Understanding Government

I’m bound to offend people by starting this series of posts about politics. But I figure I’ve spend the last 18 months doing it already; continuing to do it isn’t going to change much. I still have the same group of friends, most people still seem to like me, so what do I have to loose, right?I’ve struggled for some time about whether I should devote energy to explaining my politics in depth. I follow Jesus, and helping other follow Him is what I live my life for. Why then would political discussion have a place in my writing? Wouldn’t it cause division?

I believe everything connects. That ideas have consequences. That politics affect life. That to stand aside and say nothing is irresponsible.

We are not taught systematic politics in our education system (unless you are a political major). Our political ideas are formed mostly through osmosis – the media, friends, what sounds sort-of-right, a professors offhanded comment. The problem with osmosis is that it only provides soundbites, not foundations. My goal is to present a gridwork of how to think about the role of government without the dry “please kill me now” boredom of reading dead people’s writings about economic theory, philosophy and politics.

I don’t claim to be some political theory guru. I can’t imagine that I’m writing anything terribly original. My thoughts are a conglomeration of other people’s ideas, mostly without my even realizing where it came from (my own osmosis). Unfortunately, I am human and will make mistakes, although I will by trying my hardest to remain consistent in my arguments. They should all be in alignment and support each other. Please let me know if I’m contradicting myself.

I will say that I am heavily influenced by the Bible. I know there are people who will read this who either reject the Bible outright, or believe that it has no place being referenced in political discussion. I am a firm believer that truth is truth, regardless of the source. I will make an effort to provide support for my positions with scripture and without. However, I can’t apologize for referencing scripture; it runs through my blood and exists in my DNA.

Some brief rules before we start: This is political writing, so you will invariably disagree with me and commenters at some point. Disagreement is fine; however, name calling is not. I reserve the right to delete anyone’s comments for any reason at any time. I’m not out to censor ideas, but I will be censoring personal attacks and insults. If you want to post that stuff, great. Freedom of speech and all that. You just can’t do it here. Go do it on your own blog. This is the principle of private property in action. If you stick to simple logical arguments, we’ll be fine.

I hope my writing helps you develop your own understanding of government. It’d be great if you’d come to agree with me, but we can still be friends even if you don’t. People first, politics a very distant second. Happy reading!