I have no illusions that I would ever be able to fully define the difference to change the minds of those following today’s current brand of toxic liberalism.  Working for a Bank, I learned that the best way to determine the counterfeit was to know the real so well that any flaw would stand out like a sore thumb.  I have learned in studying the Bible the value of understanding.

Therefore, my approach in this article will not be to fully define the difference between conservatism and liberalism but to highlight what conservatism is and hopefully extol its values.  If the term liberal, when referring to politics and modern ideology, were simply the desire to help people in the best way possible, I would not be opposed to it.  Sadly, the followers of today’s liberalism are not seeking the best good but control and desire to force everyone to comply with their agenda, definitions, and ideologies.  That negates the freedom of thought and speech and is counter to reason.  Making everyone the same will not solve the world’s problems.

I have heard some argue that Conservatives need to return to the fundamental principles of the Republican Party.  That may sound good, but when those advancing that idea are pressed to define and detail what they mean, they seldom have an answer.  Instead, I hear the rhetorical diatribe about mean tweets, harsh words, fighting back, and things associated with the MAGA movement. 

If returning to fundamental principles of the Republican Party means embracing the mindset of Romney, McCain, McConnell, Cornyn, and many others, they are suggesting a move toward liberalism and elitism, not conservatism.  The Republican and Democratic Parties are groupings that evolve and have morphed over time.  In contrast, core values, ideological stances, and philosophies tend to be more static and unchanging.  My core beliefs regarding the Bible do not change, and my commitment to conservatism has not waivered, and there are reasons why.

In today’s toxic world, we have observed our educational system and the philosophy of education transform into a political and ideological weapon seeking to brainwash entire generations.  Today we have schoolchildren of all ages being exposed to and indoctrinated through sexually explicit material. They are being taught to embrace the lifestyles and actions of drag queens, gender blending, sexual confusion, and the devaluing of the home and family.  The Bible has become a prime target of liberalism; if they could, they would outlaw any usage of the Bible anywhere.  Those who embrace the text and truth of God’s word are considered haters and deserving of eradication.

We have a plethora of misinformation and conflicting information medically that has crescendoed to the point that politicians seem unable to define what a woman or a man is.  Basic biology has been tossed aside, and scientific evidence through understanding chromosomes and DNA has been rewritten to embrace the politically correct.  The agenda advanced is antithetical to biblical reason, science, and common sense. 

Pornography is prevalent, and nothing is off-limits in advertising.  There is a concerted effort to make traditional marriage and family dinosaurs stripping society of its moral moorings.  Our economy has been shredded in the push for the advancement of the Green Energy ideology ignoring reality, science, and factual data available.  We are seeing policies that are plunging our republic into economic disaster, with hyperinflation being defined as the new normal rather than allowing the free market to work as designed.

Hate has become prevalent and accepted as righteous by far too many.  There is no justification for hate other than hatred of sin and the evil it produces in destroying lives.  Hating each other based on skin color, religious beliefs, sexual preference, or political views only brings more hate and destruction.  We have moved away from the ideal presented by our Founders of each person having inalienable rights, including the right to think, speak, and believe what we believe.

Russell Kirk has offered the view that conservatism is not an ideology but “a state of mind, a type of character, a way of looking at the civil social order.”  That needs to be unpacked in more depth, and he outlined the core of political conservatism.  His view is worthy of consideration, and then we must develop and establish our own view of conservatism and/or liberalism.  Our core values will determine which camp we align ourselves with.

I will briefly list Kirk’s Ten Principles of Conservatism and move to my ultimate purpose in this article. 

• Conservatives believe that there exists an enduring moral order.  That order is made for man, and man is made for it: human nature is constant, and moral truths are permanent.
• Conservatives adhere to custom, convention, and continuity.
• Conservatives believe in what may be called the principle of prescription.
• Conservatives are guided by their principle of prudence.
• Conservatives pay attention to the principle of variety.
• Conservatives are chastened by their principle of imperfectability.
• Conservatives uphold voluntary community, quite as they oppose involuntary collectivism.
• Conservatives perceive the need for prudent restraints upon power and upon human passion.
• Conservatives understand that a vigorous society must recognize and reconcile permanence and change.

That cannot be viewed as a codified dogma.  It is a springboard to deeply evaluate and reevaluate our principles and what the Republican Party should be and stand for.  If we are to achieve the victory that results in restoring Limited Government to the Republic, we must learn, as did Ronald Reagan, how to articulate our values so that people understand them and are swayed by them. 

I am not suggesting that the attack dog approach is good or bad, but if we alienate people before we can advance our views, desires, suggestions, and ideological positions, we have no chance of restoration.  The Book of Ecclesiastes says there is a time for everything.  Extrapolating the truth in that Book and the Bible, I believe there is a time to fight and a time to be silent.  Jesus demonstrated that principle powerfully in going into the Temple, tossing out the corruption, and in His complete silence before Pilate. 

We must know what we believe and why we believe it and learn to articulate those views.  We need to become committed to the cause of Freedom and examine the dangers of entitlement, the damage done by violating God’s primary design for humanity and ignoring the value of all lives and the need for people to think, have the ability to voice their views, and to live in freedom.  America has been a Great Nation largely because we embraced the Founders’ core values, which are rooted in the Bible and dedicated to the principle of individual freedom.

It is time to reexamine the founding principles that resulted in the formation of the Republic and recommit to those principles.  Freedom is not free but worth fighting for.  Censorship and forced compliance are not an example of freedom. It is the precursor to tyranny, despotism, and slavery.  I believe the only pathway to restoration is God and embracing the core principles of individual rights and the constitution.  I am a conservative because I believe in Freedom for Everyone, not just those of a particular ideology. 

God bless you, and God bless America!