CHAPTER FOUR
LIBERTARIANISM
It 
is
exciting to read the truth. One book that helped me was John Hosper's
Libertarianism. I wish I could go into all the arguments he
gives. It is clearly written and touches on so many topics in this
debate. Skip the chapters on national defense. That's where Satan
gets them. Some books have lists of books. David Bergland has a list
in his book Libertarianism in One Lesson. A bookstore that
focuses exclusively on Libertarian thought has a catalog they will
send you of hundreds of books: Laissez Faire Books, 942 Howard
Street, San Francisco, CA 94103, (800) 326-0996. The longest running
libertarian magazine is Reason. You might want to check out
the Libertarian Party Headquarters, the Heritage Foundation and the
Cato Institute -- all in Washington D.C. I wish I could introduce you
to more authors, but this book is just introductory thoughts.
Religion stands up to big brother
There is even a Christian libertarian movement. Insight magazine on June 7, 1993 had an article called "Religion Stands Up to Big Brother" that said Rev. Robert Sirico formed the Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty that is "challenging the intellectual consensus long held in religious circles that socialism is morally superior to capitalism." The article said, "These libertarians abhor drug use and pornography, but believe the government shouldn't regulate such social ills, and their laissez-faire views extend to economics and foreign affairs." As usual the truth is mixed with lies. They are right to campaign for legalization of drugs, but they are wrong in being isolationist. Mother took a stand against distributing condoms in schools. We must make a stand on every issue from capital punishment to abortion to ERA.
Religious libertarians
In Forbes magazine
(2/26/96) Paulist Father Robert Sirico, the president of the Acton
Institute for the Study of
Religion and Liberty in Grand Rapids, Michigan wrote a commentary on
how the left makes the right look like mean spirited people when they
attempt to cut back government programs. He begins by saying,
"PICTURE THIS SCENE. In the midst of the budget battle, religious
leaders from the National Council of Churches met with President
Clinton in the Oval Office for 45 minutes. They 'laid hands' on him
and prayed that God would 'make the President strong for the task' of
fighting budget cutbacks."
"Now, imagine if that same group had come from the Christian Coalition and a conservative President had been tangling with a Democratic Congress. We would never have heard the end of it: a theocrat in the White House. As it happens, the praying at the White House was only the beginning of the liberal clergy's deep involvement in the budget debate."
"Religious leaders, including the Conference of Catholic Bishops, intervened with press conferences and studies to pressure Congress to back off welfare reform. No family caps on welfare payments, they said, and the Senate went along. Twenty years of scholarship providing the connection between illegitimacy, social breakdown and welfare was thrown out the window."
Father
Sirico continues, "Pope John Paul II had just visited and admonished
us with a message we need to hear: Don't forget those who are left
out of society, including the poor, immigrants, the aged, the
disabled. These sentiments were echoed by the clergy, but with a
twist: Government policy should be responsible for this
'compassion.'"
"Republicans may have waged a valiant fight on behalf of reducing the size of government, but the moral high ground was stolen from them at the height of the battle. At issue most fundamentally is what Thomas Sowell has called a 'conflict of visions.'" He goes on to say we have a choice of centralized or decentralized government. He goes into the argument for private charity vs. public charity. Father wants the members to help the Washington Times fight the good fight against the liberal crusade for big government. I wish I could type the rest of Father Sirico's article. I can only encourage you to read libertarian literature and then get out and fight against President Clinton. We need to show the spirituality of decentralized government.
