Can an Orthodox Christian be a Libertarian?

I have been an Orthodox Christian for a little over thirteen years and attended Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology to work on a Master of Theological Studies. I am not a saint and there are much better theologians than I am, but I think I can say a few things about how I can be an orthodox Christian and a libertarian.

Although I only recently began to describe myself as a libertarian in the last two years, I think I was always a libertarian at heart. I previously described myself as a conservative who supported most conservative issues. However, I rejected the death penalty and went easy on the second amendment. I supported free speech and rejected all forms of censorship, never seeing it as a contradiction to my conservative values. I have always held liberty to be the most important political value and would probably have agreed with Lord Acton that “[l]freedom is not a means to a higher political end. It is the highest political goal,” if he had ever heard the quote or from Lord Acton.

He was not a consistent conservative, but he was a staunch supporter of the Republican Party and of President Bush. He was concerned about the PATRIOT ACT, but he trusted the administration to do the right thing and dismissed the attacks on Bush as political rantings of the radical left. Although the liberals claimed to be open-minded and tolerant, they betrayed themselves by their hatred and their general inability to have a rational discussion (most, but not all).

During the 2008 election, I was even open to both Guiliani and McCain and dismissive of Ron Paul, until I really looked at what he stood for. That led me to take a better look at libertarianism and the Libertarian Party. The more I studied it, the more I liked it, and I began to think about joining the Libertarian Party. There was a problem. I had to certify that I supported the non-aggression axiom, that is, “I oppose the initiation of force to achieve political or social goals.”

Now, I find it incredible that he had a problem with that. It is, in my opinion, completely compatible with The Gospel. I cannot for the life of me see how Jesus Christ would condone the use of force for political, social, moral, or religious ends. Unlike some Protestant sects, orthodoxy asserts that humans have free will. God himself does not force anyone to believe in him, obey him or love him. To do so would destroy and invalidate whatever relationship He wants with humanity.

Many Orthodox see the Byzantine Empire as the Golden Age of Orthodoxy, but all times in Church history are flawed and have their unique problems. In Holy Mother Russia, the Church was still suppressed and controlled by the Tsars. No one believes that it was healthy for the Church to be in that state. Byzantine emperors frequently exiled or banished monks, theologians, and patriarchs. For political reasons they often supported heresies, while great saints such as Saint Athanasius and Saint Chrysostom were declared enemies of the state. Saint Athanasius’s epitaph was athanasius vs mundum (Athanasius against the world).

Christians are extolled to pray for their rulers, but they are not commanded to blindly obey corrupt rulers against their consciences. No saint ever did that.

Monarchy, like divorce, was a concession to the weaknesses of the people but not to what God wanted. God warned the Israelites through Samuel that they and their sons and daughters would become slaves to one man. The Israelites insisted, wanting to be like the other nations.

Force initiation, even if performed by a saint, a Christian ruler, or a Christian majority, is wrong and incompatible with the works of God. The only valid use of force by the State is to protect the life, liberty and property of every citizen, whether the source of power comes from the people or from God. If of the people, then the state can do no more than what the people have the right to cede to the government: the right to defend their lives, liberty, and property. If from God, then the State cannot do more than God does, and He does NOT use force on humanity to inspire faith, obedience or love. However, he has given people the right to defend their life, liberty, and property, and therefore it is a legitimate use of power for the ruler to use to protect the people, but the ruler can go no further there.

What many Christians want from the state is idolatrous. They want the State to do what God does not do. They want the state to shape society in their image, because they themselves cannot through persuasion and love. They do not trust in God, but in the power of the State. That is idolatrous and evil.

The Christian emperors and the kings of Israel were a mix, but NONE of them were sinless or sinless. His virtues came from his obedience, faith and love for God. Their crimes and sins stemmed from choosing their own will over God’s and most often using force against those who disagreed with them.

In those cases, such as going to war to free Christians in other lands, or today to “liberate” or “make the world safe for democracy,” it is still criminal to send young men and women to fight against your will. . It is slavery, kidnapping and mass murder. Those who want to volunteer can do so to help defend the innocent, but no ruler has the right to recruit others to kill and die for political ends. This is what God warned through his prophet Samuel about him.

The Kingdom of God is not of this world and to use it to justify the use of force by the State against the will of others for political and social ends is a misunderstanding of the Gospel and of the nature of God. I am aware that others may come to different conclusions, but I cannot believe or accept that any other political philosophy is as compatible with orthodoxy as libertarianism. My orthodox faith, in fact, leads me to no other conclusion: orthodoxy is libertarian.

Recommended:

“Prostitution in Byzantium” by Glen Clancey

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