For a lot of conservative folks, Glenn Youngkin of Virginia became a possible candidate for the US presidency in the future by his improbable gubernatorial win in Democrat-trending Virginia.  They need to scratch him off their list after his total desecration of marriage, however.  On March 8^th, he signed into law – willingly, voluntarily – HB174, which provides,

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding a section numbered 20-13.2 as follows:

• 20-13.2. Marriage lawful regardless of sex, gender, or race of parties.

No person authorized by §20-14 to issue a marriage license shall deny the issuance of such license to two parties contemplating a lawful marriage on the basis of the sex, gender, or race of such parties. Such lawful marriages shall be recognized in the Commonwealth regardless of the sex, gender, or race of the parties.

Religious organizations and members of the clergy acting in their religious capacity shall have the right to refuse to perform any marriage.

How long the limitation of marriage to ‘two parties’ will last, and the tolerance of clergy to refuse to conduct these new-style same-sex and trans marriages, remains to be seen.  When the polyamorists, etc., begin belly-aching about discrimination, violation of rights, and all the rest of it, probably not too long a time.  But that is an issue for another time.

What is important here is that Governor Youngkin had an opportunity to make a decisive stand for traditional Christian marriage and refused to do so.  History will not remember him kindly.  For cowardice in the face of evil is not praiseworthy.  Boldness and courage, on the other hand, certainly are.

A good example of the latter is Prince Alois of little Liechtenstein, who put his popularity (and with it, his rule) on the line by opposing a referendum to legalize abortion:

Liechtenstein, a tiny country of only 160 square kilometres and a population of 36,000, is another pro-life sanctuary. Abortion is illegal in almost all circumstances, and women drive to either Austria or Switzerland to procure one. In 2012, Hereditary Prince Alois, a devout Catholic, responded to a referendum to legalize abortion (until the first 12 weeks of pregnancy) before the vote was scheduled by announcing that he would exercise his royal prerogative to veto any attempt at loosening restrictions on abortion. Voters subsequently voted against legalization.

Abortion activists were livid—they had been sure of victory and claimed that the vote of 51.5% to 48.5% to keep abortion illegal was a result of the prince’s intervention. A citizens’ initiative was launched in 2013 to curtail the power of the ruling princes, proposing that their veto power be limited or removed. Abortion activists received another bruising defeat: 76% of Liechtensteiners voted to uphold the royal right of veto. Again, a royal family had decided to leverage its influence on behalf of preborn children; this time, the result was that the most vulnerable people in Liechtenstein remain protected under the law.

This same article describes a similar event in the reign of King Baudouin of Belgium, who would not agree to sign a law legalizing child-murder:

The civilian Government temporarily suspended King Baudouin I from power today after he declared that he could not, in good conscience as a Roman Catholic, sign a new law permitting abortion. After declaring the King “unable to govern,” the Cabinet assumed the King’s powers and promulgated the abortion law, which was published in the official gazette. And it called the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate back from Easter vacation for a special session on Thursday. The lawmakers will be asked to vote on the proposition that the 59-year-old King is once again able to govern.

Belgium was thus without a king for 36 hours, after which he was promptly reinstated. Cynics might claim that the result was the same—but that is to ignore the fact that King Baudouin used his royal position to send a powerful anti-abortion message, encouraging the pro-life movement and signalling to his people that conscientious objection to abortion is a moral duty no matter what the cost. King Baudouin knew that despite the wealth and prestige that came with his position, in the end, we meet the Creator of life alone—and political prevarications will be no justification for violations of conscience.

Those last sentences are key.  Without a Christian grounding of politics, sane conservative policies will not be able to withstand the jagged chainsaw that wokies/Leftists are ready and willing to use to destroy those things:

Daniel McCarthy, editor of Modern Age and contributing editor of The American Conservative, asked Rufo his opinion on a sense of complacency in America that has allowed DEI initiatives and critical race theory to take such a strong hold: “Some complacency or some weakness on the part of that stronger and more virtuous America opened the door to the insanity that we’ve seen the last 20 plus years. I’m curious, what do you think has created this sense of complacency, or this obliviousness, among so many conservative people towards the threat that they’re facing from a very radical revolutionary level?”

Rufo explained that, in his opinion, baby-boomers and libertarians were to blame for the current state of conservatism in America, concluding that it is important to understand and be educated about the history of the ideologies ripping through today’s society in order to restore a recognizable American order.

What has been missing in ‘baby-boomers and libertarians’ that has made them such poor custodians of normative institutions in the States (religion, family, economy, government, etc.)?  Precisely the Christian element, the element that allows us to stand, like the martyrs of the Church, without fear in the face of fierce, overwhelming power.  The martyrdom of the Woman at the Well, St Photini (St John’s Gospel, chapter 4), illustrates for us this Christian courage.  We pick up the account of her martyrdom after an angel had rescued some of the others with her who had been arrested and tortured by the Romans:

Enraged, Nero ordered that the skin to be flayed from from Saint Photini’s body, and then to throw her into a well. Sebastian, Photinos and Ioses had their legs amputated, and they were thrown to dogs. Then their was skin flayed off. Saint Photini’s sisters also suffered terrible torments. Nero ordered soldiers to cut off their breasts, and then to flay their skin. An expert in cruelty, the Emperor prepared the most painful execution for Saint Photida. Her feet were tied to the tops of two trees which had been bent to the ground. When the ropes were cut the trees sprang upright, tearing the martyr apart. The Emperor ordered the others beheaded. Saint Photini was removed from the well and locked up in prison for twenty days.

After this Nero had her brought to him and asked if she would now relent and offer sacrifice to the idols. The courageous Photini spat in the Emperor’s face. Mocking him she said, “O most impious of the blind, you profligate and stupid man! Do you think me so deluded that I would consent to renounce my Lord Christ and instead offer sacrifice to idols which are as blind as you are?”

After hearing such words, Nero ordered that the martyr be thrown into the well again. There she surrendered her soul to God (+ ca. 66).

Would St Photini and those who suffered alongside her be celebrated today if they had compromised with Nero and sacrificed to the idols only outwardly, while worshipping Christ inwardly (the constant temptation offered by the Roman powers)?  Not at all.  Betrayal does not advance anything good.  Likewise, the triangulation/centrism (i.e., betrayal of Christian principles) of people like Gov Youngkin on marriage, and other Republicans (Trump, Hannity) on abortion (15 weeks rather than a total ban), etc., will lead to nothing good.

On the contrary, ‘On every side the wicked prowl, as vileness is exalted among the sons of men’ (Psalm 12:8).