Re: Christians should be Libertarians -- Liberty For All

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Subject: Re: Christians should be Libertarians

Author:
Rimshot

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Date Posted: 20:48:01 08/16/02 Fri
In reply to: Irene 's message, "Christians should be Libertarians" on 19:26:04 08/16/02 Fri

"I'm confused by this in the area of freedom to allow someone to hurt another because that is their choice"

In this case, it's not the person doing the hurting whose free choice is in question, it's the person being hurt. If I see someone beating an unarmed man with a pipe, I would probably interfere - very few people choose to be beaten senseless. However, if I see someone selling coffee, or tobacco, or marijuana, or themselves to another, then I wouldn't interfere. And whether I approve of what they're doing is irrelevant. If the buyer chooses to buy, it's free choice and an exercise in free will. And none of my business.

And that's where Christians and Libertarians, you should pardon the phrase, dovetail - the twin beliefs that a) choice made under coercion is not free will, and b) that initiating force is never the answer.

Should all Libertarians be Christians? Of course not. That's goofy on the face of it. But I do think that in ignoring America's mainstream Christians (and, of course, other religious groups - considering the profiling problems faced by America's Muslim community I think they're another group that should be courted) we do them and ourselves a disservice.

Would all Christians make good Libertarians? Nope, because, guess what - they're all individuals. And grouping them abjectly into the "right wing religious nuts" group because you got your knuckles whacked by Sister Ignatia back in grade school is self defeating categorizing of the worst kind. And something we _can't_ afford.

But I digress. The short and simple answer is this: the author believes that God gave you free will for a purpose. If you remove all 'evil' temtation from mankind, then you're good by default. You have no choice in the matter. And that just can't be, I would think, what God meant.

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