Posts
I have been thinking for a while to write a post on how out
of context the Pope uses Scripture to justify the state’s using
force to re-distribute wealth. Then along
comes a dialogue at EPJ that has afforded to me the opportunity to get this idea
off of my chest.
So here
is the link to the dialogue and for now will leave it at this – except to
say that the dialogue is continuing so you might want to check back at EPJ occasionally
if this interests you.
I read and always appreciate the clarity of understanding your articles give (I came to you through LewRockwell). Since what I write is more Christian orientated than libertarian, I don't post articles in these networks, though it is here that I come to make sense of the world.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I thought I would insert, in this discussion of Scriptures and politics, what I draw from as the three most revolutionary political statements in history.
One is "those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God." That means that the only legitimate lead is that spirit that is inside a man or woman, one of the founding principles in the idea of American freedom. Such a concept must cause all other power to respect highly each individual person, the underpinning of all "political" order.
A second is "do unto others as you would have them do to you," which is, of course, the libertarian maxim of never initiate violence, the underpinning of all social order.
The third is "owe no man anything but to love one another," which is the underpinning of all economic order. In other words, I don't owe you or anyone else, including the state, a thing - except 1 & 2, to respect you, that is, love.
I suspect if these were the principles undergirding society, there would be a whole lot of compassion for people who fail through no real fault of their own, contrary to the Pope's claim.
Daniel, thank you for the comments.
DeleteI have what I consider to be a reasonably strong training in Christian and Biblical understanding - and believe every word of the Bible to be from God. I have come to the conclusion, long ago, that the libertarian political philosophy is the only political philosophy that can be squared with Biblical teaching; the non-aggression principle fits hand-in-glove with the Christian ethic.
This eliminates all state action, as the initiation of aggression cannot be justified by majority vote, the common good, or any other such concept.
Gary North, while not an anarchist, has squared Biblical teaching of economic concepts with Austrian economics. I have long believed this to be so, and I accept that his 40 years of study on this is confirmation enough for me.
As to "do unto others as you would have them do unto you," I modify this somewhat: do not do unto others what you would not have others do to you.
The slight change makes a significant difference in meaning, and I believe is still Biblically sound.