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Sex. Relationships. What is allowed on TV, radio, in print, and the Internet. What is the best environment to raise children. Which bathrooms are people allowed to use. These types of subjects are often classified as “the Social Issues”. This will be the subject we tackle here.

America was founded on freedom and liberty. However, if you read what the Founders wrote in both public and private correspondence you will see that the freedom and liberty they longed to establish is grounded in a bedrock of morality and virtue. To them the word freedom didn’t just mean doing anything you felt like doing. “If it feels good, do it” is a phrase from the 1960’s. Not the 1760’s. Our Founders would’ve totally rejected such a philosophy. And so should we. We must understand that true freedom doesn’t mean doing what you want to do. It means doing what you ought to do.

We are often told that we cannot legislate morality. This is of course an utter fallacy. Every law made is an establishment of morality. One kind of morality or another. Laws against murder are legislation of morality. Laws against stealing are legislation of morality. Laws making it illegal to discriminate based on race are legislation of morality. ALL laws, of any kind, are legislation of morality. To avoid legislating morality is to avoid legislating at all. And then we would have complete anarchy. Which is one of the furthest things from freedom and liberty that can be found. Acting virtuously brings joy, which is long lasting. Acting without virtue can at best only bring pleasure, which is fleeting.

Having established that fact we must now make a collective decision as a group as to what moral code to follow and which virtues we hold to be important. These decisions will be questioned and argued about as each individual brings their own opinions to the discussion. And each individual will bring their opinions which are based in their own system of beliefs as to what is right and wrong. And this system on which they make their decisions as to what is right and wrong is properly called their religion. Thus establishing another vitally important point. Everyone is a member of a religion. Everyone. Even Atheists and Agnostics. These are religions as surely as any of the organizations that are commonly referred to in that way. The choice in the public square is which religion we will choose to follow. Not whether or not we will choose to follow one at all.

Learning and knowledge when not based in a religion that is steady and little changing in its basic principles is very dangerous. And doesn’t lead to enhancement of virtue, but rather the erosion and corruption of it. And without virtue there can be no liberty. And liberty after all is the overriding object of Americanism. Thus to be a true American, and to fully realize our promise and opportunity as given us by our Founders, we must firmly ground ourselves in virtue. Must one be a member of a traditionally referred to religion? Certainly not! Must one be a Christian like I am to have virtue? Definitely not! I know many members of the religions of Atheism and Agnosticism that exhibit virtues very similar to my own, and very much in line with Americanism. In fact there are members of all religions that adhere very closely to the virtues and values of Americanism. And there are members of all religions that do not display the virtues and values of Americanism. Thus the reason behind the prohibition of the establishment of a national religion. However, this does not unmoor us from the base already established, that religion is a must have to achieve virtue, and that virtue is the only way to achieve liberty – (aka Americanism).

In our day and age our society has deviated much too far from our base in terms of sexual behavior and accepted practice. The so-called “Sexual Revolution” has done enormous damage to our society. My personal belief is that the joys of sex are only to be experienced within the relationship of marriage between a man and a woman. All other sex is an aberration and will bring hurt, pain, and trouble to those that engage in it. Thus, I am opposed to sex before marriage, sex between humans and non-humans, sex between humans of the same gender, and sex with one’s self. I am also opposed to divorce except for extreme cases. And in terms of both sex and divorce our society has become far too accepting of both activities in their inappropriate forms. And the consequences of unwanted pregnancies, abortion – (aka baby murder), sexually transmitted diseases, and the far more common but just as devastating emotional struggles that go along with broken and incomplete relationships are clearly on the rise in the last 50 years. Making a group decision in this arena as to what is “acceptable” or “normal” will be fiercely argued about as such decisions are at the same time so personal and private, but also so vital to our human happiness. However, I think it is clear that we have swung quite a good piece out of proper balance and the results of those choices are causing us to reap consequences which we don’t want. Immorality in many forms is currently accepted, but in this arena of sexual behavior I believe it is most stark, debasing, and dangerous.

Having said that however, I don’t believe it is part of Americanism to have our Federal Government getting involved in such personal and private activities and decisions. Who someone is having sex with – (as long as it is consensual between adults) – and who they are having a marriage relationship with is really none of the Federal Government’s business. I don’t believe we should be taking a stance legally at the national level of any kind on marriage. Americanism, since we were founded as a republic, is to allow such decisions to be made by state and local governments that will follow the will of their local constituencies in those matters.

It is not freedom or liberty to force a baker to bake. Or a musician to play. Or a poet to write. Or a florist to arrange decorations. That is tyranny. Choosing the winner. Yet today allowing this freedom is called bigotry and discrimination. We have it all backwards in that respect. Compelling another person to accept and approve of your lifestyle choice is not a check on their bigotry, but is a demonstration of your own.

It is not freedom to increase the risk of assault and harassment by giving the option to sexual predators to use whatever bathroom facilities they would like. For the protection of all we must keep these spaces where intimate physical actions take place, increasing the vulnerability of people while there, safe for all.

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