Posted by
P.R.E.Z. on Saturday, December 06, 2008 12:00:00 AM
The last couple of posts we've been looking at the
conservative Christian and what it means to be one. We've taken a look
at a couple of the key pillars of conservatism and explained how from a
biblical perspective that the tenets agree with the Bible.
Understand
that whatever we do and think that it has to line up with scripture,
not the other way around. Scripture is the final authority.
Today
we're going to end it with three other pillars of conservative
philosophy: pro life, free market/capitalism, and what many call
traditional family values but I'm gonna call what it is which is
anti-homosexuality.
Pro-Life
I have touched on this in detail in another post titled Abortion And Slavery: Peas In A Pod and
I want to refer you there to read on it. But in the interest of keeping
everything in one place, I'll reiterate some points while adding some
others.
The
big debate today over abortion hinges on when life begins.
Conservatives belief it begins at the moment of conception and science
agrees wholeheartedly. But scripture says that life begins before conception when God thinks about you.
Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. (Jeremiah 1:5)
In Exodus we have a situation of infanticide being instituted by the Pharaoh
and scripture testifying that this was evil (Exodus 1:15-22). Whether
this was instituted by the government or by an individual, the act is
what is evil. It shows a callous disdain for human life. Instead of
looking at life as being precious and marvelous, agreeing with
scripture that "I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy
works; and that my soul knoweth right well" (Psalm 139:14), we excuse this barbaric and murderous act as some right. Conservatives don't believe that and neither does scripture.
Traditional Family Values (Anti-Homosexuality)
This
one pillar is a new one because of the growth of homosexuality in this
country since the late 70s. Some may argue earlier. Nevertheless, we've
had to take a stand on this and now it's one of the pillars of our
platform.
Homosexuality is CLEARLY a disgusting, abominable act before the Lord:
Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. (Leviticus 18:22)
If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them. (Leviticus 20:13)
For
this cause God gave them up unto vile passions: for their women changed
the natural use into that which is against nature: and likewise also
the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one
toward another, men with men working unseemliness, and receiving in
themselves that recompense of their error which was due. And even as
they refused to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up unto a
reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting; (Romans 1:26)
Or know ye not that
the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived:
neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor
abusers of themselves with men, (1 Corinthians 6:9)
On and on and on.
The
reason for this is that it goes against nature itself and history has
proven time and time again that once a society embraces homosexuality,
that society ceases to exist. Allowing gay marriage is a stamp of approval to continue in a self- destructive lifestyle not only for those involved but for the nation's survival.
Alarmism? Sure. Alarmism based on Truth is a warning from God we had better take heed.
Free Market/Capitalism
When
we talk about free market, we're tying to it the idea of limited
government and personal responsibility and therefore the biblical
reasons that apply there bleed over to this one.
I'm going to recommend a thorough analysis of biblical economics from Gary North who has done extensive research into the subject. I also recommend anything from Larry Burkett. But today, I'm going to give you the main points of why free market capitalism is biblical.
The Bible says in Galatians 6:4-5:
But
let each man prove his own work, and then shall he have his glorying in
regard of himself alone, and not of his neighbor. For each man shall
bear his own burden.
It also says in 2 Thessolonians 3:10:
For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, If any will not work, neither let him eat.
When
it comes to individual responsibility tied to free market, one of the
passages that just screams at this in the area of finance is the
parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14 - 30). In this parable the Lord,
clearly Jesus, was expecting His servants to produce a profit. He gives
them all a different amount. He didn't give them all the same amount as
socialists want to do in their redistribution of wealth philosophy. He
gave according to their ability and wanted results. The first two
worked hard and got results.
The last didn't and what was given to him was given to the one that had
produced the most. All because the servant was lazy and didn't want to
work.
The Bible always says that hard work will produce wealth and a lack of nothing (Proverbs 6:10-11, 14:23, 28:19, 1 Thessolonians 4:10b-12). Wealth is not evil as liberals love to pontificate even though they themselves are no where near poor while their constituents stay poor. You'd think that would be a hint.
It's our attitude towards wealth that's evil (1 Timothy 6:10), not wealth in and of itself.
Deuteronomy 28:12-13 states:
Jehovah
will open unto thee his good treasure the heavens, to give the rain of
thy land in its season, and to bless all the work of thy hand: and thou
shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow. And Jehovah
will make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above
only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if thou shalt hearken unto the
commandments of Jehovah thy God, which I command thee this day, to
observe and to do them.
One sure way
to get out of poverty is to start working hard at what God has gifted
you at and trust that God will be true to His word. Working hard means
that. It won't be easy. But diligence will produce no lack. To say that it's the government's
responsibility to make sure everyone gets the same thing is ludicrous and unbilblical.
In
the book of Acts 4:32-37, we have the evidence of what happens when our
hearts are changed and we act as a true Christian community. This was
not by force but by individual choice. When that happens in a free
market full of hard working people, no one lacks a thing. It was not
done by force of the governing body of the apostles for in the next
chapter, we have a situation where Peter confronts two people who lied
and said they had given all when they really hadn't. Peter makes it
clear:
While
it remained, did it not remain thine own? and after it was sold, was it
not in thy power? How is it that thou hast conceived this thing in thy
heart? thou has not lied unto men, but unto God. (Acts 5:4)
It
was their property to do with as they chose and no one was forcing them
to do otherwise. Whether they gave or not, no one was going to take it
away from them or look differently at them because they hadn't.
Socialism forces people
to give what they have worked hard for to others that they do not know
all in the supposed interest of equality and need. But God's economy
works in a way where people have the freedom to choose what to do with the fruit from their labor and not have it extorted from them in the guise of taxes, tariffs, and fees. Socialism likes to spread your wealth how it sees fit, not how you see fit even though you worked for it. Socialism promotes oppression while capitalism promotes freedom.
Behold,
that which I have seen to be good and to be comely is for one to eat
and to drink, and to enjoy good in all his labor, wherein he laboreth
under the sun, all the days of his life which God hath given him: for
this is his portion. Every man also to whom God hath given riches and
wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his
portion, and to rejoice in his labor - this is the gift of God. (Ecclesiastes 5:18-19)
This is the laborer's portion, not someone else's
who doesn't work for it. Let the laborer decide how to distribute what
they earn. In addition, righteous wealth is God's gift. To tamper with
that and say that it should be given to someone else is to say that God
doesn't know what He's doing and is an affront against God. Socialism,
as much as MLK wanted to support it, is anti-Bible.
So yeah, he was wrong.
So Now You Know
So
know you know why I'm a conservative Christian and why many like me
are. Because it lines up with the principles and tenets of the
scriptures.
I could go on with the death penalty, gun control, immigration, the whole wop and I probably will touch
on each of those individually at some time in the future. But I really
wanted to just hit on the majors. We can do the minors at another time.
I'd
be interested in hearing the views of some people and why they are
Christians and a conservative. So make sure you leave comments as this
is meant to be more of a detailed summary overview.
Always interested in what you have to say.
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