Read the latest news about the struggle to preserve parental rights at all levels of government. Learn what the Santa Clara Moms for Liberty group has been up to, what upcoming events and functions we're having, and how you can help.
Is morality necessary for liberty, or is liberty necessary for morality? There is interesting thinking in both directions.
With the harm principle. J.S. Mill asks, "When can the liberty of a person be limited by the coercive power of the law?" The answer reached by Mill: forceful interference is justified only when used to prevent harm to others. Force should never be applied to a person for the person's sake, which is to say that the use of force to make a person good or virtuous is never justified. For Mill, to impose or indoctrinate morality is to be untrue to ourselves. As we confront values individuality we move toward our true selves and affirm both truth and morality.
With the offense principle, Joel Feinberg proposes a revision to the harm principle, believing that a society that adheres only to the harm principle is unable to know true liberty. Feinberg invites readers to ride on a bus in which they encounter people that are eating dogs and having sex with cats. Profoundly offended, those riding the bus end up being unfree. The conclusion? if morality isn't imposed and the law is not seeing to society's moral views, the society cannotsecure true liberty. This view requires that laws be used to make people good and virtuous.
No matter which of these two positions one agrees with, it is clear that freedom and morality go hand in hand when it comes to our liberties, which America's founders recognized as the rights and responsibilities bestowed us by our Creator. As Saint Augustine states:
There is no true liberty except the liberty of the happy who cleave to the eternal law
A More Perfect Union
Per Dr. Ben Carson:
"The founders feared that the central government, once it had united the states, would become too powerful and would impose its will upon the people -- or the individual states -- without regard to their wishes. This "government knows best" model was one that they were quite familiar with from their extensive studies of other governmental models as well as from their personal experience with the British monarchy. They felt that their best defense against a tyrannical government was to divide the power three ways, with each branch of government having the power to check the other two. They also listed the powers that the federal government would have, being sure to leave the balance of power in the hands of the states and the people. They wisely concluded that the states would not be eager to give additional power to the federal government and limited its power accordingly. Unfortunately, the founders did not realize that the time would come when the federal government would approve a federal taxation system that could control the states by giving or withholding financial resources. Such an arrangement significantly upsets the balance of power between the states and the federal government. As a result, today there are numerous social issues, such as the legalization of marijuana, gay marriage, and welfare reform, that could probably be more efficiently handled at the state level but with which the federal government keeps interfering. The states, instead of standing up for their rights, comply with the interference because they want federal funds. It will require noble leaders at the federal level and courageous leaders at the state level to restore the balance of power, but it is essential that such balance be restored for the sake of the people."
Precious Liberty
Critical Role of Parents
Parents care for us before we can care for ourselves. They bring us into the world and teach us to walk, to talk, and to love. They prepare us to enter society and live as upstanding citizens.
Of all the people who shape a child's moral character and the adults they become, parents have far and away the deepest and most enduring influence. We are a reflection of our parents.
Everyone should care about how children, our future leaders, are raised. All should be able to agree that in nearly every case, it is the parents who are best positioned to protect their children's education, health and welfare.
The Need for Righteous Leaders
What is it that makes America truly special? I believe at the center of this question are three fundamental ideas.
Our liberties come directly from our Creator, not from men or human institutions.
The proper role of government is the safeguarding of those liberties and the maintaining of fundamental justice for society.
We the people are sovereign. But men are not angels, and it is the fallen nature of man that our system of government is, at its core, trying to protect us from.
For our republic to operate as conceived, good men and women are expected to serve properly. Senators in office for over half a century? Those in the House of Representatives getting rich off of information they posses as a consequence of the office they hold? Judges rendering unprincipled decisions? These are notwhat the founders had in mind.
We now find ourselves at a time in which we will soon have an answer to Franklin's implicit question. Can we keep this republic?
If you share our concern over what has been taking place in our classrooms, please consider joining with us as we fight for families, for children, for education, for truth, and for common sense.
We continue to ask people whether they understand what is now taking place within our school systems. We continue to provide information and resources to help people, especially parents, gain some idea of what's being taught to kids (and why). And yes, we continue to ask people to get involved and help with the lifting.
We fight against children being taught to hate their country, to judge people based on the color of their skin, and to ignore the basic truths of biology. We fight against the sexualization in school of little ones and the destruction of the innocence of youth. Perhaps most importantly, we fight to ensure that the proper teaching of math, reading and writing remain at the forefront of a child's education.
The idea that it is parents who are responsible for raising, educating, and seeing to the well being of their kids, that is sacrosanct.
Join with us in preserving the attributes and ideals of this great nation.
Feel free to forward this newsletter to friends and family. Actually anyone who acknowledges the fundamental right of parents to raise, educate, and protect their children are invited to join with us. We are gathering a group of joyful warriors, folks who understands why (and for whom) we fight.
