[Prudence]

I have zero problems with someone holding those sorts of personal views -- even "definitive" and "comprehensive". What our nation struggles with is the boundary between personal moral code and The Moral Code. Some people hold a moral code that compels them to establish standards to which they would hold all citizens -- not merely standards they themselves try to follow to the best of their own individual abilities. That is what makes me nervous. And moral codes can vary widely even within a group such as, say, Christians. Many Americans are adverse to what they see as paternalistic behavior.

It's an uneasy balance and the boundaries are not well defined. But once drawn they're difficult to alter. I think we need the system of checks and balances to make sure the boundaries aren't placed hastily and without contemplating potential ramifications.