Harnessing Leviathan

Many well-meaning Christians probably have a hard time considering Ron Paul for the presidency. That's regrettable, considering his Statement of Faith:

I have never been one who is comfortable talking about my faith in the political arena. In fact, the pandering that typically occurs in the election season I find to be distasteful. But for those who have asked, I freely confess that Jesus Christ is my personal Savior, and that I seek His guidance in all that I do. I know, as you do, that our freedoms come not from man, but from God. My record of public service reflects my reverence for the Natural Rights with which we have been endowed by a loving Creator.

Paul's personal life and family accomplishments are noteworthy and demonstrate integrity. Unfortunately, the leaders of the activist "Religious Right" are less interested in personal credentials than they are a candidate's willingness to wield government power in a manner they find acceptable.

Therein lies the problem. Aside from Paul, every single candidate--regardless of party--is campaigning on the basis of how they will use government to solve various problems. None are arguing whether government should even be involved in so many areas of our lives; they merely argue over priorities. This has been the case for decades, and it's why our government is far larger and more powerful than anything the Founders could reasonably have imagined or intended. ("What? Using eminent domain to seize property to enhance tax revenue? Where's my musket!!)

Because Paul's consistency means he will not use blunt government power to proscribe things he personally disagrees with, he will be painted as soft on morality and drugs. The "Values Voters" will gravitate to Huckabee, who uses the right codewords, but is merely the sequel to Dubya.

I believe this is one of our last opportunities to step back and assess just how intrusive we want government to be in pursuit of various pet agendas, whether moral, economic, foreign intervention or other. It's worth saying again: "a government strong enough to give you everything you want is strong enough to take away everything you have." We've empowered government to wage "war" on poverty, crime, drugs and now "terror." All that concentrated power will inevitably be at war with something else: individual freedom. When you try to harness Leviathan to your pet project, be prepared for it to turn on you.