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Introduction: 
What is Conservatism about? The question by a noted pastor/theologian is: Conserving What? Are those who call themselves “Conservatives” looking to return to the past in history? Are they trying to return to the Constitution as it was when established? Are they looking to reformation in the church? Or, are they re-establishing Foundational Principles both Biblically, which is the derivative for social, economic and political continuity?
Conservatism:
Back in 2010 I wrote the book “Not All Conservatives Are Constitutionalists” as a request to giving a lecture. Now the question of conservatism goes further and deeper since the ‘dialectics’ have made the term a center-piece of ‘identity politics’. The Apple™ included/online dictionary establishes the top first two of four definitions for ‘Conservatism’ as:
“1. the conservative wing of the party: right-wing, reactionary, traditionalist; Republican; British Tory; informal redneck.” and
“2. our more conservative neighbors may object to the modern architecture being proposed: TRADITIONALIST, traditional, conventional, orthodox, old-fashioned, dyed-in-the-wool, hidebound, unadventurous, set in one’s ways; moderate, middle-of-the-road, buttoned-down; informal stick-in-the-mud.”
How does that fit with your concepts and beliefs of the question: Conserving What?
What is History:
Just a quick quote from Dr. Fallow’s introduction in his work on Sam Adams:
“THERE is, properly speaking, no ancient history, no medieval history, no modern history. History is one. The ages are all united. Assyria, Babylon, Egypt, Palestine, Greece, Rome, Holland, France, Spain, Germany and England, all have to do with the practical life of Americans today. Lessons of importance can be learned from each of them to help us act intelligently in performance of the duties devolved upon us.”
“It has been well said, “There is no romance like the romance of history. Indeed in a large sense history is romance; for life itself is strange and mysterious; and all its happenings are filled with dramatic elements which need but the touch of imagination to glow, as the dull carbon flashes into light when quickened by the electric current.
“All the years have voices for them that will hear; and even the simple annals of common place events have in them the heart of epic possibilities.”
Our action Item
is to understand the question “Conserving What?” What is it that you want the Conservative movement to mean. More so, what does it mean to you in reference to Foundational Liberty? How do you understand ‘tyranny’ and ‘despotism’? Do you stand on true Fundamental Principles or do you stand on the sinking and shifting sands of the “modern architecture” of proposed language to let others define “Conservative and Conservatism”?
And because you keep asking!
References:
The video of the program is at the SamuelAdamsReturns YouTube channel
1. You Are What You Eat (Part 2) – Dr. Mike Spaulding
2. Theocratic Libertarianism – Doug Wilson
4. Political Sermons of the American Revolution
5. Great Americans of History Series: Samuel Adams
6. 6-24-17 Constitution Vs Constitutionalism