==The conservative is guided by prudence==
Conservatives adopt a realistic understanding of human nature in that we can, and often do, evil. This is often seen as a result of [[The Fall]] through which we became sinful, such as in the [[Calvinistic]] doctrine of total depravity. Therefore , there is a need for prudence; where decisions are carefully mediated on, often before God, so that rashness does not prevail. A key implication of this is that, to make decisions prudently, all power must be delegated and restrained and, in the context of political association, this expresses itself as a commitment to a [[constitution]] and a [[republic]].
Today, this is idea tends to be opposed by those who think that, if elected, a single man or body of men should have unfettered power. Some claim that this is ‘more democratic’ than the republican constitutional model, since a republic may be seen as restraining the powers of the people by restraining the powers of their representatives. Yet from the very beginning conservatives have consistently understood that these ‘democracies’ almost always lead to tyrannies, shown by the cyclical constitutional theories of [[Aristotle]] and [[Cicero]]. This idea was later popularized by phrases such as the “tyranny of the majority” by [[de Tocquville]] and “all power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely” by his British friend [[Lord Acton]]. A further example of this is that of [[Edmund Burke]] who, in Reflections on the Revolution in France, strongly opposed the [[French revolution]] since it both removed the established constitution of the Ancien Régime and did not replace it with a republican constitution, such as in the [[American revolution]]. Just a few years later his claims that this would lead to tyranny and the suppression of individual rights would confirmed by the Reign of Terror and Napoleon’s dictatorship.
==The conservative sees freedom and property as closed linked==
This conservative principle can be summarized by the thought of [[John Locke]], whose thought was highly influential in the founding of the USA. Note that, while he is often described as a liberal, this is true only in the [[classical liberal]] sense; a school of thought that is more a part of the [[conservative]] tradition. For him, true freedom was the freedom to serve God with the property he has provided us with, and where property was defined as “life, liberty, and estates.” Therefore , men not only have the freedom to own, use, and accumulate material goods (estates), but also they have property rights of their own bodies (life) and the freedom to use their physical and mental faculties (liberty).
One criticism of this is that conservatives are limited in their commitment to being able to own/ use/ accumulate property; such as through their opposition to drug use (estates), the ability to sell our bodies for money (life), or the ability to burn the American flag (liberty). The conservative response to this is that there is no inconsistency in their views, since they have also maintained that these freedoms over our property have been given to us by God who has entrusted us not only with rights, but also responsibilities, over what he created and ultimately still owns. Therefore , the illegality of prostitution or drugs should be seen as promoting, not endangering, our freedom in the sense that the only true freedom is the freedom to serve God with the property he has entrusted us with.
A related criticism is that conservatives are said to ignore the right to life, specifically through their support of the death penalty and a strong defense policy. [[Locke]] would reply to this by making it clear that these rights are given to us by God. If they are abused by using them in ways that violate the another's enjoyment of his right then has has forfeited his own rights, and is therefore liable to seizure of his estates (e.g. fines), a reduction in his liberties (e.g. imprisonment), or a termination of his right to life (e.g. execution or war).
==The conservative understands that permanence and change must be recognized and reconciled in vigorous society==
This is perhaps the underlying principle of Conservapedia. The Internet is an outlet for the liberal bias of the media to spread across the world. Yet, since the very nature of the Internet has rendered established institutions unable to counter-balance counterbalance this change, the world wide web World Wide Web is a virtual anarchy where governments are powerless to control the many threats it poses, such as the mass [[proliferation]] of gambling, pornography, and overall Godlessness. The conservative must arm himself with the sword of truth, enter into this cyber-jungle, and fight all he can to uphold the eternal moral order, that are at the very core of all he stands for.
== See also ==