American Clarity Essays political, philosophical, and theological from an American romantic.

26. April 2012

The evil of disorder

Filed under: natural law and rights,philosophy,Theology,worldview — admin @ 15:36

If one has spent any serious amount of time talking about politics with his neighbors, he’s sure to have heard someone say that “we all want the same things.”

At first the saying seems benign, a somewhat understanding and peaceful approach to political conversation, a suggestion that despite disagreement, neither party is evil, nor any countryman an enemy.  But in reality, behind the mask of camaraderie and tolerance, and perhaps even deeper than the intentions of its professors, lies an ideology extremely harmful to society at large.  For evils don’t often manifest themselves in total opposition to any universally positive quality.  Instead, persuading with a charming tone and appealing oftentimes to the same qualities which noble men hold dear, they simply rearrange the manner in which those qualities take precedence over one another. (more…)

16. April 2012

Biblical justice for Trayvon and Zimmerman

Filed under: cultural/racial,natural law and rights — admin @ 16:04

Though repentance comes neither easily, nor is its public admission always comfortably professed, the sacred interest of justice requires that man bow his ego to heaven, and when he has erred, to ask for apology.  When in recent weeks I saw angry mobs marching against a man accused of murder, I stood in his defense, claiming that his accusers overstepped their boundaries, acting not in justice, but in historical and malicious revenge. My position on his accusers’ character has not changed: I still believe many of them to be irrational, unjust, and quite frankly, dangerous to civilization itself.  But after careful consideration, I now believe the American system to have become so perverted from a Biblical standard, that both sides can now properly be considered victims. (more…)

13. April 2012

Lessons from Rome about liberal unity

Filed under: Uncategorized — admin @ 16:03

Rome, I have been told by a certain Titus Livius, was a city founded upon the principle of clemency.  Romulus, knowing well that his survival depended partially upon numbers, granted safe haven to any man, foreigner or Italian alike, in search of a new life.  The city being filled with men on the lam, it soon took on a reputation of its own: Rome was known as a place in which aspiring Mediterranean foreigners could forego social and legal encumbrances and, if they had particular nobility of character — or at least, an upwardly mobile one –, could thrive according to their own personal merits. (more…)

10. April 2012

Reflections on Kony 2012: why liberal charities make me angry

Filed under: foreign policy,natural law and rights,politics — admin @ 15:19

Though liberal charities oftentimes have an overwhelmingly positive appeal, there exists a portion of men to whom such charities inspire at least a mild revulsion.  The type of charitable cause is practically irrelevant; it might be for Haiti, or AIDS, or perhaps in this most recent case, it might involve bringing justice to the Ugandan children terrorized by an inhuman warlord. But though the causes may vary, the reaction is the same; support is refused, and the rebels are left with an uncomfortable feeling of dissatisfaction, an emotional confusion which understands, on one hand, that charity itself is oftentimes (though not always) intrinsically noble. But on the other, it understands that support must not be given. (more…)

Race mobs, Trayvon, and my conversion to conservatism

Filed under: cultural/racial — admin @ 01:24

Trayvon Martin’s story, in recent days, has caught fire to the heart of our nation.  The smoldering coals of racial envy and mistrust have been fanned into full flame, insensible and devious mobs are forming; it seems, in fact, that the so-called age of racial reconciliation hasn’t yielded advance at all, but simply ceded further public liberties to jealous factions.  But if one is careful, some light can be seen on the horizon.  In fact, my own conversion from radical liberalism to Christian conservatism began from racial strife, and I believe that these unfortunate racial troubles can be employed to undermine leftist causes.  Below, in naked honesty, my tale is told. (more…)

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