What “rights” do Christians have?
This essay continues the Christian Theology and Public Policy Course by John Cobin, author of the books Bible and Government …
This essay continues the Christian Theology and Public Policy Course by John Cobin, author of the books Bible and Government …
This essay continues the Christian Theology and Public Policy Course by John Cobin, author of the books Bible and Government …
By Edmund Opitz, author of The Libertarian Theology of Freedom and Religion and Capitalism: Allies, Not Enemies. —- The great …
By Edmund Opitz, author of The Libertarian Theology of Freedom and Religion and Capitalism: Allies, Not Enemies. This selection was …
I am on the board of The Foundation for a Free Society, and one of our objectives is to put …
Originally by Edmund Opitz, published in the January 1993 edition of The Freeman. —- Countless generations of men have lived …
David Theroux, Founder and President of the Independent Institute, President of the C.S. Lewis Society of California, and friend of LibertarianChristians.com has recently published a three-part series on the political philosophy of C.S. Lewis entitled “C.S. Lewis on Mere Liberty and Statism.” I highly recommend these articles for your reading (see the links following my synopsis).
Lewis, of course, is well-respected among Christians for his excellent stories and compelling explication of theology. Turns out he also favored liberty as a defining characteristic of civilized society. He reaches this conclusion through a consistent application of natural law.
When confronted with a problem most people today turn to the government—but in reality, it’s often the government that created the problem and its continued involvement only exacerbates the problem. Politics distorts free market signals, quashes rights, and, quite bluntly, kills individuals.
Thanks in large part to misinformation, protectionist legislation passed with the support of Big Labor and other rent-seeking groups, and rhetoric accompanying these actions, immigration has become a divisive topic. As was seen between East and West Berlin decades ago and between the United States and Mexico today, this controversy sometimes results in the construction of physical barriers to prevent the free movement of individuals. Yet, fortunately there are some reasonable voices in this discussion, helping to point out how immigration restrictions further entrench governments and negate individual rights, in addition to severely hampering the economy.
Thanks in large part to the work of the Institute for Justice and the 2005 Supreme Court case Kelo v. New London, eminent domain (the taking of private property by the government) has caused much grassroots and legal activity.
First, let’s get clear on what kind of censorship we oppose. We oppose any censorship by government, because only the government has the “authority” to legally use force against you for expressing your ideas. Your neighbor might kick you off his property if you say something he dislikes, or a privately owned newspaper can refuse to publish your letter to the editor, but neither should legally use force against you to shut you up.
Freedom subsumes individual liberty and personal responsibility. If individuals are free to act and also held responsible to bear the consequences for their actions, good outcomes will be reinforce correct behavior and bad outcomes will provide a learning experience. When government gets in the way of this feedback loop, it prevents the development of virtue and merely subjects the individual to the will of the State.
The message “Don’t Tread” communicates in two words what the entire political philosophy of classical liberalism is about: desiring to be free from oppression from whatever quarter. In other words, “don’t mess with me.” This message is used by those advocating a less-invasive state, because governments — through taxation, legislation, regulation, surveillance, etc. — are the main aggressors upon individual rights.
I have been doing a lot of reflection on where I want to take LibertarianChristians.com in 2010. The landscape of …
In a shocking turn of events, I found out a few days ago that I have been nominated for the …
Mr. Robert Sirico, President of the Acton Institute, made these remarks on the occasion of the retirement dinner of Mr. …
Yesterday, the greatest question was decided which ever was debated in America, and a greater perhaps never was nor will …
Politicians, especially Republicans, love to talk about “cutting taxes,” and in some cases they actually do cut some taxes and ease the burden of all. Unfortunately, this masks the dirty, grimy truth that no statist wants to hear: it isn’t how you are taxed that really matters, but how the government spends.
Every Monday, the Libertarian Party sends out a message to all their subscribers. Today’s message reminded me that today, March …
I’d like to describe some of the elements of my religious heritage, personal history, and intellectual development that have brought me thus far. If you are reading this and are unsure of whether or not libertarianism is compatible with the Christian faith, well, this is how I got this way and I hope it explains what it means to me, personally, to be a libertarian and a Christian.
Continuing in our series of posts leading up to the inauguration of the 44th President of the United States of …
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