The World's Largest Coalition of Nontheists and Nontheist Communities!

Libertarian Atheists...More Libertarian than the theist variety?

So are religious conservatives like Glenn Beck or the Mormon Libertarians less libertarian? I mean they dish out and support anti-gay right activism for example and that in a sense infringes someone's liberty. So as a party I'm trying to figure out if there should be any compromise with liberal mindsets and fundamental religious conservatism. Say that ideally "We the people" govern ourselves so how can what gives religious conservatives the right to judge? I'll end with a quote from Thomas Jefferson "The most sacred of the duties of a government [is] to do equal and impartial justice to all its citizens."

Tags: Libertarian, conservatism, liberal, libertarian, religious

0 members like this

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by TK on January 19, 2011 at 6:29pm

I'd say there could be a strong case that an atheist libertarian would be more in line with libertarianism. The religious right, which libertarianism is often unduly associated with, does wish to restrict the rights of anyone not of their brand. I'd say libertarians who aren't heavily influenced by religion are more likely to live up to that ideal more so then the very religious. I could be wrong though.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Kamboja Tan on January 22, 2011 at 9:29am

I don't know, look at the Ayn Rand Institute. A bunch of IP loving war-mongers.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Kamboja Tan on January 22, 2011 at 9:26am

Glenn Beck isn't a libertarian. Gawd bless him he has his moments, but he's a dope. I mean, if the authoritarian status quo wanted to create an idiot to make libertarians look bad they couldn't do better than Beck.
Religious people are not any more or less libertarian in my experience, though Statism is just a kind of religious fantasy.
People who are for controlling anything anyone does with their own body and money are not libertarian; full stop. In fact, I would say that all real libertarians are either anarchists or confused.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by TK on January 22, 2011 at 9:38am

I think religious people are more inclined to tell people what to do with their bodies, thus making them less libertarian. That's just of my own experience though.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Abnormal on January 22, 2011 at 12:56pm

I don't think Americans really understand what Libertarian means to the rest of the world. Whether it is coming from the left or the right libertarianism is really a synonym for anarchism.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Kamboja Tan on January 22, 2011 at 1:09pm

All the good American libertarians are anarchists.
Mises.org, for example.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Lorryslorrys on January 22, 2011 at 1:20pm

You guys be better off using the word "Liberal" or "people who respect liberties", in order to avoid association with anarchists or even foaming-at-the-mouth market fundamentalists.

By the way, don't think Libertarianism is a good thing to be. Capitalism is a good idea in theory...

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Kamboja Tan on January 22, 2011 at 2:03pm

Justly acquired private property is the only human right.
If you're not an anarchist, you're not a libertarian.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Lorryslorrys on January 23, 2011 at 1:37pm

When justice and property coexist peacefully I'll eat my hat.

(yes is a communist hat, but I'm not a communist, it' just a nice hat)

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Lorryslorrys on January 23, 2011 at 2:21pm

You think states aren't fair. They take from some and give to others. Surely if we were to move a Libertarian system it would make sense to equally distribute the wealth at first to make sure there were not artefacts of unfairness left over from the statest system?

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Kamboja Tan on January 23, 2011 at 8:55pm

If you had any idea of how economies work you would see the magical thinking involved in your BS.
"Surely if you weren't an atheist you'd see how awesome theocracy is."

"it would make sense to equally distribute the wealth at first to make sure there were not artefacts of unfairness left over from the statest system?"
Crankish; most people have justly acquired their property and 'fairness' is not the point. Just because some people benefit and others lose due to statist interventions does not make it 'okay' to rob them. If anyone has been a victim of robbery and this can be proved they ought to be compensated BY THE PEOPLE WHO STOLE FROM THEM. But individualism is obviously beyond your grasp.