What does it mean to be a moral conservative?

The other day, I had a friend ask, "How do you reconcile your religious beliefs with your being a democrat?" Unfortunately, I gave my friend the boring answer. I explained how I agree with the social philosophies associated with the democratic party, but like many democrats, I am morally conservative. This means that I would vote against legislation that facilitates abortion, gay marriages, and other policies that are detrimental to the moral fabric of our nation. I have to admit that I am a little bit disappointed with the weak nature of my response. Here's what I wish I would have said:

How do YOU reconcile YOUR religious belief with your being a REPUBLICAN? Seriously! I am baffled that so many people insist on applying Christian teachings to so called "moral" issues, but refuse to apply them to matters of social policy. I personally favor the intermingling of morals and legislation because every law that is made is inherently moral in nature. That is to say that every law that is passed implies a moral judgement on what is right and wrong in society. But if you are going to advocate the use of values and morals in public policymaking, you shouldn't do it half way. The Savior explicitly exhorts us all throughout the New Testament that we should "give to him that asketh thee" and to "give alms of of such things as ye have." If we believe helping the poor is a moral act, the right thing to do, why do we not support those who seek to give opportunities to the poor. It is not enough to say, "people only are taking advantage of the system" or "by helping people, we are only making them dependent." Jesus didn't say to give alms to those who deserve them. He didn't say to help those who were able to help themselves.

Finally, it is not enough to say, "I want to give, but I don't want society to make me give." This is like saying, "I want to decide not to have an abortion, but I don't want the government to force me not to have an abortion." Another reason is that while personal accountability is real, much of the racial and social inequality is directly tied to a dirty national heritage of slavery, biased policy against immigrants, and social inequality in schools. If the government is part of the problem, it is important to help it to be part of the solution.

Can you be a Christian and a Democrat? Yes. If you find yourself agreeing to the things I have said, you might be more of a Democrat than you think.