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Weekly Muse
My humble opinion on
current events
November 5, 2001
What I Believe
Thought we'd do something a little
different with the Weekly Muse this week. I've been writing this column
for about two months now, and while I mentioned in the first one that I
write from a conservative/libertarian perspective, I've yet to expand on
my own personal philosophy. So, here goes. This is what I think and why
I think it. Let me know what you think.
- I believe the Bible is the true and
inspired Word of God. I believe the Scriptures should be interpreted
literally, except in the many and obvious cases where the language
and prose are symbolic. I believe Jesus Christ is my personal Savior
and the one and only path to salvation. I believe God created the
world in six days, not six hundred million years. I believe there
was a worldwide flood. I believe that Christianity is the one true
religion and all others are false. I believe that all people are
sinners and in need of repentance. I believe that all people are
children of God and deserve fair, equal, and respectful treatment,
regardless of race or creed. I believe in the Golden Rule and loving
thy neighbor as thyself. I believe that while I strive to live in
such a manner, I will inevitably fail because I am an imperfect
human being, thus underscoring a true need for a Savior.
- I believe that people are endowed
with basic human rights, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of
happiness. I believe all people are entitled to life and liberty but
not happiness - that is up to each individual to discover, as he or
she chooses. I believe governments must protect life and liberty but
should leave citizens free to pursue happiness. I believe government
cannot provide happiness, merely the proper framework in which
citizens may pursue it.
- I believe taxation is theft. I
believe government should be small, limited, but strong. I believe
the United States Government should be limited to the duties and responsibilities
laid out for it in the Constitution. I believe the Constitution, as
written and amended, is the best system ever devised by man to
establish a government. I believe many government programs, from
Social Security to corporate welfare to the Department of Education
to farm subsidies to the National Endowment for the Arts are
unconstitutional. I believe the private sector and local governments
can provide all of these services at a lower cost with higher
benefits. I believe it is immoral to forcibly take money from one
citizen and give it to another. I believe free people should not be
forced to give the fruits of their labor to someone else. I believe
in private charity and charitable institutions, free from government
regulation and control. I believe the income tax should be repealed
and replaced with nothing. I believe government should live within
its means and return any and all surpluses to the taxpayer, because
it is not the government's money.
- I believe the right to life extends
to the unborn, who did not ask to be conceived and have done nothing
to deserve death. I believe abortion is the taking of a human life.
I believe Roe vs. Wade should be repealed. I believe the federal
government, consistent with its constitutional duty to protect
life and liberty, should make abortion illegal, except when the
woman's life is in danger, and rape and incest. I believe abortion
provides irresponsible people (men and women) a way to duck the
consequences of their own wrong choices. I believe an unborn child
should not pay for those choices with his or her life.
- I believe all people should be
treated equally. I do not believe in race-based discrimination or
preferential treatment. I believe affirmative action is merely a
pleasant-sounding euphemism for discrimination. I believe that those
who support racial preferences and quotas support discrimination, as
long as their own favorite segment of society benefits. I believe
this is hypocritical and harmful to race relations and racial
justice. I believe reparations for slavery are misguided and
poisonous. I believe that those alive today are in no way
responsible for the activities of billions of people in all
countries that engaged in the slave trade, and thus should not be
forced to pay for them.
- I believe the Second Amendment
protects the God-given right of people to defend themselves and
their families. I believe gun control laws violate that right and
lead to more violent societies.
- I believe Stephen King is the
greatest American writer in history.
- I believe Anne Robinson, the
hostess of NBC's The Weakest Link, is good for America. Tune in next
week to find out why.
- I believe I am very, very happy
that the Arizona Diamondbacks won the World Series.
I believe I am not done explaining
what I believe and will reveal more next week.
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