From: utzoo!decvax!ucbvax!ucbcad:tektronix!tekmdp!dadla!dadla-b!hutch
Newsgroups: net.religion
Title: Re: The basis for laws in our culture
Article-I.D.: dadla-b.408
Posted: Thu Mar 31 11:39:01 1983
Received: Sat Apr  2 06:48:11 1983
References: unc.4867

I agree with Tim Maroney on this one.  The original article under this
discussion was one by Steve Den Beste, for those who didn't catch his
name.  My own articles will always appear with "...hutch" in the address
since Steve is not an uncommon name.

Anyway, Tim makes a valid point.  The traditional religious position is
that there must be a set of absolutes underlying any set of laws, and
while I think this would be nice, it is just impractical in a world where
human fallibility prevents us from grasping and agreeing on those
absolutes.  Pragmatism is as good a place as any to start, and the rights
of society are pragmatically based on the rights of individuals.  (I
think this last statement summarizes Tim's point.)

Have I ever stated publicly that I am philosophically an anarchist?
That is, I believe that since there is no way that any human government
can possibly be obedient to the will of God, that any attempt to make
such a government is futile.  I obey the law, mostly because I find
myself in a situation where failure to do so is in defiance of what I
believe to be the Laws of God.  I also think that it is dangerous and
uncharitable (in the sense of lacking in God's merciful love) to expect
everyone to obey the Laws that God gives, without the power to do so
which He grants.  Therefore, I resist the attempts of those of my own
faith to install our moral laws as the laws of the land, except where
those laws can be determined clearly to be derivable from the basic rights
of the individual.  As a counterpoint, though, I feel that it is my
responsibility to try and prevent any laws which would force me to
violate my own moral laws, as well as any of the derivable basic rights
of individuals.  Since there is no fair way for "society" to decide
what laws can abridge the rights of individuals, in what ways, but
since some such laws must be made, I have to make the best of this
rotten situation.

Politically,

Steve Hutchison