Alan Keyes for President

As I write this blog post, I'm listening to a streaming audio recording in which Dr. Alan Keyes is being interviewed by Janet Folger. Listening to that excellent recording, I am more convinced than ever that Alan Keyes is the most qualified man in America when it comes to the need for a principled President who embodies the values which have made our nation great.

I am not an advocate of theocracy. Neither is Dr. Keyes, in my opinion. But he understands, perhaps better than most politicians today, that there is a direct connection between a nation's moral values and the concept of inalienable human rights which so many Americans take for granted.

Mr. Keyes states, "There is no secular basis for maintaining this republic." I agree with that statement.

The concept of "inalienable rights" which are "endowed by the Creator" is intrinsically theistic. The founders of this nation did not invent those rights. Our founders merely acknowledged the existence of natural law rights which they believed had existed ever since the creation of Adam and Eve. In doing so, they laid the moral foundation for this nation.

None of this is to say that our nation is or ever has been perfect. But our imperfections have been attributable precisely to the fact that we have not always lived in a manner which was consistent with the principles upon which our nation was founded.

Slavery was radically inconsistent with those principles. Over time, more and more Americans began to recognize the discrepancy. Eventually, that growing recognition led to the great conflict which led to the abolition of slavery.

I believe that the same thing will ultimately happen in relation to the abortion issue.

Of course, there are some clear differences between the two issues, such as the fact that there was a very strong geographical component in the battle over slavery, whereas that is not so much the case with regard to abortion. Certainly, it seems unlikely that there would ever be a Civil War over the issue of abortion. Not one involving physical armies, at any rate. But there certainly is an ideological war going on, and there are a lot of philosophical parallels between the abortion issue and the slavery issue.

If those of us who value human life in all of its manifestations ever hope to win the war against abortion, we must have strong leaders. Not men and women who merely give lip service to the pro-life movement as a means of appeasing us and advancing their own personal agendas, but articulate and intelligent men and women who passionately believe in pro-life principles, even to the extent that they are willing to sacrifice their own political careers if that is what it takes in order to take a stand for the truth. In my opinion, Alan Keyes is that kind of man.

Mr. Keyes understands that human rights are ultimately derived from the natural law which God has placed in each person's heart. Without an understanding of the divine origin of human rights, our rights are in constant jeopardy, because they are subject to the whims and changing tides of public opinion.

In many cases, the inane arguments now being used to rationalize abortion could just as easily be used to deprive you and me of our God-given rights. That is something which concerns all Americans, not just women and not just physicians and not just judges. We cannot afford to stand on the sidelines.

I strongly encourage you to visit the web site for Mr. Keyes' organization Renew America, and I strongly encourage you to give serious thought to the issues he raises.