Carnival of Principled Government

Welcome to the 16th Carnival of Principled Government!

The following posts are written by various bloggers who share their perspective on the essential ideas of liberty. Please pour yourself a cup of tea and take a break from holiday preparations to read some of these thoughtful submissions.

Government

We use the word government a lot, but what does it mean? Webster’s 1828 Dictionary defines government as direction, regulation, control, and restraint.

Government should restrain criminals from committing heinous acts. But can morality be legislated?

• Read April’s answer in the post That’s What I’ve Been Saying at Question the Culture.

Laws can be enforced as consistently as possible, but they will never remove the problem of evil. Freedom is not found in punishment and fear. So where does liberty originate?

• ThirstyJon says it begins with the individual. Find out more in his post Internal to External found at The Thirst for Freedom.
• The Philosophy of Liberty is discussed by Shaun Connell at his blog The Rebirth of Freedom Foundation.

Liberty

Liberty is foremost birthed in the heart. Individuals who risked their lives for this idea fill the pages of history: the Maccabees, the Scottish chiefs, the nobles who forced the King of England to sign the Magna Charta, and a few who sailed the expanse of ocean in order to worship freely.

• The Pilgrim’s Success, or The Thanksgiving Story Part 2 is examined at Liberty’s Law, The U.S. Constitution.
• Louise Manning tells of Two visionary men posted at The Human Imprint.

Self-government culminated in a nation founded on a principle of individual rights. These rights are self-evident, given by Creator, not a king.

• Jason Hughey expounds on this in Part 1: What is a Conservative: An Understanding of Natural Law posted at Logical Consistency.

The civil government exists to protect our rights, not to give them. If the government gives us our rights they can also take them away.

We have the right to life.

• Dana, the carnival’s founder, examines how the desire for a sense of security can affect our freedom in Thoughts on the Westroads Mall shooting at Principled Discovery.
• Phil for Humanity shares An Analysis of Reasons for Allowing and Denying Gun Ownership.

We have the right to liberty.

• Consent of the Governed addresses the issue of privacy in Cell Phones As Tracking Devices And How 4th Amendment Rights Are Being Abused.
• Tiffany Washko warns us in Action Alert: Vaccinate Your Kids or Else! posted at Natural Family Living Blog.
• Susan of Corn and Oil discusses Compulsory Attendance.

We have the right to pursue happiness.

• Charles H. Green gives some satirical business advice in How To Get Your Industry Regulated, in 6 Easy Lesson posted at Trust Matters.

Responsibility

We are responsible for our protecting our liberty. One way to do this is by voting.

• Charity shares What I Look for in a Man (Who is Running for President) at her blog She’s Right.
• Casey’s Critical Thinking discusses bilingual ballots in the post Americanize America’s Immigrants.
• Will Conway informs us that Venezuela almost voted more of their rights away in the post Narrow Miss at Regarding Liberty.

I am thankful for the freedom we have today. The Declaration of Independence is not just for America. The principles it contains lead to liberty. May freedom ring not only from sea to shining sea, but from nation to noble nation.

I hope you enjoyed this edition of the Carnival of Principled Government. If you would like to submit an article for next month’s carnival, please use this form.

Veterans Salute- Freedom is not Free

Our freedom comes at a great price. Gratitude can never repay the sacrifice. Nevertheless, it is all we can give.

This video is a tribute to American soldiers who have fought for liberty. Watch the history of American wars depicted through art that immortalizes the gratitude of a nation.

Voting for Freedom

Our pastor admonished us to vote Tuesday. The wide-eyed expression I gave my husband revealed my surprise. Was Election Day so imminent? Then someone in the congregation mentioned the sixteen propositions every Texas voter faces.

You have to be prepared when you go to the voting booths.

So finally tonight, November 5, I started my research. What was I thinking? The proposed Constitutional amendments are overwhelming. I have some principles to guide me, but, even still, it is hard to decipher the full implications of any law especially in our bureaucracy.

In an election sermon from J. Wingate Thornton’s The Pulpit of the American Revolution written in 1860, Payson said,

The slavery of a people is generally founded in ignorance of some kind or another.

Admittedly, I am rather ignorant about this ballot, but I am not ignorant of my heart’s desire to be free. Payson further explains,

It is no easy matter to deceive or conquer a people determined to be free…The baneful effects of exorbitant wealth, the lust of power, and other evil passions, are so inimical [repugnant] to a free, righteous government, and find such an easy access to the human mind, that it is difficult, if possible, to keep up the spirit of good government, unless the spirit of liberty prevails in the state.

Are we determined to be free? It takes effort to fight against the passions and passiveness of our society. Early Americans did not take the easy way. The unalienable rights they fought to keep are now ours to perpetuate. Seeking wisdom and virtue, instead of entertainment and comfort, is a good place to start.

Payson’s election sermon is reprinted in The Christian History of the Constitution.

American History for the Nations

I was blessed to attend Youth with a Mission’s Teachers for the Nations school in Tyler, TX. I don’t remember exactly how many nations were represented in my school, but we had quite a variety. My classmates were from Zimbabwe, South Africa, Nepal, Latin America, and even Canada, of all places. They all came to the United States to study America’s Christian history. They wanted to understand the principles of liberty so they could impact their nations, not to turn them into America, but to fulfill God’s plan for their country.

I believe one of the misunderstanding about the Principle Approach is that it is just about America. Yes, there is a focus on the history of this country, but how can we love other nations until we love our own? Love is the only thing that will empower individuals to reach out to their neighbor. Love will inspire the study of history to see what God has done and is doing.

The individuals I studied with had a passion for their countries. They loved their nations so much they studied about the founding of America for a whole year, because they realized the liberty we have in this nation is from God. They knew that the best way to bless their neighbors was to learn where liberty comes from, how it spreads, and how to protect it.

Isaiah 9:7 says, “There will be no end to the increase of His government.” Christ’s government is not just for America. He is working in every tongue, tribe, and nation. Liberty is for everyone, first internally and then externally. I can’t wait to see were Christian self government will triumph again!

-originally posted on the bibleprinciples yahoo group-