Government vs. rights

The government's powers - especially the federal government's powers - should be extremely limited. When they are not limited, they conflict with our rights, one of which is the right to freedom and liberty.

I think (not entirely sure about this yet!) that the government's jurisdiction should be limited to interpersonal relationships. It should NOT concern itself with relationships between men and God. For example, the government should not abridge the freedom of religion.

I also believe that the lawmaker has the responsibility to prove not only that a proposed law will have benefits (e.g. banning murder will result in increased human rights, etc.), but also that the government has the power to make the law ( e.g. the government may ban murder because murder infringes on the rights of the people).

For example, Prohibition had some admittedly beneficial effects: crime rates went down, fewers families were broken, etc. I do not believe, however, that the federal government was justified establishing Prohibition. Banning the sale of alcoholic beverages is simply not something the government is specifically authorized to do, by natural law or logical reasoning (or by the Constitution, but that's another issue). Even the Bible does not condemn any and every use of alcohol!

The government is not automatically entitled to make any law that would have "benefits." Every time it makes a law, it impinges upon our freedoms. It must prove that it is authorized to make a law before it may rightfully do so.