Voting Data for Conservatives in Brevard County, Florida
This site is produced and maintained entirely by Larry and Marylou Davis, and is completely independent of any other organization or group. We are 22 year residents of Brevard County. We are evangelical, pro-life Christians who believe that freedom is a gift from God that requires our active defense and involvement, at every level of government.
Just for background, Larry is an astronautical engineer and Marylou is a full-time mom to our two kids, Benjamin (21) and Rebecca (18). Larry does most of the heavy lifting on the web site, including content, and Marylou uses her boundless energy, English accent, and charm to ensure dissemination.
This site has grown out of our attempts to get other Christians to vote. Always, there is a distinct lack of information that addresses the candidates and issues from a Christian world view perspective. People want to know, not just whom we support, but why. So, we do our best to fill in some of the details, using our network of like-minded friends, para-church organizations, and direct contact with candidates and office-holders. We are working to improve our quality every election cycle.
Of course, we know you may not agree with us, even if you are an evangelical as we are. We hope the site helps you anyway.
It is very clear that American government originally arose from a Christian world-view. Although our government has always been far from perfect (slavery being but one example of an early blight), the biblical principles that underlie our freedoms are clear, and their blessings have caused our prosperity and freedom. The basic principles are (a) our government is responsible to God only for keeping the peace and freedom, but God and our own efforts are responsible for our happiness, (b) worship springs willingly from individuals and cannot be compelled by the state, (c) private property is a gift of God and may not be taken by violence, either by individuals or the state (except taxes required for peacekeeping), and (d) officials must be held accountable by division of responsibility and direct or indirect election by the people. The American idea is that these principles are not mere "social compacts" subject to arbitrary human legislation, but inviolable principles woven into the fabric of the universe by its Creator. They are the inalienable rights of all human beings, not invented in our constitution but recognized and protected by it.
Generosity towards those in need may be recognized by all as beneficial, but for Christians it is a positive command. However, because the genuine business of government is freedom-keeping, whenever government takes property by taxes for redistribution, there is an end to generosity. It is no longer giving, but taking. Moreover, whenever the all-important link between giver and receiver is severed by government, there is also an end to accountability. That is why the early church always affirmed the principle of private property in its dealings (Acts 4:32-5:6). Finally, all government extensions of its God-given freedom-keeping responsibility are always fraught with fraud, greed, envy, and corruption.
Christians, of all people, ought to know that education is the vital lifeblood of any society. In many ways, the mission of the Church is education in all its forms--spreading the truth about God and His creation. So we must be totally committed to universal education in this larger sense, beginning with ourselves and our own children.
By public education, of course we mean, tax-supported or state-controlled education. This means of education has existed from the earliest days of settlement, and has historically been very effective. But there are two vital things to remember: (a) the responsibility and authority for education unalterably belongs to parents, and (b) there is no such thing as value-free education, because values are the most important content of education (scientific or general knowledge being dependent on them). Unfortunately, there is no longer general agreement that parents are the responsible, authoritative gate-keepers of children's education nor that the values to be taught children should be Christian. For these reasons, public education, to greatly varying degrees across the country, is in trouble.
We should try to redeem public education by (a) re-emphasizing parental control and responsibility, and (b) seeking to re-establish the consensus that Christian values should animate public education. Unfortunately, progress on these two fronts is not encouraging. It is imperative, therefore, that we also develop and use alternate means that do agree with basic biblical principles, including private schools and home-schools as two examples. What we do in each case, whether with our own children, or in public policy and elections, will depend very much on local and federally-mandated conditions.
It is obvious that our country is in the midst of a struggle of world-views for control of our society, most especially its laws and educational structure. Basically and crudely, there is the biblical world view on the one side, and the materialistic/nihilistic/mystic world views on the other. Because these world views are essentially contradictory and at war, it is not really possible to "meet in the middle" or compromise on the key issues that spring directly from them. Every concession of territory is a retreat or surrender.
The biblical world view asserts, for example, that human life is unique and spiritual in nature and hence, to be protected and revered, above that of every other creature, from conception to death. The other world views assert the opposite: human life is not different from that of other creatures, and its protections are negotiable, whether by society or by individuals, depending on the need or desire of the moment.
Again, the biblical world view asserts that marriage is an institution established by God and is uniquely endowed with the rights and responsibilities of sexual intercourse and child-rearing. All other means of claiming these rights are at war with the biblical world view, all compromises of these principles a kind of retreat or defeat.
It is natural, then, that we should pay keen attention to a candidate's views on these (and other) important principles, even when they do not seem directly to bear on his responsibilities as an officer of government. Every officer of government tends to receive honor, respect, and attention above that afforded his neighbors, even when he speaks on issues not related to his office. In addition, it is a universal principle that one office often leads to another of higher and more direct responsibility. Finally, the tentacles of government are so invasive and numerous that an official may assert influence well beyond his putative scope by wielding his power unevenly and prejudicially. Thus, for example, the outspoken church might find its expansion programs halted by punitive and ever-varying enforcement of the safety codes, while the abortion clinic expands without interference.
As to "litmus tests," the problem is that we apply too few, not too many of them. Is the candidate honest? Is he a citizen? Is he mature and temperate? No one objects to "litmus tests" when they agree with his own values. In fact, "litmus tests" are really nothing more than another word for the criteria we use to select candidates.
It hardly needs mentioning that every candidate and proposed measure we face as voters is flawed. If we wait for the perfect candidate or the perfectly worded amendment, we will wait in vain and achieve nothing. So then, how do we maximize our influence for the kingdom? If every concession of key issues is a surrender, how do we make progress?
The first thing to be determined is, how does the candidate or measure fit in the spiritual battle? Is he clearly on one side or the other, or is he a bystander? Then, is there a definite ability and motivation on the part of the candidate to fill the office effectively. If no candidate can be found who meets these criteria, it is sometimes best to stay out of the race.
No, of course not. In fact, the mere existence and influence of two parties, each of which has interests and motivations distinct from those of the country as a whole, is a defeat for freedom. Much could be written and has been written on the evils of a party-based system (I mean, of course, parties that are granted special powers and rights above those of any other free association). However, at this time and in Brevard County, there are many more candidates who, wittingly or unwittingly, hold to a biblical world view in the Republican Party than in the Democratic Party. This fact is most important in the primary elections, in which the candidate representing each party is selected, and only those registered in each party may vote (as a rule).
We know that many will disagree with us--we hope you can find links and information of use to you anyway on our site, even if only to locate your precinct to vote. You are welcome here!