Paul A. Ibbetson
Why all issues are social issues
By Paul A. Ibbetson
The push continues in the political arena to minimize what have commonly been designated social issues and replace them with what are advertised as the more pressing issues of the day. The economy has grown to be the number one factor of importance in the American people's mind and if we are not careful, the American people may vote for the first presidential candidate that promises better future economic times. The economy is truly a critical issue but what is more critical is how we will judge the criteria for selecting those who will govern this country and just who we believe will ultimately take care of our nation's current economic dilemma.
The first misconception is that there is a divide between social, economic and national security issues. There never has been and there never will be more than one single designation of where these issues stand. While we might not agree on all aspects of politics, I think Joseph Farah of World Net Daily is absolutely accurate when he says that all issues are social issues. Though the nation faces challenges that cover almost every aspect of life in the United States, the answers to our country's most perplexing problems are found by answering a single question: What is the American people's relationship with God? The separation of national concerns in to areas of national security, economy and the myriad of other subcategories has done less to pinpoint strategies for solving problems and has done more to delude the national consciousness about where the answers to all of our problems can be found.
For modern-day liberals this strategy helps keep the conservative majority off balance. When Jon Stewart in his interview with Chris Wallace talks about the trivial nature of national discussions about gays in the military and gay marriage, he does so by stating that these concerns are trivial in relation to what Americans are really concerned about, jobs and the economy. Ironically, only days after the Wallace interview, New York passed a very contentious gay marriage law. Would Stewart be shocked to know that while the economy is in the doldrums, liberals still seem to care about shaping the landscape on this pivotal social issue? Hardly. The truth is that Stewart as a liberal activist knows that the more people segregate social issues into other categories, or keep them from being biblically inspected the more battles liberals will win. Liberals win because when all issues are not social issues, moral tradeoffs tend to start taking place. As the Devil offered Jesus the riches of all the lands within view for simply his allegiance, and ultimately his soul, the American people are on the verge of being offered the same deal if not from the Devil then potentially from the Republican Party. Take a look at some of the candidates that are offered as part of the rescue plan to save the country from four more years of Barack Obama.
Ron Paul advocated this year for the legalization of heroin and prostitution in the United States. Just to make sure there was no confusion over Ron Paul's moral compass on this social issue, the Texas congressman recently teamed up with Massachusetts Democrat Barney Frank to forward a bill proposal to limit the federal government's ability to keep marijuana from being legalized within the states. Former New Mexico governor and presidential hopeful Gary Johnson also supports the pro-dope platform and admits to illegally smoking marijuana in the past. Jon Huntsman, who wishes to become the Republican Party's 2012 presidential nominee, comes straight out of the Obama administration with his own history of big government spending and staunch advocacy for the purely atheistic, big government green environmentalism that America is getting to know so well. Mitt Romney, with his past lifetime pro-abortion stance, man-made global warming affinity, not to mention his own version of forced healthcare in Massachusetts, wishes to be the champion of conservative values for the Republican Party. These candidates continue to be pitched as reasonable alternatives to Barack Oabama. And why? Because they are advertised as potential saviors of the failing economy, and the economy is advertised as the ultimate concern of American life and a non-social issue. This is atrocious false advertising.
Have we as a nation drifted so far from our traditional moorings that we will believe that our country will have security and economic prosperity without the direct intervention of the Almighty? Have we truly categorized social morality and biblical responsibility so far from national consequence that it is but a third-or-fourth-tier issue of importance? If that is so, it will be reflected in more than just the Republican Party's defeat in 2012. It will be reflected in this country's utter downfall. America's exceptionalism and its blessings are directly tied to our national devotion to God. The individual responsibility to be accountable to God in all actions is the unique formula by which the citizens and government officials have been guided and rewarded throughout our history. This is not a time to stray from what is the mainstay of our greatness, the hope of our nation's salvation. This is a time that we must acknowledge that all issues are social issues and with that comes our accountability to square each one with God's laws and commandments. Our people of today and our leaders of tomorrow should not avoid, but should embrace the social standards that have traditionally brought forth not only the economic, but also the spiritual blessings of God.
