Terrance,
You said:
>>Actually, the proper role of government is to protect inalienable individual rights.<<
From the declalation of independance: " We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalianable Rights, that amoung these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.--- That to secure these rights,Governments are instituted amoung Men,..."
I agree. Notice that they recognize the source of these rights to be their Creator. Our Founding Fathers ackowledged the Creator as the ultimate source of our rights. If we respect the rights that this Creator grants, should we not also respect any resposibilities He expects from us. As a matter of record, our early law reflected the moral standards found in the Bible. Moses, holding the tablets containing the ten commandments is chiseled into a marble wall in the Supreme Court Building, and the bible was often used in early Supreme Court cases.
You said that the primary influence on our Founding Fathers was Aristole's phylosophy. While this belief may give you personal solace, careful examination of the facts will reveal that there were a number of philosophies (yes Aristotle was one of them)and movements represented amoung these men, but our Founding Fathers generally had a deep respect for Christian ethics, and they brought that respect with them to government. Christianty was a major, if not the predominant influence in the founding our nation.
Were they perfect men? No.
Were they all Modern "born again" Christians? No, these Christians were subject to the cultural influences of their day, just as we are today.
You said:
>>I condemn your bankrupt ethics and immoral philosophy.<<
Which of the Ten Commandments do you find bankrupt or immoral?
You said:
>>What you propose are the ethics for a collectivist-statist society based on mysticism and which would strip the individual of all real rights, destroy freedom and turn men into suffering slaves.<<
Slave, yes (to Jesus Christ)...suffering, no ! How about you?
<>< God Bless ><>
Jim G. |