Thursday, October 25, 2007

Clarity Resolves Differences

“Hillary is for abortion, gun control, gay rights, and so is Gulliani [sic]…”

The comparison of Rudy to Hillary in such flippant terms is dangerous.

It is my understanding that satan has successfully employed academia and the media in undermining what was once the desire of intelligent, thoughtful people in discerning and conveying objective Truth.

In reality, Giuliani is not for 'gun control' in the context of what many people understand it to mean, that by which a socialist or dictatorial regime intends on eliminating any private gun ownership. Certainly, in attempting to eradicate violent crime from the streets of NY, restricting access to and distribution of guns by unsavory characters by making the licensing procedures a little more demanding does not compare to the prescriptions of the particular ideologies and governmental philosophies that Hillary manifestly represents.

As far as the abortion issue goes, I believe that there is a real fine line one is forced to walk if one wants to participate in earthly governance.

It is the decision one makes to fight on earth for a position of authority in order to influence the course of human events for good, even if that fight forces one to observe cultural perversities which run counter to personal principle. The opposite is the abandonment of the fight all together for the sake of celestial principle, and to suffer the designs of tyrants.

I know, as a personal testimony, that Giulianni believes abortion to be an abomination. He has said so himself. He does not believe it to be a good policy in any respect. But for him to be able to make a difference and to attain a leadership role in a city that had virtually lost all morality, he had to make a sacrifice. In following the law - what all good men must do according to the LDS Church’s 12th article of faith - he had to say, as any man would say who really cares to win and as even Mitt Romney, when running for a Senate seat and the governorship of MA, had to say, that he would support the right (not a supernal right, but a terrestrial right by earthly law) of a woman to seek an abortion. If he could not say this, there would never have been an opportunity to use the influence of the position to make the needed difference.

This position stands in stark contrast to that of Hillary Clinton who fully supports abortion as a sound policy for ridding a woman of an unwanted and accidental burden, and has expressed, through her promotion of organizations like NOW and NARAL, her unconditional defense of abortion itself, not just the choice of it.

I have not studied Giulianni's position on gay rights because the executive branch of government has very little jurisdiction there. The way Rudy, or the President elect, will have any influence is through the selection of Supreme Court justices. Make no mistake, this issue alone is the most important issue facing our country's domestic policy with the potential retirement of 4 judges in the next 10 years. I am certain that he is not for redefining 'Marriage' to include gay relationships. He understands that it is individual liberty, family and small government that are the foundations of strong societies. Hillary on the otherhand, well we don't have to guess where she stands.

My point, really, and again I want to stress that I am very impressed with your knowledge on these issues. I appreciate those who take seriously the admonishment in Doctrine and Covenants 88: 118 - "...seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith.", but I worry about how, as a society, we tend not to discern differences clearly. And then to make matters worse, we communicate poorly about those details and differences, such as I have outlined above. It ruins the strength of our arguments. I see a great gulf between the ideas and policies of Rudy Giulianni and Hillary Clinton and I need to make it clear. You know, I tell my kids all the time to think clearly about what they want to say and then find the right words which will convey most effectively their message. I think it is one of the most important things we can teach our kids in order to restore a living God to this planet.

Indulge me to give a real clear example: A friend, in Church, was talking about the Constitution. He expressed that it was a 'living and breathing' document. Now, I know for a fact that he does not think that the Constitution should be interpreted differently by elite tribunals, age upon age, based on the progressive circumstances of the current society. His intent was to express that through an appropriately rigorous process, it could be amended. But this term, 'living and breathing document' was coined by the factions on the left to mean just that, that the Constitution is not a legal document defining societal order into perpetuity, but that it really is open to interpretation by the powerful Judiciary in order to prevail upon society the agendas of multi-culturists and egalitarians. So why would he use such a term in front of not a few otherwise ignorant and impressionable minds who would, having respect for his intellect and upon hearing the term somewhere else connoting the opposite of his intention, not conclude that he believes just this about it?

This is how satan works, therefore we must be very careful about the arguments we make. satan will ensure that everything we hear, see and say is somehow miscontrued (Reference C.S. Lewis - The Screwtape Letters) to benefit his annilihation of Truth, which is God.

I hope you can respect my concern?