks, brother...

(And rejoice in the fact that, in 5 days, our earth shall return for yet one more trip around the Sun, just like Sir Isaac Newton promised, and our days will grow longer once again. I know this renewal is of immense import to Alaskans...)

DoninSacto said...

I could sign a document like that.

Rev. Paul said...

PH - I agree in every respect. Thank you.

airphoria - thank you, very much. And I've written before about what the winter solstice means to those of us in Alaska, and other northern climes. As we enter the coldest, snowiest part of the winter, the days are already growing longer as God's promise of the spring & summer to come.

DoninSacto - that means a great deal to me. Thank you, sir.

Guffaw in AZ said...

I think the Founding Fathers believed that The American People were moral and educated, or could be educated. Sadly, The Progressives took over much of the education and screwed with the moral compass of many.
I don't think any of them anticipated or expected Utopia.

gfa

Rev. Paul said...

Guffaw, I'll differ with you on that one point: I believe the Progressives did expect a socialist utopia, with the masses dependent upon them, as self-styled benevolent dictators. And of course, they're dead wrong.