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From: mcgeer@ucbvax.ARPA (Rick McGeer)
Newsgroups: net.politics,net.religion
Subject: Re: Schools and Churches (really 'support' for areligious moral codes)
Message-ID: <10443@ucbvax.ARPA>
Date: Sat, 21-Sep-85 20:05:56 EDT
Article-I.D.: ucbvax.10443
Posted: Sat Sep 21 20:05:56 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 22-Sep-85 23:56:49 EDT
References: <623@hou2g.UUCP> <5884@cbscc.UUCP> <1154@mhuxt.UUCP> <5906@cbscc.UUCP> <10425@ucbvax.ARPA> <5935@cbscc.UUCP>
Reply-To: mcgeer@ucbvax.UUCP (Rick McGeer)
Organization: University of California at Berkeley
Lines: 33
Xref: watmath net.politics:11122 net.religion:7735

In article <5935@cbscc.UUCP> pmd@cbscc.UUCP (unix-Paul Dubuc,x7836,1L244,59472) writes:
>In article <10425@ucbvax.ARPA> mcgeer@ucbvax.UUCP (Rick McGeer) writes:
>>	I disagree.  The primary purpose of government (I would argue the
>>sole purpose, but this debate has been going on in net.politics.theory for 
>>some time) is the protection of the lives and property of its citizens from
>>those who would take same by force.  If government does not enact and enforce
>>laws in the protection of its citizens, then it is sterile and useless, and
>>should be banished.  Hence the laws are not derived from any moral or religious
>>basis -- they are the very soul of the state, and failure to enact and enforce
>>such laws should and will be the end of the state.
>>
>>					-- Rick.
>
>But you already have in mind a certian set of moral codes for government to
>enforce.  If government acts purely in its own interests an tramples over
>all the rights (lives and property) the people supposedly have, who is going
>to call in the police.  What do you point to in order to say to that 
>government that people really do have these rights and that they ought to
>be respected.  What do you appeal to when the government says, "Well that's
>just your belief"?
>
>
>-- 
>
>Paul Dubuc 	cbscc!pmd

You appeal to the Constitution, if you have one.  If you haven't, you threaten
rebellion.  If that doesn't work, you rebel.  I have yet to see a government
yield on a major issue to moral suasion: I have seen many fall to revolution.
I suspect, cynically, that it is the constant threat of rebellion rather than
any sense of public morality that keeps governments in check.

						Rick.


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