Friday, August 29, 2008

Well put

From an essay over the recent efforts to lower the legal drinking age:

It might be unwise for many adults to drink, but surely few should wish the state to begin banning all unwise actions. Most of us who have our share (or more!) of folly would scarcely be able to move under such a regime!

Every time the state removes a choice from citizens, it risks making children of them. A republic depends on people who can make moral decisions for themselves. If we cannot, the state will not long survive no matter what laws are made. The power given to the state in order to enforce laws is also dangerous. The more laws, the greater the police power of the state. Any good done must be weighed against this grave potential threat to liberty.

Conservative Christians, who have been martyred in the millions by abusive state power in the last century, have no reason to trust expansive state power. In very grave situations, such as abortion which takes an innocent human life, we support increasing legal restrictions on bad choices, but it does not follow that we should support every such restriction.

We need to distinguish between unwise choices with the potential for self-destruction and selfish choices that harm more than the person making the decision. Government should be concerned with the latter. Any government powerful enough to try to save you from yourself will never allow you to BE yourself.

(HT: Evangelical Outpost)

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