My political identity has had a strange ride. Along the way I have slowly come to realize that no party truly represents my beliefs. But what are the beliefs of a secular conservative?

Conservative Government Policy

• Strong Capitalist Values
• Lower Taxes
• Lower Spending
• Strong Foreign Policy
• Strong Military
• Strong Second Amendment
• Strong Law Enforcement
• Pro-Death Penalty
• Privatized Healthcare
• Privatized Social Security

Liberal Social Policy

• Freedom of Expression
• Freedom of Religion
• Equal Protection Under the Law for All Citizens
• Presumption of Innocence
• Increased Immigration Rates
• Pro-Gay Marriage
• Legalization of Marijuana
• Tax Incentives for Ecologically and Socially Responsible Businesses

And nuanced policy on complicated issues such as:

• Energy Policy
• Abortion
• Privacy
• Copyright and Trademark Laws
• Publicly Funded Research

I think people should be allowed to do whatever they want to do as long as they aren’t hurting anyone. People should be allowed to make their own choices in life and they should be fully allowed to enjoy both the benefits and consequences of those choices. Government should stay out of our lives as much as possible.

We pay taxes because there are certain things that benefit us all, and we are all responsible for seeing them done. We do not tax to redistribute wealth. We let people rise and fall on their own merits. We do not value one freedom over another. We do not value one people over another.

We believe that as times change, policy should change, but that those changes should be reasonable, rational, and justified. We do not change for change’s sake.

More than anything else, our policies should be determined by reason and common sense.