The Forum > Article Comments > Values, government and liberalism: not so strange bedfellows > Comments
Values, government and liberalism: not so strange bedfellows : Comments
By John Humphreys, published 24/8/2005John Humphreys argues to defend liberalism and against the governments' role in shaping values.
- Pages:
-
- 1
- Page 2
-
- All
That threat of force, in turn is based on the basic agreed values of the social contract participants.
So, the question becomes as I see it, "Where do we draw the line between basic freedoms and enforcable values". I guess that is the main issue between left/right.
From what I observe, the 'left' views values like
-Freedom of Sexual orientation
-Welfare State
-Gender Equality
-Freedom of migration
as being very important, while the 'right' views these issues as requiring a degree of guidance.
On the surface, it might seem petty to squabble over such things. But I guess the 'right' believes that undesirable social consequences will occur if no guidance/limits are placed on those things.
Let me give an alternative view, the biblical one :) you knew that was coming though didn't u ...
The basic 'do for others as you would have them do for you' is the best guide. If applied to Gender for example, and in the frame work of the Biblical teaching on male female roles I don't really see a problem. I do see a problem if the 'whole' biblical picture is not followed (I'm referring to the New Testament here) where a man might demand his wife 'obey' him but will not 'Love her as Christ loved the Church'
Welfare State.
The old testament has some very specific teaching on this. The main point being that those who prosper (with fields/crops) are not to harvest to the nth degree, so that the 'alien and widow' can glean leftovers and survive
I won't go to the other issues, they might cause a verbal volcano :)