Sat Apr 1st from 9am to 1:30pm: God Over Government at Faith at Harvest Valley Church. Learn where the family, the church, and civil government are operating within (and without) biblically prescribed authority. Register w/ mark@harvestvalley.org
Wed Apr 5th from 6pm to 8:30pm: TPUSA Spring 2023 Made in America Tour! Jobob, host and comedian, offers a deadpan and often sarcastic take on the news of the day. Register
Location: San Jose Holiday Inn, 1350 N First St.San Jose 95112
Sat Apr 8th from 3pm to 4pm: Monthly chapter membership meeting online via Zoho. Members are emailed the link to join in Please note the different date and time this month!
Tue Apr 11th @ 6:30pm: Monthly speaker series at Liberty Forum. Stop by the Moms for Liberty Santa Clara County table to say "hi" and maybe purchase a Moms for Liberty t-shirt.
Location: 432 Sterlin Rd, Mountain View 94043
Sat Apr 15th from 10am to noon: Monthly breakfast meetup. Come join us for lively discussion of Moms for Liberty activities. Order a bite to eat and/or coffee and enjoy meeting new friends and hanging out. Happens each 3rd Saturday of every month, but location varies. RSVP
Although the Synoptic Gospels do not treat the theme of freedom in an explicit way, Jesus' message as a whole must be understood as a response to Jewish aspirations for deliverance. The Gospel of Luke in particular grounds the coming of Christ in the promises of divine liberation.
In the Gospel of John there is only one passage that makes an explicit reference to freedom, but this passage is of special significance, because it contrasts the political or external concept of freedom with the "spiritual" or theological work of salvation. According to John 8, Jesus made the claim that truth was to be found in his teaching; then he assured his hearers that his truth could make them free (vv. 31-32).
Among Paul's writings indeed, among all the books of the Bible none addresses the topic of freedom more forcefully than Galatians, a letter sometimes described as the Magna Charta of Christian Liberty. Interestingly, the central concern of this letter parallels the issue reflected in John 8: What is the relationship between freedom and being a descendant of Abraham? The Gentile Christians of Galatia were being persuaded by some Judaizing groups to adopt circumcision and other distinctive Jewish ceremonies.
Paul had little patience with this type of thinking. In his view it was "another gospel" that did not really deserve the name "gospel": those who proclaimed such a message were perverting the true gospel and deserved God's curse (1:6-9 )
In developing his theological argument against these Judaizers, Paul points out that the function of the Mosaic law was that of a temporary guardian (the Greek word used Gal 3:24-25 ; is paidagogos [tutor or guardian for boys], which ironically was itself used of slaves who had the responsibility to look after children and discipline them ). In 3:22-23 the language of "imprisonment" and "confining under sin" is used to describe that function.
The apostle's negative remarks about the Mosaic Law raise a difficult question. After all, God had given that law precisely in the context of liberation from bondage. In a very profound sense, the Law was both a symbol of freedom and even the means of enjoying that freedom in the service of God. James goes so far as to speak of "the law of freedom" (1:25 ; 2:12). The problem is that, because of sin, the law was impotent to grant life and freedom; instead, it cursed and killed (Rom 7:9-11 ; 8:3 ; Gal 3:10). Christ, however, came specifically to redeem, that is, to liberate those who were under the law by delivering them from its curse (Gal 3:13-14 ; 4:4-5). Through faith and the power of the Holy Spirit we are freed from the law of sin and death (Rom 8:2 ); we are no longer slaves, but children and not merely children of Abraham ( Gal 3:29) but children of God (Rom 8:15 ; Gal 3:26 ; 4:6-7). Truly where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom (2 Cor 3:17 ; cf. Gal 4:28-5:1 )!
Paul, however, makes clear that this freedom is not license to do whatever we want. On the contrary, it leads to moral transformation (2 Cor 3:18 ) and even to the fulfillment of the law, which tells us to be slaves to one another in love (Gal 5:13-14). Paradoxically, the life that comes from the Spirit and frees us from the enslaving power of the law (Gal 5:18) produces in the believer the very conduct that the law calls for (Gal 5:22-23 ).
While the U.S. Constitution does not expressly discuss parental rights,the right to protect, raise, and educate your own children has been described as the oldest of our fundamental liberties.
The history and culture of Western civilization embraces a strong tradition of parental rights, and the Supreme Court of these United States has described parental rights as being "established beyond debate as an enduring American tradition." See Wisconsin v. Yoder, 406 US 205, 232 (1972).
Parents need to begin to recognize the rights they hold as parents, and make their voices heard. Only then can we hope to turn things around.
Madison Meetup
Interested in learning more about our Constitution and Declaration of Independence? Want to discuss the principles upon which this precious republic was founded? Well you are in luck!
Moms for Liberty Santa Clara is now hosting monthly "Madison Meetup" gatherings on the last Sunday of each month. Meetings take place from 3 to 4:30pm in meeting room at the Bascom branch of the San Jose Public Library, located at 1000 South Bascom Avenue San Jose.
Open to ages 10 years and up. All attendees will be provided with a pocket constitution. Discussion topics will be emailed to those who are signed up one week in advance of the meeting. Please let us know if you'll be attending.
Make James Madison and the other founding fathers proud!
