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."

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 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 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.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by TK on January 22, 2011 at 1:46pm

The law does not supersede your rights as a human being. If you want to label that anarchism, then so be it.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Gary C. on January 23, 2011 at 5:46am

Libertarians believe that each person has the right to live his life the way he/she chooses as long as he/she respects the rights of others. You can't be against gay rights and be a libertarian. Libertarians are as liberal as you can be on social isues and as conservative as you can be on economic issues.

I would like to ask how the hell anyone could be a libertarian? Do they like oil spills and mine collapses?

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Kamboja Tan on January 23, 2011 at 8:35am

" Libertarians are as liberal as you can be on social isues and as conservative as you can be on economic issues."
This isn't true. Libertarians are neither liberal nor conservative in the sense you mean, they are anti-authoritarian and pro-property.

"I would like to ask how the hell anyone could be a libertarian? Do they like oil spills and mine collapses?"
Lol, if you believe that the government does a better job at regulation than markets and communities you're a crank. Statism is such religious bullshit. Read some Ludwig von Mises and stop regurgitating bullshit you heard from your socialist school teacher.