Thank you for patiently answering my many questions! I keep butting heads with certain relatives and friends on issues involving my considerably more conservative views, such as my stance against gay marriage and availability of legal abortion.

Do we, as Christians, have a right to insist that laws passed in our nation reflect our moral beliefs? Do we have a right to legislate morality even as we decline in numbers and influence? Can we realistically expect those who reject Christ and Church/Biblical teachings to submit to laws that conflict with their personal worldviews, even if they are flat out wrong?

It seems to me that nonchristians and those of liberal persuasion are so blinded by their own false convictions that they truly can't cope with the basic sacrifices God asks of all of us. For instance, some women angrily ask who will help them care for their unwanted baby if they don't abort their pregnancy.

As a Christian, my first thought would be that God always provides and that to deliberately destroy unborn life is inexcusable. I'm not suggesting that we excuse or overlook sinful beliefs and behavior, but how can we expect selfish people to vote for and cooperate with laws that doesn't make a lick of sense to them, especially when they aren't willing to see their problems as symptomatic of sin or to turn to God for help? How do you explain to a gay couple wishing to tie the knot that they can't be married because of commandments proclaimed by a God they don't even believe in?

So many people seem to see conservative Christians as selfish and even hateful for trying to force others to conform to their traditional views of morality. And it seems like even our nation's notion of traditional civic morality is rapidly disappearing as well. I am really worried for our society as liberalism becomes mainstreamed. Thank you for your insight.