Platform

"If to please the people, we offer what we ourselves disapprove, how can we afterward defend our work? Let us raise a standard to which the wise and the honest can repair; the event is in the hand of God!" -George Washington

Preamble

We, the Christian Liberty Party, in order to set forth the principles upon which this party is founded, and to articulate those issues about which this party is now duly concerned, and in order to direct the officers and members of this party regarding the actions to be taken related to those issues, do ordain this platform.

In so doing we acknowledge the God of the Bible as the Supreme Judge, Lawgiver and King and the first cause of all existence. Consequently, the principles and the platform of our party are rightly derived from Biblical presuppositions. We acknowledge the legacy of our Founding Fathers who believed that "a frequent recurrence to fundamental principles" is essential to securing liberty and good government.

We further acknowledge our heritage as a Christian nation as confirmed by the U.S.. . Supreme Court when it ruled in 1892 "…that our laws and our institutions must be based upon and embody the teachings of the Redeemer of Mankind…" It is confirmed by human experience and evidenced by history that "blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord."

We therefore appeal to the grace of the Lord God as the Creator, Preserver and Ruler of the universe. We acknowledge the fallen condition of the human race and look to Jesus Christ as our only hope for personal and cultural salvation. We appeal to Him for wisdom, guidance, boldness, compassion and endurance as we seek to restore America to her Godly heritage.

The Planks

Our seven political principles, which must never be compromised, form the topical headings under which the Party Planks are grouped. The CLP holds candidates accountable to this platform which flows from our digest of principles.

1. Life

Abortion/Sanctity of Life: The pre-born child, whose life begins at conception, is a human being created in God’s image. It is the duty of all civil governments to protect innocent human life. We support legislation to prohibit all acts of abortion and infanticide.

Euthanasia: The concept of euthanasia is a dangerous move toward legalized termination of the non-productive, the unwanted, and the handicapped without their consent. We oppose laws that condone or legalize euthanasia or so-called "mercy killing."

2. Liberty (Self-government)

Character And Moral Conduct: True liberty is the fruit of the virtuous character and moral conduct of a people and their leaders. We call on all public officials as well as our own members and candidates to demonstrate the utmost good character in both public and private life.

Civil Rights: Unalienable rights come from God. We oppose the creation of man-made "civil" rights based on group status or behavior, because they invariably deny the true and unalienable rights of others.

Gun Control: The right to bear arms, as guaranteed by the Second Amendment, is inherent in the right of self defense, defense of the family, and defense against tyranny. Existing laws placed against this fundamental right are unconstitutional and should be repealed.

Power of Juries: We call for legislation to require judges to instruct juries as to the full scope of their powers, including the power to judge the laws in question and the right to consider all evidence which they may deem pertinent to determining a proper verdict.

Privacy: We oppose any law that enables unconstitutional supervision of or collection of information on private citizens by government. Any effort to number and monitor citizens through a national I.D. system violates privacy and civil liberty.

Religious Freedom: Personal religious freedom and the public acknowledgment of God form the cornerstone of American liberty and the foundation of our political institutions. Religious rights and obligations must be protected, whether exercised individually or collectively. The Church has both the right and the responsibility to address all moral issues, politicized or not, and therefore must be protected from state influence or control through taxation or tax status.

3. Property

Crime: Protecting citizens from crime is a fundamental purpose of local government. We oppose the federalization of crime and law enforcement as an unwise and unconstitutional centralization of power. We support capital and corporal punishment, restitution, and a judicial system that protects the rights of victims over the rights of criminals.

Environment: As God’s appointed steward, man has the responsibility to care for the earth and to use its resources wisely. We support scientifically valid efforts to preserve the environment, but we reject costly and unwarranted government regulation. We affirm the constitutional provisions that protect private property from being taken for public use or preservation without just compensation.

Land Use: We oppose federal purchases of private lands and the further designation of federal lands as wilderness, roadless areas, national monuments or any other classifications which remove lands from productive use. We call for the return of federal forest lands and range lands to the states, under whose jurisdiction they properly belong.

Property Taxes: We believe that the right of individuals to own property is God-given. Property taxes are tantamount to rental payments and thus imply state ownership of the land. We call for an end to property taxes, and, in the meantime, support legislation that allows only real property owners to vote on levies and bonds that would increase property taxes.

Water Rights: Water rights are an integral part of property rights. Their use, allocation, or transfer must not be impeded without due process. Public agencies must be precluded from purchasing or otherwise collecting agricultural water-right allocations. We oppose the removal of hydroelectric dams and the metering of privately owned wells.

Welfare and Poverty: We are opposed to government welfare programs. We support Christian charity and family free-enterprise as the best means of reducing and preventing poverty. Responsibility for the care of the truly needy rests with individuals, churches and other private organizations.

4. Family

Education: Our Creator has assigned to parents the authority and duty of educating children. All teaching is related to fundamental assumptions about God and man, and cannot be separated from religion. Therefore we support the separation of school and state, "freedom of conscience in education" legislation, and the operation of home schools and private schools unencumbered by government.

The Federal Government has no constitutional jurisdiction over the education of children. Therefore we support the abolition of the U.S. Department of Education, and we oppose all Federal intrusion in education through "Goals 2000," "School-to-Work," subsidies, programs, national teacher certification, goals, guidelines, or any other means.

Health Care: Government regulated and subsidized health care is unconstitutional and threatens both the quality and availability of medical care, treatment and supplies. We support the deregulation of health care and the elimination of the Federal Food and Drug Administration.

