Jesse Jackson has rightly called Barack Obama's presidential bid a "theological campaign." Indeed, in the primary season, the leading Democratic candidates all correctly emphasized that spiritual values play a legitimate role in shaping political values. That's thanks in part to your influence, Jim. Congratulations.
Liberals and conservatives alike have claimed the mantle of religious authorization for their views. There's a debate, however, that needs to be had. Americans have so far avoided clarifying the politics of the Bible on a systematic issue-by-issue basis.
That's where I come in. My book, "How Would God Vote? Why The Bible Commands You to Be a Conservative," takes the top 20 political issues of our day and applies the wisdom of the Bible to each of them - from health-care and immigration reform to global warming and Islamic terror. Taking the Bible seriously is more than a matter of accepting theological abstractions or ritual obligations. It implies an entire worldview, a deeply conservative one.
What is conservatism? It starts with a reverence for the wisdom of our ancestors, and insists above all, as Russell Kirk put it, on "Belief in a transcendent order, or body of natural law, which rules society as well as conscience. Political problems, at bottom, are religious and moral problems."
I'll vote for John McCain, if without a great deal of enthusiasm, because he possesses the elementary respect for the past that marks him, broadly, as a conservative.
If we were to try to crystallize the lesson from ancestral wisdom that underlies all the seemingly unrelated political questions dividing Right from Left, I would say it has to do with moral responsibility and agency, whether human beings are captives of Nature or whether they are free.
The most important word in any discussion of the Bible must be "commandment." God commands us to choose right over wrong because we are not captives of Nature.
Almost every liberal view can be explained as deriving from skepticism about whether people are truly responsible for their actions. Thus liberalism pushes off responsibility to higher and higher levels of organization - from the individual or the family to the national government or, better yet, an international body of governments.
Let's start our debate somewhere concrete and practical. Conservatives, like the Bible, oppose high taxes because people should be responsible for deciding how to spend their money. This year, the average American will pay 30.8 percent of personal income for taxes of various kinds.
Yet Genesis 47:24-15 equates a tax rate of 20 percent with the condition of being a "serf." In 1 Samuel 8:15-17, the Jews are warned not to ask for a king because he'll turn them all into "slaves," imposing a tax burden of 10 percent!
A great tragedy recounted by the Bible, the rebellion of the northern kingdom of Israel against the southern kingdom of Judah, was occasioned by the onerous tax burden imposed by King Solomon's callow son and heir, Rehoboam (1 Kings 12:1-19).
Low taxes mean a minimal state, which, in turn, clears an arena for free moral action. Of course there are exceptions. The Bible isn't libertarian. Where a policy (like legalized narcotics) would cripple the free exercise of the moral personality, God would be against it. Where it would allow the victimization of the truly helpless (abortion), there too the Bible would have us draw a line.
What do you say, Jim?
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the word y'all are looking for and forgetting is social contract. the bible is libertarian. it's also a-political. when put on trial, jesus told pilot, "my kindgdom is not of this world." god would not and does not vote. it is written that he creates and appoints and directs all powers and authorities, and in Romans paul writes, "every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities for there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God." in revelation, when this social order is wiped out, the "new earth" will be a monarchy, and luckily the king will be the perfect creator of the universe, not some hokey brit, or some crazy fascist dictator.
you can ask all you want about any politician's politics, but the sad answer is they're all chasing the money. george bush, ted kennedy, obama, pelosi, byrd, they're all the same damn person. oh sure some of them have personal agendas like their own corporations, racism and homophobia, but in the end they're all liberals. "conservative" is just a catchphrase to spend money on other ventures like the military and intelligence. george bush wants to be your daddy, and hillary clinton wants to be your mommy. but my social contract says I'm an adult. every policy above and beyond basic protection of civil liberties and from enemies foreign and domestic is a violation of the social contract and, because it inherently takes from someone else, is against god. christian socialism is the most comedic response; surely jesus loves egalitarians extorting the poor to give to other poor people, in His name no less. luckily they'll be judged for their crimes. as for me, I will vote for neither. my kingdom is not of this world.
Jesus stated that the two commandments that were the most important, and encompassed ALL of the law and the prophets, were to Love God with ALL your Heart, Soul, Mind and Strength ~ and to Love your Neighbor as yourself.
He was persecuted by the religious establishment and executed by the state. He spent time who were considered the wrong types of people - the lowly and outcasts - ignoring conventional boundries. He exemplified a life of service, and stated that he who wishes to be great must be "a servant of all".
To say that the Bible would direct one to be a conservative is one of the most ridiculous statements I have ever read.
I admit, I had to look up your Genesis 47 and 1 Samuel reference, because I was taken back by what you wrote. I have to say that you've come up with one of the most absurd misquotes of the Bible I've ever heard. The in 1 Samuel reference it actually means that the Israelites' troubles will continue due to their lack of faith NOT because of their future slavery. There's no such warning as you suppose. The "warning" is of their suffering for lack of faith! I won't waste any more time arguing semantics or translations here, because you obviously are going to interpret what you read based on what you want to hear. How do I know? Because I read the rest of your article!
I agree with your critics here in the comments. There's NO political side attached to the Bible. And to say so, well, is blasphemy! God has no politics; Christ's kingdom is not of this world! And, as C.S. Lewis (who has better words than I) said, the devil is waiting in the extremes; liberal or conservative! Life is about balance and faith in God. For instance:
"Do not be over righteous, neither be overwise--why destroy yourself? Do not be overwicked, and do not be a fool--why die before your time? It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other. The man who fears God will avoid all extremes." --Ecc 7:16-18
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