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in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does." -- James 1:24-26 If you are a Christian who ... * Believes social conservatives are often intolerant; * Believes the Christian Coalition often gives Christians a bad name; * Understands that, historically, theocracies have been some of the most brutal forms of government; * Believes that, "Thou shalt not have any other gods before me," has no place hanging in a United States court of law; * Understands why John Adams wrote (in the Treaty of Libya under the Washington Administration and ratified by Congress) that the United States government is in no way based upon the Christian religion; * Understands there is no law that prohibits a child from praying in school; * Realizes that the push for sanctioned school prayer is actually about zealots using the force of government to indoctrinate other children in their religious principles; * Realizes that a national agenda at federal, state, and local levels to Christianize America is not going to lower taxes or reduce the size of government; * Practices the humble and sublime morality of the preacher of the Sermon on the Mount without government participation, regulation, and enforcement; * Understands that statism threatens traditional religious values; * Understands that responsibility is something that cannot be understood with government programs like welfare; * Understands that charity will eventually disappear because of the increased taxation burden; ... then you may be a Christian Libertarian. As David Boaz writes in Libertarianism: A Primer, "Tens of millions of Americans, from Generation X-ers to baby boomers and beyond, are rediscovering libertarianism, a visionary alternative to the tired party orthodoxies of left and right. In 1995 a Gallup poll found that 52 percent of Americans said "the federal government has become so large and powerful that it poses a threat to the rights and freedoms of ordinary citizens." Later that year, The Wall Street Journal concurred, saying: "Because of their growing disdain for government, more and more Americans appear to be drifting -- often unwittingly -- toward a libertarian philosophy." Boaz continues, "Libertarianism is hardly new, but its framework for liberty under law and economic progress makes it especially suited for the dynamic new era we are now entering. In the United States, the bureaucratic leviathan is newly threatened by a resurgence of the libertarian ideas upon which the country was founded. We are witnessing a breakdown of all the cherished beliefs of the welfare-warfare state. Americans have seen the failure of big government. Now, in the 1990s, we are ready to apply the lessons of this century to make the next one the century not of the state but of the free individual." We want you to join our movement for a better America. the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each one of you is to return to his family property and each to his own clan." -- Leviticus 25:10 Historical Christian Libertarians * Bruce Baechler, 1955-2000 (former Quaker practitioner) * Ezra Taft Benson, 1899-1994 (former President of the LDS Church) * John Jay Chapman, 1862-1933 (former Protestant theologian) * Edmund Opitz, 1914-2006 (former Catholic priest) * John Taylor (former President of the LDS Church) * Leo Tolstoy (Christian practitioner) Prominent Christian Libertarians * Kenn Blanchard (Christian minister) * Keith Brumley (Nondenominational minister) * Sean Parker Dennison (Unitarian Universalist minister) * Greg Dixon (Baptist pastor) * Frank Fortkamp (Episcopal priest) * Richard Moore (Evangelical pastor) * Dr. Jack Powelson (Quaker practitioner) * Robert Sirico (Catholic priest) liberty for the occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thy self." -- Galatians 5:13-14 Related Books - Healing Our World by Dr. Mary Ruwart - Libertarianism and Christianity by D. Eric Schansberg Related Articles Can a Christian be a Libertarian? (August, 1999) Casting the Stone (November, 2000) Christians, how would Jesus vote? (April, 2001) Does God want Bush re-elected? (January, 2004) Gift from God (January, 2004) Libertarians rally to save church (June, 2000) Pastor delivers sermon on libertarianism, faith (February, 2004) The Power of Truth The Proper Role of Government Was Jesus a Libertarian? (April, 2002) What has government done to our families? (January, 2004) Related Links Calvinist Libertarians Christianity & Freedom The Fountain of Truth In the Wilderness Ministries Libertarian Christians Must a Christian be a Libertarian? Official Mormon position on Government & Religion Quaker Libertarian Fellowship |
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