Is Obama gutting the military?
I am not a fan of Barack Obama. But since there are a lot of things that could be said …
All Articles by Laurence Vance
Just Politics
To get an idea of Ronald Sider’s perspective in this book, we might begin with a look at the man …
If I were a pastor
I am not a pastor. I am not a minister. I am not a preacher. I am not a priest. …
A Biblical Defense of Self-Defense
I have written many articles on gun control. As a book reviewer, I am especially interested in new books on gun …
Sow It Everywhere
Review of Martin A. Lee, Smoke Signals: A Social History of Marijuana—Medical, Recreational, and Scientific (Scribner, 2012), vii + 519 …
Can Conservatives Be Libertarians?
Some libertarians are applauding the recent Supreme Court decisions relating to same-sex marriage, not because of anything to do with …
Glenn Beck Almost Gets It Right (About Guns)
Review of Glenn Beck, Control: Exposing the Truth about Guns (Threshold Editions, 2013), xvi + 189 pgs., paperback, $12.00. I …
Follies of Christian Militarism
Introduction to War, Christianity, and the State: Essays on the Follies of Christian Militarism by Laurence Vance (Vance Publications, 2013), …
Adultery and the State–Moral Courage or Moral Busybodies?
The legislature of the state of Colorado recently passed, and the governor signed into law, a bill to repeal an …
You might be guilty of military idolatry if…
This past Memorial Day brought forth the usual military idolatry. What makes it worse, though, is that this military idolatry …
Shall We Smite With the Sword?
Philip Mauro (1859-1952) was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and educated at Columbian University in the nation’s capital, now known …
Does Libertarianism Diminish Freedom?
Hillsdale College in Michigan hosts Mises Lectures in free-market economics and houses the library of Mises in the Ludwig von …
Is it Okay to Kill?
Is it okay to kill? I don’t mean a bug in your house, a snake in your garage, or a …
Decriminalization, Legalization, or Freedom?
In between drug prohibition and drug freedom are two concepts that are often confused. Drug prohibition is the criminalization of …
All Taxation is Theft
When it comes to governments the world over, bad economic policies usually beget more bad economic policies. That is especially …
Alexander Campbell, Tolbert Fanning, David Lipscomb: A Nineteenth-Century Anti-War Triumvirate
A shorter version of this essay was presented at the 2013 Austrian Economics Research Conference at the Mises Institute. Alexander …
Liberals, Conservatives, and the Welfare State
Ronald Sider is a liberal. Paul Ryan is a conservative. But don’t let the labels fool you; they are more …
Janus Christians
“Were it not for the support offered by several tens of millions of evangelicals, militarism in this deeply and genuinely …
Is God Against Drones?
He is not, according to former CIA analyst and current Christian axis of evil candidate Mark D. Tooley, as long …
Two Views of Libertarianism
There exists much confusion in the political sphere about libertarianism. Conservatives often mischaracterize it as discounting human nature and disdaining …
Militarism is not heroic
Chris Kyle, a former Navy SEAL, and the U.S. military’s most lethal sniper, was deliberately and fatally shot recently by …
What Every Libertarian Needs To Know About Two Books on the Drug War
Review of Mark A. R. Kleiman, Jonathan P. Caulkins, and Angela Hawken, Drugs and Drug Policy: What Everyone Needs to …
Christian Philosopher Wins Prestigious Rescher Prize
Christian philosopher Alvin C. Plantinga has won the prestigious Rescher Prize for contributions to systematic philosophy. David Theroux of the …
Two Important Books for Libertarian Christians
I must recommend two important books for Libertarian Christians. The first is Turn Neither to the Right Nor to the …
Soldiers in Fantasyland
Disney World in central Florida recently opened a large expansion and renovation of its Fantasyland area. Kids can ride Dumbo …