Christian Conservatism

I understand why so many people are concerned about Donald Trump’s character. I am equally concerned about the character of Joe Biden. I am unable to look into the hearts of others, but a life lived—either well or not is like posting a golf score—it is up there for everybody to read. By the way if Joe Biden is a 6 or 8 handicap, I will contribute $10,000 to his campaign. Uncle Joe is just like many politicians who don’t tell the truth with any degree of frequency. But unlike most politicians, he doesn’t have the wisdom, virtue, or self-awareness to not lie about his golf handicap.

In a talk on April 15^th at Hillsdale College, John Fonte reviewed the history of modern-day conservativism. He described several waves over the past 70 years, and I believe we are seeing these waves cross each other Nationally and, in our State.

Mr. Fonte opines: “This divergence can best be understood in the context of the history of modern American conservatism, which can be broken into several waves: the first wave, symbolized by William F. Buckley, Jr. and Ronald Reagan, lasted from the mid-1950s to the end of the Cold War; the second wave, symbolized by Paul Ryan and the two Bush presidencies, ran from the 1990s to roughly the second decade of this century; and the third wave, symbolized by Jeff Sessions and Donald Trump, is ongoing.”

I believe a critical element of this review however is missing. The first wave described above and championed by Barry Goldwater was what I would call the “Ayan Rand” conservatives. Secularist and libertarian in nature and grounded in Enlightenment “natural law theory”, its primary focus was on individual liberty and sovereignty.

After 1964 a new wave of conservativism began with the emergence of Ronald Regan. This new wave incorporated historically Biblical traditions within the conservative portfolio of ideas. Evangelicals and traditional Catholics became part of the Conservative coalition. Recognizing that “Natural Law Principles were in fact grounded in Biblical and Church theology and political ecclesiastical philosophy the concepts of individual “free will” became the bases of liberty. Virtue became the necessary prerequisite for the exercise of individual rights. Recognizing that before exercising those rights there were “duties” to each other and covenants to be kept between WE THE PEOPLE and HE who endowed us with those individual rights as described in our Great Declaration.

The next wave of conservatism was championed by the Bush’s—early on and Paul Ryan. Forgoing principles of the natural law and classical liberalism (conservatism) they embraced the fads of the day including globalism, “social justice”—very different than Biblical justice, and economic corporatism. They rejected lassi-faire and unfettered markets and most importantly ushered in a “neo- Federalism” that was the antithesis of the Tenth Amendment to our Constitution.

Donald Trump has put forth his own form of Conservativism. He very much is what I call a “Realistic Nationalist”. He recognizes that America First is a necessity because we can only secure our own National and individual sovereignty and rights and that we have little control over how others govern themselves—very different than Regan. He recognizes the “plank in our own eyes” and seeks to fix that first before trying to tell other nations how to conduct themselves. He recognizes that common interests are what hold people together both within our country and with other nations. He recognizes the only way to peace is through strength and that a strong military is a necessity, and that power is best projected economically and use of the military should be a last resort.

I hope and pray that we have another GREAT AWAKENING in our country before the November election. I pray that Mr. Trump can honestly project a posture of supplicant and humble himself in the same way that Abraham Lincoln and George Washington did publicly. I pray for all our leaders, including those who are “prochoice”. I also know that the “the spirit and body” of any human being of any age, race or nationality, especially the unborn is unique and worthy of our protection. Until we as a country can insist on that proposition, and fulfill our duty as Samaritans to each other, and can provide compassion to all including mothers and the unborn and those who look different than us or come from different backgrounds, we will never approach fulfilling our part of the Divine Covenant promised to us from Genesis to Our Great Declaration. Our responsibilities have always been in front of us. WE have the “free will” to make the right “choice”, remembering always that the “choice of convenience should never take precedent to the “duty” to protect.

This to me would be the fusion of all forms of “Conservatism”. Can we call it CHRISTIAN CONSERVATISM? WE NEED ANOTHER GREAT AWAKENING.