Virtue

I had an interesting discussion with an experienced university professor the other night. He knew with absolute certainty that he was right about many topics: He makes no charitable contributions, because since not everyone may be relied upon the be virtuous only the state should provide charity. He is certain that Ronald Reagan was an idiot and that the Soviet Union collapsed of its own internal failings. Jesus Christ is a myth to this learned man. National Health is an unalloyed blessing to Great Britain and all its clients receive excellent care. Those who earn more should pay a larger share of their earnings in tax, because it is most fair. I am relieved to report we did not discuss former President George W. Bush. He holds these views with - shall we say - religious fervor. He is virtuous.

The root of virtue is a Latin word for manly strength. Through the miracle of common use, the word has become emblematic of moral excellence. We accomplish something by virtue of some attribute or behavior, and the virtue in this case means through the strength of that attribute or behavior.

Notably, strength is neither innately good nor bad. "He robbed the widow by virtue of his cupidity and her naivete." "He built a charitable foundation by virtue of his communication skills and the nobility of its cause." Virtue is apt in both examples.

Inasmuch as I believe with equal certainty: that taxation is theft and should only be permitted for the fewest reasons imaginable; that our Savior commanded us to share with the poor, the orphaned, the widowed, the sick, and the imprisoned - and not through taxation but through personal volition; that President Reagan authored the collapse of the Soviet Union by announcing defense build-ups while causing the price of petroleum (the Soviet Union's principal cash export) to fall in a deal with the Saudi Arabian king; that Jesus Christ is the son of God who died that all may be freed of sin and spend eternity in heaven if only they repent and accept His grace; that socialized medicine is structurally incapable of providing decent health care over the long term because human nature and economic principles make this impossible; and that only taxes levied uniformly on all who consume are just... you may conclude I do not share the views of the learned professor.

Our conversation led to no moderation in the views of either participant. We are both virtuous. We both hold strongly to our views, and each considers his views morally superior. We also had a moderate observer who congratulated himself on his personal virtue: not having a strongly held view on these topics.

From this condition stems the great hazard of our nation at this very difficult moment. Led by a man with no moral compass other than the drive for personal power and a feel-good intent to get even with all those dead and living white men who stole our national weal from the deserving downtrodden, most Americans do not take seriously the peril we face every day when we are dissuaded from speaking up about our rights, and about right and wrong. With the national government so strong it can take giant corporations away from their owners with scarcely a whimper of protest, so omnipresent that no personal slight in the workplace is so small that your offended co-worker cannot have your job for your offense, with the public square dominated by those who will not countenance the thought that the medieval pagans who worship the moon god and follow a false prophet constitute a physical threat to the well-being of Americans, and who think the human race can somehow alter the earth's climate, is it any wonder we think virtue has become vice?

Vice is fault, pure and simple. It is something that does not work. It is like homosexual sex, which cannot result in procreation and may result in disease. It is like theft, which deprives the victim and debases the perpetrator. It is like lying, which often harms someone and morally corrupts the liar. It is like envy, which cheapens the envious and may lead to harm of the envied. All these behaviors do not work. At the very least, they harm the one who performs the act.

I marvel at generations of clergy who have labored to educate their flocks about the difference between virtue and vice. At the core of their mission rests the need to inculcate faith. The choice of the flock to believe ultimately rests not on being convinced by logic or example, but on the willingness of the believer to hope for the unseen, and to act on trust in the truth of that which cannot be proven.

In a sense, their mission is akin to the role of an elementary school teacher, a college professor, or a community organizer. We believe that 2+2=4 (in an appropriate base system). We believe that Washington accepted the sword from Cornwallis at Yorktown to end the American Revolutionary War. And the president believes that any position that accretes power to his purpose is sound. Each of these beliefs is attained through repetition, through the absence of disproof, and by effectiveness, but in the end they remain beliefs.

If we are to restore the right in America, we must speak forcefully to our neighbors about our beliefs, about the truth of the virtues that made this a great nation. We must argue that God gave America an exceptional role in the world, and that we cannot shirk our duty without great risk. We must not be constrained by political correctness that tolerates only the views of a vocal, secular humanist minority that rules the public square today. We must resist the siren song of moral equivalence. We must say, "I support your right to voice your view, but don't expect me to agree or go along with you."

It is vital to speak up. We live in an echo chamber that denies the holiness of God, the sovereignty of contract, the rights of property owners, and our heritage as Americans. Only if our voices drown theirs out will we stem their advance. You may recall that scene in Casablanca when Paul Henried leads the patrons of Rick's Cafe Americain in singing Le Marseillaise. They drowned out the German soldiers who were singing their patriotic song. The scene showed the moral superiority of the resistance leader, and the threat that resistance posed to the occupying power.

We are the resistance, and our nation is occupied by power-hungry secular humanists who deny God and worship a false god of progressivism. These occupiers have no interest in your personal freedom, only in their ability to force you to behave as they see fit. They are offended by your belief in the freedom that lets them act as they will without forcing you to match their behavior.

Stand up for the right, or be consigned to slavery. Your virtue will be its own reward, when you join the resistance that defends our American tradition.

May God bless you, and may He also bless the United States of America.