Libertarianism isn't cultural, so what does it keep getting drug there?

My friend Gary Doan tagged me in a Facebook status. First, his words, and then my response.

Been thinking a lot about religion as of late.

I believe in God, but am pretty damn secular. It’s been a long time since I considered myself an atheist and even longer since I was an anti-theist, but I don’t consider myself a Christian or anything. I get nervous when anyone tries to inject religion into public policy and roll my eyes at how a lot of evangelicals speak and act.

But despite not being religious? Seems society has benefitted from it in a way I didn’t quite appreciate in my cringe rebellious years.

Last week, I argued with a friend in my courtyard against biblical literalism, but he seems pretty happy and content in his beliefs and I should have had less sharp a tongue. This week, another close friend went to confession before going into surgery, because it gave him solace and strength.

Sounds like Kirk’s memorial was a revival of sorts. There were two memorable bits that were going around from it that shows a complete contrast between factions of the right. One, was Kirk’s widow fighting through tears as she exclaimed

“That man, that young man, I forgive him. I forgive him because it’s what Christ did—and it’s what Charlie would do.

The answer to hate is not hate. The answer—we know from the Gospel—is love. Always love. Love for our enemies. Love for those who persecute us.”

The other was the President of the United States, who immediately followed her, and showed his heart:

“He did not hate his opponents. He wanted the best for them.

That’s where I disagreed with Charlie. I hate my opponent, and I don’t want the best for them. I’m sorry. I am sorry, Erika. But now Erika can talk to me and the whole group, and maybe they can convince me that that’s not right, but I can’t stand my opponents.”

I used to think the effect of religion on the right was mostly negative. I used to associate it with the promotion of state prohibition against sinful acts that ain’t the government’s business, and that they should just leave to God what is God and Caesar what is Caesar’s.

But in the age of Trump, it seems more of a division of actual character. The MAGA wing drips with malice, stoking divisions and plotting it’s revenge on political opponents. It celebrates power and pushes it’s expansion. The social cons are a lot of things, but they ain’t that... and many of the never-Trumper Republicans have focused on his essential incompatibility with their faith.

On the left side of the aisle, in the wake of Kirk’s death? The worst I saw from my Christian leftist friends was after they said his death was a tragedy and murder was wrong, some of them followed it up with a “but”. That’s not even in the same ballpark as what we all saw from plenty in the non-religious left, essentially saying they hoped he was burning in a hell they didn’t even believe in while his body was still cold.

On my side of the aisle, separate from what I see as silly distinctions between “left” and “right” that make less sense by the day?

Seems most of the libertarians I know that are just edge lords and fanatics are downright opposed to religion as just another oppressive form of authority to rebel against. They promote liberty in a libertine-ish way, focusing on freedom but ignoring the personal responsibility and individual duty bits necessary in societies absent government action. These types reflect poorly on other libertarians and the ideals we wanna promote.

By contrast, most of the libertarians I know who are the most fair and respectful towards competing ideas and people who think differently than us, who actually make inroads with what the edge lords dismissively call “normies”? Who show decency rather than dismissiveness, and patience rather than pretense? Many if not most are unapologetically religious.

Chris Spangle has been working hard to improve his life through application of his faith, and has been open about that journey and touting the benefits to others. Hodey Johns is one of the most decent people on the internet, and has far more patience and grace than I ever do. I’ve had long talks with Spike Cohen about his newfound religion, as he’s been pushing more charity than an-cap-iness and focusing on what’s more important.

I don’t think religion is required to be a good person or to act right and proper, to let go of hate and love even one’s enemies. But it certainly seems to help plenty of people in that journey, and it doesn’t get nearly the credit it deserves.

Thanks for Gary for the kind words, and for noticing. I agree with his assessment, and he’s seeing the effect of being salt and light in the world. Faith has to come first as a libertarian, because it is the moral scaffolding needed to make it all work, but it is not necessarily part of the philosophy.

Libertarianism is not cultural. It is purely political, and it asks, “How much power should the government have, and how should it be used?” It usually answers, “None.” That is why many conservative libertarians reject it. They want to impose their culture on others.

Libertarianism is different from the other two teams that want to impose their worldview on others by force. Libertarianism is not for the insecure. It assumes that people are grown-ups and will voluntarily cooperate to solve problems once the agitator (government) has been removed from the equation. It empowers the third branch of society, civil society, to address most social ills. Business does that through profit, and it helps fund civil society. The state does it through force. (Some government is necessary for justice.)

This produces a pluralism in society where different belief systems are tolerated, which is objectionable to some. But as we have seen, it is either pluralism or war.

Christianity is true, and its adherents become better people through the act of self-sacrifice and service, thanks to God’s grace and power. In turn, this makes society better.

“If we live good lives, the times are also good. As we are, such are the times.” - Saint Augustine, The City of God

Christ does not need politics to make change. To think otherwise is to put humans in charge instead of God, which is pride.

Christianity is not the domination of man over man but the submission of man to God. The real battle is not against “them” but against the pride, anger, and selfishness that live within each of us, and only by grace through Christ’s finished work on the cross can that battle be won. When Christ rules the heart, it produces freedom, the freedom to serve, to forgive, and to bring peace where conflict once reigned. Christians stand as a bulwark against evil by embodying the self-giving love of Christ in a broken world.

Jesus disappointed many Jews in the first century because He didn’t come to overthrow the Roman government. Instead, He exercised His authority through teaching (storytelling), miracles, and persuasion, not force. He called people to love God, love their neighbors, serve the poor, and make disciples of all nations. Everybody’s got a choice, and I’m going with Jesus.