“Why, anybody can have a brain. That's a very mediocre commodity. Every pusillanimous creature that crawls on the Earth or slinks through slimy seas has a brain. Back where I come from, we have universities, seats of great learning, where men go to become great thinkers. And when they come out, they think deep thoughts and with no more brains than you have. But they have one thing you haven't got: a diploma.”

--The Wizard of Oz to the Scarecrow
"I know I chatter on far too much...but if you only knew how many things I want to say and don't. Give me SOME credit." --Anne Shirley, Anne of Green Gables, PBS, 1985

Monday, September 13, 2010

Total depravity = small government

Why am I an advocate of small government?

The answer to this question seems to me to be a no-brainer.

I am an advocate of small government because I am a five-point Calvinist Christian.

Specifically, I believe that mankind in general and all men in particular are in every facet of their humanity affected by Adam's fall into sin. This belief lends itself to advocating a decentralized civil government with the greatest number of powers being exercised by the individual people themselves since the ability of one citizen to tyrannize another is extremely small.

As groups of citizens band together and create rules of behavior, (towns, cities) they must delegate the enforcement of rules to a minority, (sheriffs, police, and judges) who have at their disposal pre-legalized, overwhelming force. For this reason the extent of their powers must be severely limited.

This principle continues up from individuals to the Federal level because of man's propensities to tyrannize his fellows.
Posted by Dan B. at 11:27 AM
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1 comment:

  1. Dan B.September 13, 2010 at 1:31 PM

    Because I ran out of space in my last post I will add to it here.

    I do not believe that this principle will solve all problems involving some men tyrannizing others.
    It would, however limit tyranny's scope.

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