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25 books that every conservative should read

*This list is not all inclusive.

In no particular order:

1. The Forgotten Man by Amity Shlaes
2. The Conservative's Handbook by Phil Valentine
3. Animal Farm by George Orwell
4. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
5. 1984 by George Orwell
6. Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal by Ayn Rand
7. The 10 Big Lies About America by Michael Medved
8. Liberty and Tyranny by Mark Levin
9. The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith
10. New Deal Or Raw Deal? by Burton W. Folsom
11. Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
12. Economic Facts and Fallacies by Thomas Sowell
13. Liberal Fascism by Jonah Goldberg
14. Edmund Burke by Russell Kirk
15. The Conservative Mind by Russell Kirk
16. The Road to Serfdom by F.A. Hayek
17. The Conscience of a Conservative by Barry Goldwater
18. Up From Liberalism by William F. Buckley, Jr.
19. The Law by Frederic Bastiat
20. Attention Deficit Democracy by James Bovard
21. Scalia Dissents by Antonin Scalia
22. The Works of Edmund Burke
23. The Federalist Papers
24. The Anti Federalist Papers
25. Democracy in American by Alexis de Tocqueville

Find these books and more at www.theconservativesource.com

Government and God

Once, when I had just started listening to talk radio, I heard Rush Limbaugh describe the difference between liberals and conservatives.  He said that while liberals define success as how many people they have on government programs, conservatives measure success by how many people no longer need to be on those programs.  That is true compassion.  That is conservatism.

That explanation seemed so profound to me that I took to trying to find ways to explain the differences between conservatives and liberals myself.  I'm rather fond of coming up with new ways to explain what separates the two.  There is, of course, the old standard definition that says that conservatives believe in smaller government while liberals believe in bigger government.  I've also looked many times to Edmund Burke and Russell Kirk to give well-formed explanations as to what conservatism is.

Today, however, I found a different source from which to grasp an answer to the question of what divides conservatives from liberals and vice versa.  As I was reading for a class on Old Testament history, I came across a statement that struck me.  The text read, "Establishing a monarchy did not solve Israel's problems.  What God desires is the genuine devotion of each person's mind and heart to him.  No government or set of laws can substitute for the rule of God in your heart and life."(emphasis mine)

That last sentence hit me with great truth.  Many in our government would like for government to replace God himself.  While liberals seek to replace God with government, conservatives seek to protect God's laws from government.  Now, don't get me wrong; I'm not so partisan that I think it's only liberals who want to do so.  No, I recognize that there are those in both major parties that would like to establish themselves as the final word in truth and law.  But as a general rule, it seems to me that liberals seek to make laws as a means to reach a utopia.  And in my view, conservatives try to pass laws for the good of those on this earth, without the unrealistic expectation that these laws will lead to a perfect civilization. 

The reason this text had such an impact on me probably goes back to something that someone asked me recently.  The question was brought up that, since I consider myself a Christian, how can I take part in earthly politics.  After all, I should be considering the things of the next life, not this one; right?  Well, my answer to that was that I feel obligated as a Christian to protect the very right we have in this country to worship freely.  If we have no freedom of religion, then whose fault is it?  I don't fight only to protect the rights of people who belong to my religion to worship.  I fight for the rights of all citizens to worship as they please, regardless of what religion.

While the current liberal administration seeks to repeal "conscience laws", forcing medical professionals to perform procedures that they morally oppose, conservatives feel that the ability to express our conscience is at the core of our rights.  Redefining what is right and wrong through legislation and not allowing for conscience is indeed trying to replace God with government.

Faith in Fatherhood: Father Knows Best

Luke 11:13 “If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”

Every dad has seen this scenario: your child is begging for some sort of junk food, but you know, as a responsible parent, that he needs something more healthy....

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Faith in Fatherhood: Don't Worry.

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:33-34

How many of us, as fathers, have found ourselves worrying about how we are going to provide for our family? And how many of us later feel guilty for lacking faith in doing so?

I never felt much need to worry when it was just me and my wife. She is a very strong, capable woman and I don't worry much about her being able to take care of herself in my absence. Or should I say didn't worry much...

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Et tu, Alex?

Throughout my life, I have had a love/hate relationship with baseball. It seems that the notion is true that one is most hurt by the one's he loves.

No matter how old I get, I love baseball. I love the thrill of Spring Training. I love the sounds and the sights that are experienced at a baseball game. I even love the players. And yet, time and time again, they hurt me.

In 1994, at the height of my teenage lovefest with sports, the players of Major League Baseball decided that their salaries mattered more than their fans. They decided that their multimillion dollar contracts were simply not enough for them to go play a sport that many would give anything just to play. They, in my teenage heart, dumped on us all. And I gave up on them.

It took me quite a few years before I would give the MLB players a second chance and let them back into my heart. In 2002, I began to feel the first love all over again that I had experienced as a kid. Now an adult, I returned to my childhood hobby of collecting baseball cards, and watching the games on TV. I made myself vulnerable once again. And again, I have been let down.

Now, there have been some controversies between 2002 and now. From Jose "I can pitch, coach!" Canseco's book about how everyone in baseball has done steroids and cheated on their wives, to the U.S. Senate's hearings about substance abuse, I have looked past a few things and put on my blinders. Call it self preservation and not wanting to be hurt again.

But now... Now Alex Rodriguez, a man who repeatedly denied ever having used performance enhancing drugs, has admited to using them. He has admited that he lied to us all. A-Rod is a player that I never liked, but I was convinced by some people around me that I should like him because he is now a Yankee. I refused to like him and said that he was not a true Yankee, but alas, I let him grow on me. I should have stuck with my original dislike for him.

Again, I have let the players of this sport tear apart the game I love. Again, I have let them tarnish the once beautiful memories that I held of this national pasttime. And again, they have dumped on me. I actually believed that these guys would never do it again. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice...

Shame on me.

Faith in Fatherhood: Everything Belongs to God

“I said to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing’.” Psalms 16:2

“…for everything in heaven and earth is yours…” I Chronicles 29:11

This week my child reached a stage that every parent dreads. He has reached the “mine” stage. It seems that now, everything in the house, or in the mall or at a restaurant belongs to my son. Who knew?

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