Libertarianism and The Lord (believe, Christ, godless, experience)

[rifleman]

Libertarianism {wiki}: "Libertarianism is a philosophical position in metaphysics with respect to free will and determinism. It entails the belief that human beings possess free will, that free will is incompatible with determinism, and that determinism is false."

Political Libertarianism [from the official Libertarian Party site: www.lp.org}: "As Libertarians, we seek a world of liberty; a world in which all individuals are sovereign over their own lives and no one is forced to sacrifice his or her values for the benefit of others.

We believe that respect for individual rights is the essential precondition for a free and prosperous world, that force and fraud must be banished from human relationships, and that only through freedom can peace and prosperity be realized."

Further, the Lib Party states (same site):

"1.1 Expression and Communication

We support full freedom of expression and oppose government censorship, regulation or control of communications media and technology. We favor the freedom to engage in or abstain from any religious activities that do not violate the rights of others. We oppose government actions which either aid or attack any religion."

(my highlights in underlined red....)

So.. how do you fine & thoughtful folks feel about the Libertarian Party as it interacts with religion? It seems, from my reading of their platform, and from speaking to several of them that I know persoanllay, that they would actively dis-allow the intervention or participation of any religion in governmental activities, courtrooms, comments on currency, etc.

Do we have any stats on how many Christians or other sects or cults support the LP platform and ideals? Any Libertarians out there who can comment from their personal experience with, perhaps, some of the candidates that have run from time to time?

(Gawd, do we ever need a valid and thoughtful third political party in this country, huh?)

[Fullback32]

Well, I am a Libertarian and an agnostic (as you already know). The party has members of all faiths and unfaiths. Religion is not a matter to Libertarians, except to say that we follow what the First Amendment says about it. People are free to worship the way they wish to (or not) and the government may not make laws that could establish a religion. When it comes to government policy, we tend to concern ourselves WAY more about fiscal conservatism and strict adherence to the Constitution. Social issues are for individuals to decide and are not the place of the government to make policy concerning them.

As to candidates, our 2008 Presidential candidate Bob Barr, like so may of us, are disaffected Republicans. That being said, when Barr was Republican he actively engaged in "Religious Right" activities. For example, while still a member of the Republican Party in Congress, he also proposed that the Pentagon ban the practice of Wicca in the military (1999). He also authored and sponsored the Defense of Marriage Act (1996).

In 2006, he officially joined the Libertarian Party and renounced and apologized for his anti-First Amendment acts while a Republican. Now, did he really have an epiphany or was he just being politically expediant? I don't know, but to leave a major party to run under a third party that, to date, has no seats in the Federal House or Senate, I have to believe that he meant it.

The Libertarian Party is the largest of the third parties. Hundreds of Libertarian candidates have been elected or appointed to public office, and thousands have run for office under the Libertarian banner. Those elected are at the State level or lower for the most part. This is despite only thirty states allowing (allowing?) voters to register as Libertarians, disallowing Libertarian participation, the national media doing no reporting on the party, and of course so many people being afraid to jump ship (the old I'll waste my vote argument). With more support from like minded people, the party can grow. Liberals need not apply as they won't like our small, limited government, low tax platform.

For evangelicals who flee the Republican Party, they tend to flock to the Constitution Party which does have a highly religious evangelical platform.

[DaniMae1]

YAY libertarians! The party of people who actually THINK!

[rifleman]

I'm thinkin that way myself. Actually, I voted for Bob last time, despite being a registered Republican. I knew full well that I was, as my wife's evangelical freinds warned me with their waggling fingers, tossing my vote away, and after all, we needed to defeat the "godless, heathen commies under Obama!" Even I don't see him as quite that afflicted. Well, "commie" may be accurate after all.

I fled Canada because of their sneak-attack near-communist system. They shy away just short of total socialism because of the proximity to the US. They know they'd probably lose the advantages of having been able to participate in full-on capitalism while under the militrary protectorate, for the last 60 years, of the US government.

I tell them, with a twinkle in my foreboding eye, that they'd all be speaking Chinese or Rusky by now if it hadn't been for the US and it's relentless military might parked menacingly right next door. When I studied polar bears in the north, I housed myself and my techs in an old Dew Line artillary ranging/observation tower near Churchill, Manitoba. The airfield at YYQ (Churchill) is, as the joke goes about the Polish pilot who landed there crossways to the runway, but with lots of room, apparently, to spare:

"It's a bit short, but it sure is wide!"

It was set up to land a fully loaded & fueled B-52. 9200 feet long, with some gravel runout strips from there!

Anyhow, as time ticks on, perhaps Libertarianism is the better way to go. Thing is, how do we get a leg up on the other two parties' stranglehold on the media

[scarmig]

I used to be a Libertarian, but I got frustrated when they wouldn't carry the non-aggression philosophy through to it's full conclusion.