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About 15 years ago I had a friend who was a hard core fundamentalist Christian, and we once got into a friendly debate about a local strip club. The club was being protested by a church group, who would show up, stand, outside, and protest. Soon the club, which was the only strip club ever in Bellevue, WA (to my knowledge) was shut down.
My friend naturally supported the protests. I have read the Bible (years ago) even though I am not a Christian. I argued to my friend that the Bible does NOT teach that it is the job of the church to try to regulate the sinful behavior of the non-believer. Instead, the job of the church is to persuade the sinner to voluntarily come over to the side of believers, then in turn voluntarily drop his sinful behavior.
It was like a lightbulb went off. "You know, you're right," concluded my friend. It was a rare (for me) debate that resulted in a changed mind. Ever since then, I've always thought that libertarianism and Christianity are very much compatible. Most libertarians seem to be libertarian and agnostic, but I think there is no reason that this can't change.
About 15 years ago I had a friend who was a hard core fundamentalist Christian, and we once got into a friendly debate about a local strip club. The club was being protested by a church group, who would show up, stand, outside, and protest. Soon the club, which was the only strip club ever in Bellevue, WA (to my knowledge) was shut down.
My friend naturally supported the protests. I have read the Bible (years ago) even though I am not a Christian. I argued to my friend that the Bible does NOT teach that it is the job of the church to try to regulate the sinful behavior of the non-believer. Instead, the job of the church is to persuade the sinner to voluntarily come over to the side of believers, then in turn voluntarily drop his sinful behavior.
It was like a lightbulb went off. "You know, you're right," concluded my friend. It was a rare (for me) debate that resulted in a changed mind. Ever since then, I've always thought that libertarianism and Christianity are very much compatible. Most libertarians seem to be libertarian and agnostic, but I think there is no reason that this can't change.
About 15 years ago I had a friend who was a hard core fundamentalist Christian, and we once got into a friendly debate about a local strip club. The club was being protested by a church group, who would show up, stand, outside, and protest. Soon the club, which was the only strip club ever in Bellevue, WA (to my knowledge) was shut down.
My friend naturally supported the protests. I have read the Bible (years ago) even though I am not a Christian. I argued to my friend that the Bible does NOT teach that it is the job of the church to try to regulate the sinful behavior of the non-believer. Instead, the job of the church is to persuade the sinner to voluntarily come over to the side of believers, then in turn voluntarily drop his sinful behavior.
It was like a lightbulb went off. "You know, you're right," concluded my friend. It was a rare (for me) debate that resulted in a changed mind. Ever since then, I've always thought that libertarianism and Christianity are very much compatible. Most libertarians seem to be libertarian and agnostic, but I think there is no reason that this can't change.
I agree. I am a conservative Christian, not a Bible thumping one, but a Christian. I and many from my Church support Ron Paul, who obviously has very strong Libertarian "leanings." I don't want to force my religion on others and I definitely don't want others pushing their social/political ideologies on me or my children.
I agree. I am a conservative Christian, not a Bible thumping one, but a Christian. I and many from my Church support Ron Paul, who obviously has very strong Libertarian "leanings." I don't want to force my religion on others and I definitely don't want others pushing their social/political ideologies on me or my children.
So the topless bar is OK next to an elementary school, a nursing home, a hospital or a church?
I care less what adults do to themselves as it's still a largely free country.
When those actions impact children, we have a different situation.
So the topless bar is OK next to an elementary school, a nursing home, a hospital or a church?
I care less what adults do to themselves as it's still a largely free country.
When those actions impact children, we have a different situation.
My answer to this is always that the community should be able to regulate outside signage. No neon "Live Nude Girls" signs, which I never liked anyway, even as a strip club patron. No windows where kids can peek in to see what is going on (never seen a strip club w/ windows anyway). But what goes on inside between consenting adults is no business of church nor state, and should not be regulated.
About 15 years ago I had a friend who was a hard core fundamentalist Christian, and we once got into a friendly debate about a local strip club. The club was being protested by a church group, who would show up, stand, outside, and protest. Soon the club, which was the only strip club ever in Bellevue, WA (to my knowledge) was shut down.
