Template:Voluntary society

Voluntary society

A voluntary society is one in which the right of the individual to make choice remains intact. The power to choose resides in every individual within the social structure of a family. All government is by consent. There are standards established to protect those rights such as rules or prohibitions such as stealing, killing or doing anything that would deprive other members of society of their right to pursue their own liberty to choose.

People living close to nature may be aware of the cause and effect written in Nature itself which may be recognized as Natural Law. They may also perceive because of this natural cause and effect that certain behaviors are more desirable to maintain a stable society that is capable of e=defending its members from threats both foreign and domestic. Those behaviors may be described as social virtues.

Such societies must reward virtue and discourage negative behavior that may be called vices that would weaken individuals, breakdown the family unit, from which society is born, and thereby degenerate society as a whole and social bonds that make it strong and viable against the forces of nature or usurpers or tyrants.

Any system, culture, custom, or practice which may restrict, relieve, reduces the responsibility of the individual may, and often does degenerate the life and viability of the spirit of liberty living in that individual and eventually even their perception of truth.

While a voluntary society is concerned with protection of the rights, health, and prosperity of all, they must also be aware of the need of morals, education(the accumulation of knowledge and skill), and the promotion of the general character of their fellow neighbor, both near and far. They also know that they must express with some consistency concern for the well being of the poor amongst them, foreigner or sojourner who comes into contact with them, and even to the point of extending justice and mercy at times to their enemy.

While the needs of the many may seem to outweigh the needs of the one the sacredness of individual and that right to choose should outweigh the desires of the many or the rights of all will soon fall into condemnation and peril.

There would be no taxation or tribute, no mandatory service or systems of corvee. There would be no king to exercise authority and therefore no legal charity nor Corban provided by forced compliance.

Such systems do create the bands of a society but also produces fealty and with that power may become centralized and in the hands of the few, or in a democracy in the hands of the many at the peril of individual choice and liberty.

All societies and members of society may have needs as individuals or families. It is the means by which society attends to these social needs which determines the nature and strength of its social bonds and therefore the health and liberty within society. It has been long understood that there is a human responsibility in every individual to attend to the honest needs of their fellow man.

We see it that cause and effect expressed in the golden rule, in the sayings of wise social reformers like Moses and Jesus who both said "love thy neighbor as thy self". Judge not lest ye be judged suggests that if you judge it is okay to take from your neighbor then it must also be okay to take from you.

If the means of social welfare that will predetermine the out come through cause and effect. What ever actions taken, as a society or nation, is the result first of individual choice of the exercise of charity and sacrifice rather than any form of collective or legal charity.