What do you believe?

For the purpose of full disclosure, let’s say that I consider myself a conservative person. I’m officially registered to vote as an Independent, but I generally find myself voting for Republican candidates. Why, you might ask? Because of my core beliefs.

I believe marriage between a man and a woman is an institution ordained of God. I believe children have a God-given right to be born into a family with both a mother and a father, and I believe the family is the fundamental building block of our societies. I believe today’s shifting morals are breaking up the family and eroding the foundations of our existence.

I believe in smaller governments, lower taxes, capitalism, and generally efficient markets. Just because something is immoral or bad for us, I don’t believe it’s always the government’s place to legislate against it. I believe governments exist to protect the innocent and to serve and represent the people. I do not believe that people exist to serve and finance the government.

I believe judges are supposed to enforce and uphold the law, not to make it. I believe the accused deserve a fair trial, but I believe there should be consequences for our actions. People who make wise choices should be rewarded, and people who make poor choices should be penalized. I have zero tolerance for crimes against children and others who cannot protect themselves.

I believe people have an obligation to help the sick, needy, and poor, but I don’t believe that people should aspire to be sick, needy, or poor in order to receive free assistance. I believe in providing opportunities to many, but I don’t believe handing out opportunities and rewards freely builds anything but dependence. Just because one “red hen” has achieved success through hard work, I do not believe everyone around that person deserves some of his bread. (…but if I were that little red hen, I’d surely share some of my bread of my own free will…not because a law told me I had to.)

I believe I am blessed by God to live in this great country. I believe patriotism and American pride are good things, but I also believe that we should be good neighbors with others around the world. I believe that wars are sometimes necessary to protect the innocent, but I am a peace-loving person.

I believe war is a terrible experience for all involved. As such, they should be as short as possible. I believe armies should fight to win. I believe that a job worth doing is worth doing right, and a job done poorly will almost certainly come back to bite you in the end.

I believe in God. I believe in Jesus Christ. I believe that each of us in this great country has a responsibility to respect the freedoms and rights granted by our Founding Fathers (and Mothers). I believe in legal immigration, and I believe in legal emigration. I believe that if you don’t like being a part of the United States, you should consider the latter.