Republicans Have Lost More Than Votes

Secular conservatism's deficiency in America's cultural and political wars

As a non-American citizen who has developed a knowledge and embrace of the United States’ founding principles, and who desires to see the country return to being an example of being a nation under God, these thoughts are offered cautiously and sincerely. This is an opinion from 9000 miles away, intended to provide brief analysis and commentary on the current state of America’s political landscape.

For the second time in two years, in the wake of another political election, Republicans appear surprised and shocked at the outcome. What was slated to be a ‘red wave’ has turned out to be a moderate attempt at equalizing the house and senate. Numerous attempts to diagnose what went wrong have occupied much of the dialogue in the days following the election, as concern builds regarding what this outcome means for the future of the United States, and specifically the Republican Party.

The elusive red wave is symptomatic of weaknesses in the foundations of contemporary Republican political thought, which has contributed to an overestimation of the GOP’s strength and an underestimation of the cunning and yet effective strategies of the opposition.

While Republicans campaigned by banking on negative public perceptions of the economic crisis, the Democrats campaigned by appealing to sentiment and feelings. While Republicans campaigned by further exposing the numerous failures of the Biden administration, the Democrats campaigned by influencing and entrenching nefarious beliefs and values. While Republicans endeavored to win votes, Democrats sought to entrench their win over the culture. The Democrats have long understood something Republicans have often been slow to reckon with: winning the culture war is a sure way to win political battles.

“To preserve the government we must also preserve morals. Morality rests on religion; if you destroy the foundation, the superstructure must fall. When the public mind becomes vitiated and corrupt, laws are a nullity and constitutions are waste paper- Daniel Webster, 1800

The pervasive influence of public education and media have taken a hold of the modern American mind; promoting values, beliefs and practices that a century ago would have widely been considered antithetical to the country's core ideals. Through these mediums, the Left has intentionally and subtly corrupted the village well, poisoning it with the bankrupt ideas of Modernity, Postmodernism, Secularism, and Statism. These ideas have eroded the minds of many, leaving them bereft of a sense of morality, ethics, liberty, beauty, goodness, wisdom, and virtuous character. The masses have become ruled by fear, mental disorders, obesity, sexual licentiousness, state welfare, hatred and a host of other vices. Democrats, in their embrace of leftism, have sought to take advantage of these vices, banking on the fact that the culture will swing in their favor.

“The only foundation for...a republic is to be laid in Religion. Without this there can be no virtue, and without virtue there can be no liberty, and liberty is the object and life of all republican governments”- Benjamin Rush, 1798

While Democrats propagate a culture that leads to destruction and death, many modern conservatives are yet to discern and challenge this corruption, while building an alternative culture of life that would outlive and outgrow a leftist agenda.

The truth is, modern conservatism has lost a culture that is discernibly different from those on the Left. This is the case, because they too hate and live in a state of rebellion against God. A godless conservatism inevitably drifts left, and those who persist in their godlessness are incapable of attaining and protecting freedom and flourishing.

A red wave will never truly threaten Democrats while Republican culture is void of distinguishing characteristics that revere God, promote morality, and encourage personal piety.

Over the last two elections, several Republican candidates have been little different from their Democrat counterparts. Both failing to acknowledge God, they become more like each other than they admit and consequently damage America’s strong foundations.

“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious People. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” John Adams, 1798

For as long as America forgets God, liberty, justice and flourishing will persist in their elusiveness. For as long as Republicans persist in their embrace of a godless conservatism, they will remain without a culture that is powerful enough to defeat the destructive culture of the Left.

When modern conservatives remember who their God is and obey what He has said in His Word, they will be enabled to build a new culture that will bring about and protect freedom and flourishing. When conservatives realign their worship toward the true and living God, academia and media can then be employed as vehicles to propagate Truth, beauty, goodness, and virtue in the minds, hearts, and practices of all adherents. When a distinct culture of godly conservatism begins to grow, a red wave is much more likely to occur.