Character Mediates Liberty
We all want liberty... as long as society seems to be under control. When crime and corruption abound, we cry for government to exercise more power. You see, personal liberty and governmental control are the two sides of a balance scale...
We all want liberty... as long as society seems to be under control. When crime and corruption abound, we cry for government to exercise more power. You see, personal liberty and governmental control are the two sides of a scale. The scale’s balancing point is determined by the relative character of the population. As the character of the public decreases, government control must increase to maintain public order. To maximize personal liberty, we must first raise the character level of the population; merely decreasing government will allow the wicked to prosper to the detriment of all.
America’s founding generations were well aware of this. George Washington reflected this concern in his “Farewell Address.” He even went as far as to say that “refined education” (a parallel to secular education?) was inadequate to shape the necessary morality. In his words, “Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens. The mere politician, equally with the pious man, ought to respect and to cherish them. A volume could not trace all their connections with private and public felicity. Let it simply be asked: Where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths which are the instruments of investigation in courts of justice ? And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.” President George Washington, 1796.
Further, the balance between liberty and government power is unstable. Humans are not only limited in their abilities, but they tend to crave power, which, as Lord Acton noted, “corrupts.” Thus, as public character decreases, government opens the doors of power to more people who, tend to use it negligently or self-servingly. This in turn accelerates the decline of liberty. Since it is more difficult to build public morality than it is to increase government power, the ideal of personal liberty is always endangered. It is especially endangered when the tools to shape the morality of children are neglected or disfavored. America faces both. Many parents neglect the moral instruction of their children at home and then send them to secular schools where moral instruction is shallow.
The next election may bring “change,” but unless the “change” leads to a growth of personal character, our liberties will continue to diminish. Thus, questions as to whether more or less government is “good” exceed the complexity of most liberal/conservative political discussions. I support personal liberty as a God given concern. I also know that the human heart is difficult to tame. Thus, I support vibrant Christian schooling as both a personal and a social good, and SACE is working to make publicly supportive religious schools available to all families.
America’s founding generations were well aware of this. George Washington reflected this concern in his “Farewell Address.” He even went as far as to say that “refined education” (a parallel to secular education?) was inadequate to shape the necessary morality. In his words, “Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens. The mere politician, equally with the pious man, ought to respect and to cherish them. A volume could not trace all their connections with private and public felicity. Let it simply be asked: Where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths which are the instruments of investigation in courts of justice ? And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.” President George Washington, 1796.
Further, the balance between liberty and government power is unstable. Humans are not only limited in their abilities, but they tend to crave power, which, as Lord Acton noted, “corrupts.” Thus, as public character decreases, government opens the doors of power to more people who, tend to use it negligently or self-servingly. This in turn accelerates the decline of liberty. Since it is more difficult to build public morality than it is to increase government power, the ideal of personal liberty is always endangered. It is especially endangered when the tools to shape the morality of children are neglected or disfavored. America faces both. Many parents neglect the moral instruction of their children at home and then send them to secular schools where moral instruction is shallow.
The next election may bring “change,” but unless the “change” leads to a growth of personal character, our liberties will continue to diminish. Thus, questions as to whether more or less government is “good” exceed the complexity of most liberal/conservative political discussions. I support personal liberty as a God given concern. I also know that the human heart is difficult to tame. Thus, I support vibrant Christian schooling as both a personal and a social good, and SACE is working to make publicly supportive religious schools available to all families.
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