Can We Legislate Morality?

Dr. Mike Adams had an excellent piece on TownHall.com yesterday. It dealt with the often-misunderstood issue of legislating morality, and the fallacy of how "you can't legislate morality."

Dr. Adams says it well:

During the 1990s, liberals stated that legislation designed to cut food stamps was "immoral." But most liberals also adhere to the belief that you "can't legislate morality." How can a bill be "immoral" if it can't be "moral"?

and

Was the 13th Amendment ban of slavery an example of Congress trying to "legislate morality"? If your answer is "yes," is that sufficient grounds to reinstate slavery?

Those who say there is no objective standard of morality base their opinion on the inability of people to act in accordance with that standard consistently. But isn't the absolute moral law more likely to be seen in people reactions, rather than their actions? Think about yourself for a moment. Sometimes you tell the truth, sometimes you don't. But, do you not react with consistent moral outrage when people lie to you?

and

How many of our Founding Fathers attended seminary? (Hint: It is more than 26 and less than 28).

In 1796, an act was passed by Congress under President Washington regulating the land given to the Society of United Brethren for "propagating the gospel among the heathen." The act was later extended by President Jefferson. Do you suppose that conflicts with his supposed insistence upon a "wall of separation between church and state"?

and

Is it true that Thomas Jefferson set up the University of Virginia – using state funds – with rules including a ban on swearing and an expectation that students would "attend religious services"?

and a very interesting one

How many of the states that ratified the First Amendment had official state churches?

As much as I'm sure they'd hate it, even an intellectually honest liberal (if there is such an animal) would have to admit that we can--AND DO--legislate morality. We do it every day. If we didn't, there would be complete and total anarchy, and the world would be a very, very unsafe place to try and live.

The question is: whose morality will we legislate? The morality that made this nation the greatest, best place on earth...or the Marxist socialist morality that has left nothing but dead bodies and destroyed lives in its wake?