My friend naturally supported the protests. I have read the Bible (years ago) even though I am not a Christian. I argued to my friend that the Bible does NOT teach that it is the job of the church to try to regulate the sinful behavior of the non-believer. Instead, the job of the church is to persuade the sinner to voluntarily come over to the side of believers, then in turn voluntarily drop his sinful behavior.
It was like a lightbulb went off. "You know, you're right," concluded my friend. It was a rare (for me) debate that resulted in a changed mind. Ever since then, I've always thought that libertarianism and Christianity are very much compatible. Most libertarians seem to be libertarian and agnostic, but I think there is no reason that this can't change.
I think there's some truth to this. St. Paul said in his letter to the Corinthians that Christians were to judge those inside the church, while it's God's job to judge those outside of it. This is why, unlike most of my fellow Christians, I don't get all bent out of shape about gay rights. It's not that I actively support or oppose gay rights per se (I mean, you'd never see me at a rally supporting them) but I just don't get myself involved in the issue on either side.
Now, it doesn't mean that Christians can't campaign for social justice issues, like Civil Rights and human rights, but the line really has to be drawn by the individual Christian as to what he/she will protest or leave alone. I tend to leave things well enough alone.
Christianity and Libertarianism are incompatible. This of course is in general, as most times you trap a Libertarian in questions they start chanting the mantra "Free Market" and saying that specific points will be magically cured by it.
Libertarianism as freedom without religion violates 6 commandments at the start. The first commandment (freedom of religion), the second (idols or images of religious figures), the third commandment (blasphemy), the fourth commandment (working on the Sabbath), the fifth commandment (being subject to ones parents will), and the tenth commandment (coveting in thought they neighbors things).
It also violates freedom of who you marry (gay marriage) that Christians try to stop because god says so. Often times championing vocally at Red Lobster while eating shrimp, even though the bible calls shellfish the same thing and making the waitstaff work on the Sabbath against the 4th commandment.
If you go into objectivism morals of Libertarianism then providing benefits to the less fortunate is considered immoral, where in Christianity it is touched on so often it's hard not to turn to a page in the bible without seeing something about it.
Libertarianism scoffs at regulations and environmental damage is just a cost of doing business (Rand Paul is a good example), where most Christians would believe that dumping waste in people's water or air supply that would harm them is generally immoral.
Libertarians see evil going on in another place and prefer not to intervene...where it is generally considered Christian to at least champion for good if not do something about it.
Libertarians see regulations in food and pharmaceutical industries as bad interventionism, where most humans (and moral people) find it bad to let other poison their fellow man by looking the other way.
That's just a quick start too, there is much more if you want to go into details.
Christianity and Libertarianism are incompatible. This of course is in general, as most times you trap a Libertarian in questions they start chanting the mantra "Free Market" and saying that specific points will be magically cured by it.
Libertarianism as freedom without religion violates 6 commandments at the start. The first commandment (freedom of religion), the second (idols or images of religious figures), the third commandment (blasphemy), the fourth commandment (working on the Sabbath), the fifth commandment (being subject to ones parents will), and the tenth commandment (coveting in thought they neighbors things).
It also violates freedom of who you marry (gay marriage) that Christians try to stop because god says so. Often times championing vocally at Red Lobster while eating shrimp, even though the bible calls shellfish the same thing and making the waitstaff work on the Sabbath against the 4th commandment.
If you go into objectivism morals of Libertarianism then providing benefits to the less fortunate is considered immoral, where in Christianity it is touched on so often it's hard not to turn to a page in the bible without seeing something about it.
Libertarianism scoffs at regulations and environmental damage is just a cost of doing business (Rand Paul is a good example), where most Christians would believe that dumping waste in people's water or air supply that would harm them is generally immoral.
Libertarians see evil going on in another place and prefer not to intervene...where it is generally considered Christian to at least champion for good if not do something about it.
Libertarians see regulations in food and pharmaceutical industries as bad interventionism, where most humans (and moral people) find it bad to let other poison their fellow man by looking the other way.
That's just a quick start too, there is much more if you want to go into details.
Sounds like you are pointing out the extremes of both.
Sounds like you are pointing out the extremes of both.
No, it's generally accepted principals of both readily available anywhere you can find them. Unless things like 10 commandments, Objectivism, opposition to regulations and opposition to gay marriage are suddenly extremist principals of either.
There in lies the problem as well, everyone has their own definition of each...so whose definition of Christianity and Libertarianism should we match?
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