Homosexuality: We oppose state-sanctioned homosexual marriage, child adoption and special minority status. We oppose any legislation that restricts the right to express the Biblical position on homosexuality.

Parental Rights and Responsibilities: It is the God-given duty of parents to feed, educate, clothe, and discipline their children. We are opposed to governmental assumption of any of these responsibilities or infringement on the right of parents to fulfill them.

Pornography: Pornography is immoral. The purpose of the First Amendment was to allow citizens the freedom to address the policies and practices of government, not to aid in the degradation of American culture. Therefore we support laws making it a criminal offense to distribute or display pornography.

Social Security: Forced participation in the Social Security System is a gross violation of individual liberty and property rights. We call for the repeal of the Social Security Act and a transition to constitutional and non-coercive alternatives.

5. Constitution (Limited Government)

Congressional Reform: Legislative authority is properly vested in a congress elected by and accountable to the people. We call for the repeal of laws that delegate legislative authority to non-elected administrative agencies and commissions. We call for the abolition of congressional salaries and pensions and the restoration of per diem allowances.

Executive Orders: The Constitution grants all law-making authority to Congress. We therefore oppose the use of executive orders to make law. We call for the repeal of all executive orders affecting policy outside of the executive branch.

Federal Agencies: We call for the elimination of all unconstitutional federal agencies and bureaucratic regulations.

Judiciary: The Constitution stipulates that the indefinite terms of federal judges are dependent upon their continued good behavior. We call on Congress to end judicial activism by enforcing of the rule of good behavior (through impeachment) and by using its authority to override unconstitutional court decisions. Court decisions do not constitute law.

Money and Banking: The federal government’s departure from the constitutional principles of money and banking threaten the country’s economic stability and the survival of our republican form of government. We therefore support a return to the monetary and banking provisions set forth in the Constitution and the abolition of the Federal Reserve System.

Preserving The Constitution: The Constitution is the foundational law of our federal republic. It defines the powers of government and protects the liberties of the people. We condemn all legislative, executive, and judicial actions that violate the Constitution and its original intent. Given the current political climate, we oppose attempts to convene a constitutional convention.

Privatization: There is no constitutional basis for federal government enterprises such as Amtrak, Conrail, TVA, etc., nor for federal control of lands which are not used for the nation’s defense or seat of government. We call for the federal government to divest itself of all operations not authorized by the Constitution.

Public Debt: We call for the prompt and systematic reduction of public debt through the elimination of unconstitutional programs and agencies.

Statehood: We oppose efforts to confer statehood upon the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or other U.S. territories.

Subsidies: We oppose agricultural and corporate subsidies as unconstitutional and counterproductive to free enterprise.

Taxation: Constitutionally authorized taxation necessary to fund constitutionally authorized functions is sound and just. Federal taxes should only be levied in accordance with the U.S. Constitution, Article 1, Sections 8 & 9. Therefore we support the elimination of the income tax and the IRS.

Veto Authority: We oppose the line item veto as an unconstitutional delegation of legislative power to the President.

Wage and Price Control: We deny the power of government to set wages and prices as being inconsistent with the principles of individual liberty and the free market. We call for the elimination of all such controls including the "minimum wage."

6. States Rights

Election Reform: Control of the electoral process must be returned to local levels. The federal government has unconstitutionally preempted control over district boundaries, electoral procedures and campaign activities. We call for an end to the Voting Rights Act, the Federal Election Campaign Act and the Federal Election Commission. We call for states to return to the original method of protecting elections through the use of paper ballots.

Election of Senators: The election of U.S. Senators by the state legislatures provided the state governments a powerful voice in federal policy and a key check on federal power. We support the repeal of the 17th Amendment and a return to the original method of electing U.S. Senators.

State Sovereignty: The federal government has no authority to control state education, natural resources, transportation, private business, housing, health care and other areas in which it is now involved. We call upon state governments to stop accepting federal funds for projects not authorized by the U.S. Constitution.

7. American Sovereignty

Foreign Policy: The most valuable foreign aid that the United States can offer the world is the example of a free and prosperous people whose affairs are in order. Federal financial aid is both unconstitutional and counterproductive. We oppose foreign entanglements, permanent military alliances, and the expansion of NATO. We affirm that international treaties do not take precedence over the Constitution, but rather derive their authority from it.

Immigration: In order for citizens to serve responsibly as guardians of our constitutional form of government, we call for a return to the practice of disqualifying for admission to the U.S. all persons having criminal histories, immoral life-styles, or beliefs hostile to our form of government. We also call for an end to the bestowing of U.S. citizenship on children born to illegal aliens in this country.

Language: We believe that a single language is necessary for unity. We support legislation to establish English as the official language of the U.S.

National Defense: A primary purpose of the federal government is to provide for the defense of the United States. We call for the maintenance of a strong, state-of-the-art land, sea, air and space-based defense system. We oppose the committing of U.S. forces to serve under any flag but that of the U.S.A. We oppose placing women in combat units.

New World Order/One World Government: Nationhood is a blessing and the basic building block of a stable world order. We oppose the transfer of governing authority to international agencies, alliances and treaty organizations as a dangerous step toward global tyranny. We call for an end to U.S . funding of the United Nations.

Trade and Tariffs: We support fair trade, not unlimited free trade. We support the constitutional use of tariffs on foreign companies and products to fund the legitimate expenses of government. We support the elimination of MFN trade status. We oppose GATT, NAFTA, the WTO, and all other agreements in which authority over US trade, copyright, and patent policy is transferred from Congress to any other entity.

Adopted 2000-06-23.

Amended 2010-09-18.