© Paul A. Ibbetson
June 30, 2011
The push continues in the political arena to minimize what have commonly been designated social issues and replace them with what are advertised as the more pressing issues of the day. The economy has grown to be the number one factor of importance in the American people's mind and if we are not careful, the American people may vote for the first presidential candidate that promises better future economic times. The economy is truly a critical issue but what is more critical is how we will judge the criteria for selecting those who will govern this country and just who we believe will ultimately take care of our nation's current economic dilemma.
The first misconception is that there is a divide between social, economic and national security issues. There never has been and there never will be more than one single designation of where these issues stand. While we might not agree on all aspects of politics, I think Joseph Farah of World Net Daily is absolutely accurate when he says that all issues are social issues. Though the nation faces challenges that cover almost every aspect of life in the United States, the answers to our country's most perplexing problems are found by answering a single question: What is the American people's relationship with God? The separation of national concerns in to areas of national security, economy and the myriad of other subcategories has done less to pinpoint strategies for solving problems and has done more to delude the national consciousness about where the answers to all of our problems can be found.
For modern-day liberals this strategy helps keep the conservative majority off balance. When Jon Stewart in his interview with Chris Wallace talks about the trivial nature of national discussions about gays in the military and gay marriage, he does so by stating that these concerns are trivial in relation to what Americans are really concerned about, jobs and the economy. Ironically, only days after the Wallace interview, New York passed a very contentious gay marriage law. Would Stewart be shocked to know that while the economy is in the doldrums, liberals still seem to care about shaping the landscape on this pivotal social issue? Hardly. The truth is that Stewart as a liberal activist knows that the more people segregate social issues into other categories, or keep them from being biblically inspected the more battles liberals will win. Liberals win because when all issues are not social issues, moral tradeoffs tend to start taking place. As the Devil offered Jesus the riches of all the lands within view for simply his allegiance, and ultimately his soul, the American people are on the verge of being offered the same deal if not from the Devil then potentially from the Republican Party. Take a look at some of the candidates that are offered as part of the rescue plan to save the country from four more years of Barack Obama.
Ron Paul advocated this year for the legalization of heroin and prostitution in the United States. Just to make sure there was no confusion over Ron Paul's moral compass on this social issue, the Texas congressman recently teamed up with Massachusetts Democrat Barney Frank to forward a bill proposal to limit the federal government's ability to keep marijuana from being legalized within the states. Former New Mexico governor and presidential hopeful Gary Johnson also supports the pro-dope platform and admits to illegally smoking marijuana in the past. Jon Huntsman, who wishes to become the Republican Party's 2012 presidential nominee, comes straight out of the Obama administration with his own history of big government spending and staunch advocacy for the purely atheistic, big government green environmentalism that America is getting to know so well. Mitt Romney, with his past lifetime pro-abortion stance, man-made global warming affinity, not to mention his own version of forced healthcare in Massachusetts, wishes to be the champion of conservative values for the Republican Party. These candidates continue to be pitched as reasonable alternatives to Barack Oabama. And why? Because they are advertised as potential saviors of the failing economy, and the economy is advertised as the ultimate concern of American life and a non-social issue. This is atrocious false advertising.
Have we as a nation drifted so far from our traditional moorings that we will believe that our country will have security and economic prosperity without the direct intervention of the Almighty? Have we truly categorized social morality and biblical responsibility so far from national consequence that it is but a third-or-fourth-tier issue of importance? If that is so, it will be reflected in more than just the Republican Party's defeat in 2012. It will be reflected in this country's utter downfall. America's exceptionalism and its blessings are directly tied to our national devotion to God. The individual responsibility to be accountable to God in all actions is the unique formula by which the citizens and government officials have been guided and rewarded throughout our history. This is not a time to stray from what is the mainstay of our greatness, the hope of our nation's salvation. This is a time that we must acknowledge that all issues are social issues and with that comes our accountability to square each one with God's laws and commandments. Our people of today and our leaders of tomorrow should not avoid, but should embrace the social standards that have traditionally brought forth not only the economic, but also the spiritual blessings of God.
© Paul A. Ibbetson
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