Looking for a Church in Loudoun County with Libertarian minister (Leesburg: lease, how much)

[LibertarianInLoudoun]

Hi All,

I am a Libertarian and am church shopping. I'm looking for a church where the congregation and pastor are AWAKE, but gentle and true with strong family values that have not been polluted by main stream media and are culturally poisoned. Looking for Western LoCo location. Help?

[Denton56]

I live in Western Loudoun but have no idea how to answer this since I'm not sure what you're asking. Awake? Libertarian? What do you mean by that? Don't most ministers in Christian churches support family values?

[smithy77]

I'd look at the Mennonites or the Old Order Amish. I'm sure the Mennonites are active in the area. You might have to travel a bit for the Amish.

[stpickrell]

I thought Libertarians were about live and let live, as opposed to complaining about the "main steam media" that are "culturally poisoned."

With that said, there's any number of conservative churches in Western Loudoun. It might help if you could give your comfort with ceremony in service (e.g. do you want lots of smoke and incense), central control (are you ok with an authority outside the congregation dictating policies), and commute time (if you're in Lovettsville I'd hate to start suggesting churches in Middleburg.) Also some churches in Purcellville will be in the 100s of members whereas other more rural churches will be in the 50-100 range. Which would you prefer?

[LibertarianInLoudoun]

Hmmm...

Hey there! Thanks for the input.

I think my tone was misinterpreted, as can happen in written form. I find comfort in church, but I also don't wish to be part of a congregation that is sitting unaware about what is going on outside of the comfort of a peaceful, uplifting, Sunday service.

AWAKE meaning that I am worshiping with folks that outside of the peace of church, understand politics, how much is hidden from us or controlled by television, and not just television. Not "sheep" or "lemmings" as so much of society has become, unfortunately. People who are willing to dig deeper and speak their mind and STAND UP for what others have let become accepted behavior (fed by that main stream media). "Live and let live" is true as far as libertarian values, but our world seems to be becoming a police state with every move we're making being tracked and being TOLD what to do...politically, personally, educationally, etc. Kind of unconstitutional, no? Look at how healthcare has become an industry, a pill for EVERYTHING. A pill for side effects from that other pill. Don't get me started on what has happened to our school systems, and what the Fed is doing to the economy.

I guess I'm looking for a congregation (and come ON...I know not all parishioners will feel EXACTLY (how boring!)) that thinks similarly as I do. I only have but a few lines of text to get a point across and am reaching my limit, but I guarantee that I am not some "crazy" person who marches the streets in disgust. I choose happy, but as someone I love once told me, "life, lived intelligently, causes joy". I am just looking for a gentler way of life including a more relaxed simple worship service. No incense and brimstone. Simple. It can be any organized christian religion (methodist, episcopalian, protestant, etc.) or bible/non-denom church...with no small animal sacrifices at the altar, please

[LibertarianInLoudoun]

AND...in Western Loudoun. Purcellville, Hamilton, Round Hill, and areas north and a bit south of that. Thanks!

[Bull Run Paradise]

Sounds like you don't want to be part of a 501(c)(3) type of church. Perhaps a bible study group would be preferrable. My neighbors seem to bring in a pretty big crowd a few nights a week, though it's in PWC and I don't exactly know what belief system they go by. Perhaps attending a Ron Paul meetup might stir up some leads.

[Caladium]

You might like a Unitarian church, although I'm hesitant to say so because most libertarians I know are conservative, and most unitarians I know say the same sorts of things that you say but from a liberal perspective.

There's one in Leesburg that might interest you:

http://www.uuloudoun.org/

[ACWhite]

You do know that clergy are not supposed to advocate for or against any particular candidate (in order to retain their tax-exempt status)? So many members of the clergy may consciously try to keep politics out of the conversation for this reason and to not alienate members or potential members who may have varying perspectives or opinions re: politics.

Of course, one could argue that a truly libertarian church would be opposed on principle to taking the benefits of tax-exempt status, in exchange for following govt. rules that preserve the benefits for charitable, non-political, etc., organizations, but that's another story.

[Carlingtonian]

I too am a libertarian and am part of a libertarian church. But being true libertarians, we do NOT defer to some all-governing clerical authority, like a pastor. Nor do we have a church building, because (whether leased or owned) it would need to be paid for by collections (socialism) or donations (handouts). There was a spat over which version of the Bible to use; I wanted everyone to use the ONE RIGHT AND TRUE, correct version, but others wanted to do their own thing. So now, we just pray at the same time from our homes.

Or at least, we're all *welcome* to. I have no idea if the others are following through; I suspect some may be watching TV and reading the newspaper instead. I'm tempted to try to find a way to investigate and make them pray like they're supposed to. Also, I suspect some of them may be gay. I'd like to investigate that too and, if it turns out to be true, make them stop with the gaying. Oh, and I have it on good account that one member let his teenage daughter get on birth control--which, if true, is something I cannot tolerate! (Don't even get me started on the woman with the Cosmo subscription.)

Anyway, the point is, don't let others stop you from fighting to preserve individual liberty!