The Bear Cave
A rhetoric I often hear from mainstream conservatives is that in order to implement conservative policies, we must “win the culture war.” But their idea of fighting a culture war looks like “Facts” by Ben Shapiro. At this time, little is being done to actually define a conservative culture — and that needs to change.
Culture is a way of life; it’s not only beliefs but also what people do as a result of those beliefs. This means that if we want to change the culture, we must change the way people live. We must put our values into action rather than just holding them.
Though I believe changing people’s hearts and minds on a personal level is needed for growing a Christian and moral culture, I don’t think that alone will get us there. It is near-impossible to redefine American culture if the “powers that be” — the media, our politicians, anyone who holds influence and power in this country — aren’t on our side.
The reason why is because creating culture is a two-way street. Culture doesn’t merely change laws and the powers that be — laws and the powers at be can change culture.
This philosophy can be seen through consuming music. When we examine the lyrics of a popular song, we can gain insight into what its listeners are thinking and feeling, and maybe even how they’re living their lives. But listening to that music can also change the way its listeners live, pulling them into its orbit.
The same philosophy can be applied to our laws. While the laws of a country may reflect what its people believe, they may also influence what its people believe.
For example, before Roe v. Wade set the precedent that abortion was a constitutional right in 1973, elective abortions were far rarer. According to research compiled by Robert Johnston from the Johnston Archive, as few as 292 abortions were recorded in 1960. Though that number would steadily increase to 25,918 in 1969, it would jump to 193,491 in 1970, then jump again to a whopping 744,600 in 1973. The number of abortions continued to spike, soon reaching over a million abortions a year starting in 1975.
It’s no coincidence that the rise in abortions correlated with the legal precedents changing around it. That’s not to say the surge in abortions has nothing to do with the fact that it then became legal; I’m sure that is one of many factors that went into this statistic.
However, I can also say that another prominent factor at the root of this figure is that the legalization made abortion more culturally, and even morally (to some), acceptable. Our laws guide us and represent our country’s collective morals. If our laws allow abortion, then more people’s minds will be pulled in that direction. This is why we need to pass laws and set precedents that are conservative and Christian in nature.
Another example would be when California became the first state to legalize no-fault divorce in 1969. Other states slowly began to follow suit. According to an article from National Affairs, the divorce rate more than doubled between 1960 and 1980, going from 9.2 divorces per 1,000 married women to 22.6 divorces per 1,000 married women.
By 2010, every state had legalized no-fault divorce, according to the National Affairs article. Meanwhile, an article on Gitnux claimed that as high as 50% of children in the U.S. will see their parents get divorced. Where no-fault divorce would have been a rarity decades ago, it is now commonplace and culturally accepted.
Knowing this, conservatives won’t be able to establish a Christian and conservative culture by merely pushing back against the left. Rather, conservatives must implement policies that reflect their morals and values on top of leading the institutions that run this country.
Ultimately, we need moral laws and institutions to have a moral people just as much as we need a moral people to have moral laws and institutions.
Bear is the editor-in-chief for the Liberty Champion. Follow her on X
