5 Reasons Christianity and Libertarianism are Compatible (Part 1)

Last week at the International Students for Liberty Conference in Washington, D.C., Elise Amyx of the Institute for Faith, Work, and Economics (TIFWE) organized a panel on libertarianism and Christianity. Astoundingly, this session was even covered by the Christian Post. The Acton Institute also posted about the event. I had the distinct pleasure of being at the ISFLC and this discussion.

The panelists presented five excellent reasons why libertarianism and Christianity are compatible.

1. Christianity celebrates voluntary action and creating value. Quoting the Christian Post:

Jacqueline Otto Isaacs, a blogger at Values & Capitalism, explained that the Christian worldview also supports libertarianism. ‘The message of the Gospel, the good news, is that salvation from our sins is offered through Christ — this salvation is voluntary and individual, and this is the core message of Christianity, Isaacs declared.

2. Big Government does not solve poverty. The panelists explained that even neglecting that governments must steal resources in order to be “charitable,” free markets are still the best way to solve the problem of poverty.

3. The Biblical role of government is very limited. They cited 1 Samuel 7 as an example of what happens when government gets out of control. Additionally, the Christian Post said:

[Jason] Hughey then pointed to the gospel of Mark, where Christ describes what it means to serve others. ‘I think it’s very interesting that the model of service that Christ points to for the church is stated in direct contrast to the way the political authorities rule and lord it over others,’ the speaker declared.

4. The Welfare State Harms Christian Charity. The Acton Institute noted:

The panelists argued that the Christian model of charity is personal, and when the government steps in, that personal link between people is broken. Government redistribution of goods also enhances the feeling of entitlement, which Christianity downplays.

5. Wealth Is Not Inherently Sinful. Panelist Leah Hughey suggested that there are many commendable wealthy individuals in the Bible, commendable not because of their wealth but because of their character. Even Jesus was not interested in attacking the rich, but delving to the deepest heart issues that every human faces.

Each point they made was excellent, but I think there are quite a few very important reasons that they did not cover. Granted, limited time means limited discussion options, but tomorrow I will post five additional reasons Christianity and libertarianism go hand in hand. In the meantime, what do you think? What reasons do you give to your fellow Christians for why Christianity and libertarianism work together? Let us know in the comments.

Finally, my compliments to Jason and Leah Hughey, Jacqueline Isaacs (of the Values and Capitalism blog), Elise Amyx, and Taylor Barkley for a great panel discussion.

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