Rushdoony's Advice on Our Present Political Situation
Third-parties? Lesser of two evils? How should we vote?
"This is an area of Christian liberty. Some of us may feel that there are times when we are faced with a choice of respective candidates for senator, or mayor, or governor where we can vote for neither because the lesser of the two evils is still too big an evil to vote for. Other times we may feel that we have to do something in order to oust at least an incumbent. At other times perhaps still another attitude may govern our mind--or we may feel that it is important to work to get a third candidate on the field--at least to upset the Establishment and the established pattern. These are all questions of individual liberty. And it's not an area where we can in most cases issue an overall moral requirement."* ~ R. J. Rushdoony
Don't Neglect Local Politics
"The law, if it is truly law, rests on, and is an expression of, the Ten Commandments. So, the first point of upholding the law is for us in our personal lives to uphold it. That's the beginning of all law enforcement: to enforce the law on ourselves. Second, we enforce it in our community and in the organizations we are associated with on the local level. And this is, I think, the big area where Christians have to work today, if they're going to work on politics. It's a little difficult now to do much about the national scene. We can hope that something will be done and will end our efforts. But at least on the local scene, the county still has the right to refuse any and all federal and state funds. It can close down welfare. It can close down any and all such programs if it simply says 'We will not take the money!' It simply requires that act of courage. And this is an area where a great deal can be done politically. But you see, we cannot hope to win on the national level, if on the local level, nothing is done. And today, one of the problems is, of course, that every one is for cuts in federal spending, but not for anything that affects their district or their state. So, a revival of law and order begins on the personal, and then on the local level. This is basic. And, this is the neglected area of politically activity by and large. The amount of money--millions upon millions--poured into state and federal elections, as against that dedicated to local elections, is startling."* ~ R. J. Rushdoony
*Transcribed from the question and answer period of his taped lecture "The Sword of Authority: Pergamos" from his series on the Book of Revelation. Delivered in Los Angeles, CA in 1967.
"This is an area of Christian liberty. Some of us may feel that there are times when we are faced with a choice of respective candidates for senator, or mayor, or governor where we can vote for neither because the lesser of the two evils is still too big an evil to vote for. Other times we may feel that we have to do something in order to oust at least an incumbent. At other times perhaps still another attitude may govern our mind--or we may feel that it is important to work to get a third candidate on the field--at least to upset the Establishment and the established pattern. These are all questions of individual liberty. And it's not an area where we can in most cases issue an overall moral requirement."* ~ R. J. Rushdoony
Don't Neglect Local Politics
"The law, if it is truly law, rests on, and is an expression of, the Ten Commandments. So, the first point of upholding the law is for us in our personal lives to uphold it. That's the beginning of all law enforcement: to enforce the law on ourselves. Second, we enforce it in our community and in the organizations we are associated with on the local level. And this is, I think, the big area where Christians have to work today, if they're going to work on politics. It's a little difficult now to do much about the national scene. We can hope that something will be done and will end our efforts. But at least on the local scene, the county still has the right to refuse any and all federal and state funds. It can close down welfare. It can close down any and all such programs if it simply says 'We will not take the money!' It simply requires that act of courage. And this is an area where a great deal can be done politically. But you see, we cannot hope to win on the national level, if on the local level, nothing is done. And today, one of the problems is, of course, that every one is for cuts in federal spending, but not for anything that affects their district or their state. So, a revival of law and order begins on the personal, and then on the local level. This is basic. And, this is the neglected area of politically activity by and large. The amount of money--millions upon millions--poured into state and federal elections, as against that dedicated to local elections, is startling."* ~ R. J. Rushdoony
*Transcribed from the question and answer period of his taped lecture "The Sword of Authority: Pergamos" from his series on the Book of Revelation. Delivered in Los Angeles, CA in 1967.
