Twelve-Point Conservative Christian Perspective

 1.  FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND RELIGION: Citizens have the right to practice their religion in public, not merely to worship at the place of their choice. Separation of church and state, as addressed in the 1st Amendment, means the state cannot dictate religious practices. It does not mean those who practice a religion cannot speak about it freely or have doctrinal material with them at their workplace, school or anywhere else.

2. ABORTION: The unborn have the right to live. Contraception is attainable, so if a pregnancy is unwanted then it was the responsibility of the woman to have used good judgement before the possibility of conception. (That does not apply, of course, in the instance of rape.) Conservative feminists would argue that the murder of unborn females must stop – it is not just a liberal feminist issue. In addition, science continues to prove that the unborn fetus is much more than tissue matter. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, the fetus feels pain at 28 weeks (JAMA 2005; 294:947-954). Our tax dollars should not fund abortions since there is such a high moral issue at stake and since, to many, abortion is a most egregious act.

3. DEFINITION OF MARRIAGE: The government had no right to redefine marriage. God’s definition cannot be changed.

4. GUN LAWS: Citizens have the right to bear arms. Background checks should be enforced, but apart from that, prohibiting the purchase of guns will not stop violent criminals or the mentally unbalanced from carrying out evil intent. Close the loopholes in the current laws that allow for gun purchases and strictly enforce those laws.

5. NATIONAL DEBT: The government has the responsibility of keeping a balanced budget. Universal health care and other entitlements will be to no avail if the country is bankrupt. Common sense must prevail! Sacrifices will have to be made temporarily until our house is in order. That may mean not being as generous to other nations for a while or cutting government programs. The waste in government is shameful and inexcusable (such as when the Department of Veterans Affairs spent seven million dollars for sculptures and other unnecessary art in 2015). We have had enough of this stupidity, insanity and corruption!

6. MILITARY FUNDING: Veterans have risked, and our troops continually risk their lives for the peace and safety of our nation and its citizens. They deserve our utmost respect. They deserve the very best pay, health care and pensions possible. For their protection, it is imperative that our armed forces be provided with the best vessels, aircraft, armored vehicles and equipment for battle. Therefore, priority should be given to the military budget. The highest responsibility of federal government is to keep its citizens free and safe; thus, another reason for sufficient military funding.

7. RACISM AND EQUALITY: Regarding equality in higher education and the workplace, people should be regarded by their abilities and actions, not by their ethnicity or the color of their skin. With very little exception, there are equal opportunities for all in our country who strive to achieve. Regarding racism, it should be nonexistent. God is color-blind and therefore all should be treated equally.  When it comes to the issue of racism within our law-enforcement, the lack of vetting and proper training of our police officers has proved to be tragic. Unjust force against anyone needs to be brought to light, especially if that force has racism as its impetus, and there should be appropriate conviction under the law. Responsible reporting of injustices that are proportionate and fact-based is commendable. However, reports by the government and media based on speculation for political gain, without all the facts, can incite increased unnecessary anger and violence. We know the consequent violence, based on fact or not, can further result in tragic injustice. We are Americans, and probably over 90 percent of us treat one another with the respect and equality that is due them. Let’s stop the rhetoric that promotes the ignorance of the remaining percentage of people by echoing their misconceptions, and instead let’s promote civility and the uplifting of our society.

8.  SOCIALISM: Socialism has been detrimental to nations and we do not want to go down that path. Our nation was built on entrepreneurialism, innovation, ambition and personal integrity. To take away the rewards of those who succeed by using these and other inspiring attributes is to diminish the spirit within. The “haves” hire the “have-nots” and give them a step up to try to achieve their own dreams and goals. Capitalism is one of the key elements that have made our country great and that has lent many to attain the American dream. Unfortunately, many of our schools and colleges have replaced the empirical study of economics, history and politics with race, class and gender indoctrination, thereby depriving our youth of the important facts needed to appreciate our young nation’s democracy and achievements in light of other failed societies.  The boats are coming from Cuba to the United States, not the other way around…! We say to the federal government, “Stop trying to distribute the wealth! The wealthy of our nation are often very generous and give to those who are less fortunate. The government isn’t God – it can’t control and do everything – although right now it certainly seems to be trying. Let people be free to work hard and make money – to become millionaires when possible. Stop trying to rob us of our hard-earned money! You’ve already taxed big business to the point of them leaving our country – with their jobs – to operate elsewhere. You’ve already regulated and micro-managed small businesses so it’s hard for them to grow and hire more people. Enough is enough!”

9.  THE BALANCE OF POWER: The Judiciary is to interpret the law – not make new laws! When judges use their power to make laws, they silence the will of the electorate, jeopardizing our democracy and freedom.

10.  VOTER RIGHTS: Only American citizens should have the privilege to vote in our elections. If a person has nothing to hide, they have no problem with their identification being checked. On the contrary, they are thankful for the oversight and integrity of the system in ensuring the election is accurate in reflecting the voice of its citizens.

11. IMMIGRATION AND BORDER SECURTIY: Our immigration laws should be enforced. People are welcome in our country when they obey our laws, including immigration laws. Our citizens hard-earned taxes should not be spent on the housing, educational and medical needs… of those who break our laws. When an American citizen enters another country illegally, there is a high price to pay in most cases; and an American citizen should not expect handouts and greater leniency when breaking another country’s law – they should not expect the same or more privileges than the citizens have of that country. Our country has given more of its taxpayers’ money to hurting people around the world than any other. That is the result of capitalism, democracy and a country that has sought to pursue right. We have always been a generous compassionate nation. Our government needs to rechannel the funds being used to support illegal immigrants to helping them in their own nations. Albeit, money cannot be given to countries whose leaders are not held accountable for proper distribution to the needy, however, ingenuity can prevail in helping the less fortunate in these nations. Securing our borders must also be accomplished to prevent terrorism, and to stop the human trafficking and tremendous flow of illegal drugs that have come into our country.

12.  THE POLITICAL DIVIDE: We must commit to civil and respectful political discourse, trusting in our constitutional form of government, regardless of the outcome of elections. It is time for reflection as individuals and as a nation. We are “one Nation under God, indivisible”. Well, we hope indivisible… We are all in this together. Yes, we have different viewpoints on how to make our country strong and how to help the less fortunate, but let’s agree to disagree. And since we will never agree entirely, we need to compromise more to accomplish part of a goal instead of no goal at all. Let’s stop with the childish name calling, senseless speculations and half-truths for personal gain. Let’s stop the character assassinations and speak the truth about what a person has done – not from unknown sources and hearsay, but the documented facts; not what a person has done in high school or college… but what they are doing now after years of maturing. Let’s grow up America and use common sense! Let’s respect the office of the President, if not the President himself, and stop pouting like little babies when we don’t get our way. Let’s be thankful that although our government has been very flawed, it has still been the greatest on earth. Let’s not be proud Americans, but thankful and united Americans, thankful to God and for His grace. Let’s look deep within our souls and ask ourselves what our motives are. Let's achieve motives that are pure: honest, selfless, giving and forgiving.