Defense of a Pro-Life Libertarian

As a Libertarian I have been slammed from both sides of the “political aisle.”  Being a Confessional and Reformed Christian, some of my harshest critics, however, have come from my Christian friends on the Right.  Their contention has been primarily centered around the Libertarian Party’s position on abortion.  From my experience, the common belief seems to be that the Libertarian Party is pro-abortion.  It is not.  Section 1.4 of the Libertarian Party's platform states:

“Recognizing that abortion is a sensitive issue and that people can hold good-faith views on all sides, we believe that government should be kept out of the matter, leaving the question to each person for their conscientious consideration.”

This position does allow the possibility for a Libertarian to be pro-abortion.  It also allows for one to be pro-life, as well.  However, Section 1.4 most accurately represents the pro-choice Libertarian; one who is personally pro-life, but believes one has the right to make a choice.  I hold to neither the pro-abortion or pro-choice positions.  Being pro-life, I believe the unborn child is an individual and should be afforded the same right to life as one who has already been born.  The party platform states under “Statement of Principles” that:

“…individuals have the right to exercise sole dominion over their own lives, and have the right to live in whatever manner they choose so long as they do not forcibly interfere with the equal rights of others to live in whatever manner they choose.”

A pro-life Libertarian views abortion as an infringement on the right to life for the unborn, who are the ultimate voiceless minority in any society.  The Libertarian Party takes great pride in rejecting the historical premise that “the State has the right to dispose of the lives of individuals.”  I, therefore, find the pro-abortion and even pro-choice positions to be inherently anti-libertarian.  Abortion simply is the most totalitarian act any individual could ever make.  While the State should not have the right to dispose of the lives of individuals, neither should an individual.  The Libertarian Party is the penultimate anti-government party and yet concedes that a legitimate use of government is to uphold prohibition of murder.

I disagree with Libertarian Party platform Section 1.4.  I am still a Libertarian and will remain so for the foreseeable future.  One can be a member of a political party without agreeing with every single tenet and action of that party.  I sincerely doubt that Christian Republicans and Democrats want to kill or ruin the lives of their Christian brothers and sisters in the Middle East, yet their party’s foreign policies have done just that.  I would hardly call a Republican or Democrat a persecutor of Christians even though their foreign policy says otherwise.

Open Invitation to Join Me in Learning

I love learning. Learning for free is better. If I earned credit from all the free online courses I have watched, listened to or read over the years I would have several undergraduate degrees. However, the purpose of learning is not about holding a piece of paper that says "degree." Rather, learning is a life long process of exercising our critical thinking skills as we grow in our understanding of the world around us. There is also an interconnection of knowledge that requires the learner to expand beyond their favorite areas of study. In order to grow one must widen their knowledge base. This does not occur in isolation, but rather through engaging with others. "Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another" (Prov.27:17), highlighting the importance for the online learner to find others to wrestle with.

Open Culture and Ligonier provide free online courses. It would be a pleasure to join you in the course of your choice.

The Golden Rule and the Masochist

Theocratic states have blood on their hands.  Christian Crusades, Jewish conquest of Canaan, and the contemporary Islamic conflict in the Middle East are just a few of a very long list of religious sanctioned violence.  Theocracies are not alone; secular atheist states are familiar with atrocity, as well.  The last century witnessed godless dictators of fascist and communist countries kill 242 million of their own people.  The concurrent theme between the theocratic state and the secular atheist state is the state and its use of force to progress an ideology.  Both atheist and theist must come together and find common ground if they are to subdue the state.  

Religions share the theme of love, commonly referred to as the Golden Rule: Treat others the way you would want to be treated.  This concept is not exclusive to religions.  Atheists also see value in treating others the way they in turn would like to be treated.  The Golden Rule operates on the assumption, however, that everybody cares for their own well-being.  The masochist has no place in this model.  These individuals are insecure self-haters with self-destructive personalities and could care less about those around them.  The Golden Rule means nothing to them.  They seek to dominate others and there is no better means to satisfy their desire than through governmental force.  With such power at their disposal liberty is freely molested.  Citizens are spied on, their income stolen and arms confiscated.  They are told who they are permitted to marry and who is to educate their children.  The hatred within these masochists knows no bounds, going so far as to justify and encourage the murder of their unborn children.

“What moral system should government follow? The same one individuals follow. Do not steal. Do not murder. Do not bear false witness. Do not covet. Do not foster vice. If governments would merely follow the moral law that all religions recognize, we would live in a world of peace, prosperity and freedom. The system is called classical liberalism. Liberty is not complicated.” – Ron Paul, Liberty Defined

In order to stop government from taking your liberty we must first stop trying to take it from each other.  You see, there is a little masochist in all of us.  Search within.  Find him.  Subdue him before he rears his ugly head and strikes another. 

A Few Thoughts this Constitution Day

The U.S. Constitution is not a perfect document.  When ratified in 1789, the Constitution provided an opportunity for slavery to continue, despite the practice’s inherent contradictory nature with the rights of man.  Some jaws may drop here; the Constitution was meant to be changeable.  Before you grab the tar and feathers, hear me out.  The rule of law is also important and if the Constitution is to be changed, we need to do so in the way the document was designed to be changed.  An example was when the Constitution was amended to outlaw alcohol, also known as The Prohibition.  The fact that Prohibition killed people through the production of lethal alcohol and gave power to the criminals is, while true, beside the point.  While conducted with poor judgment, at least the U.S. Legislature of 1918 had enough understanding and respect for the Constitution to actually use it.  

Today, many laws are passed without giving a second thought to the necessity of enforcing such measures via the Constitution.  While Major Bloomberg attempted to regulate the consumption of soda in New York City, as ridiculous as that was, at least it was at a local level where it belongs.  At the federal level, there are many agencies that write rules and regulations, the most infamous being the IRS.  The Constitution prohibits any entity except for the U.S. Legislature to write laws that demand compliance from its citizens.  The genius of the drafters of the Constitution was in understanding the necessity of checks and balances, in giving each branch certain roles and responsibilities.  The Legislative branch writes laws and declares war.  Let them do it.

Star Trek Convention, George Takei, and the 2014 Winter Olympics

I went to the Star Trek convention in Las Vegas this last weekend.  Did you read what I just wrote?  I WENT TO THE STAR TREK CONVENTION IN LAS VEGAS!  Had a fantastic time and helped break the Guinness Book of World Records for the most people in Star Trek costumes in a single place;  a total of 1,085! Among the many stars I was able to see, I heard George Takei make a moving and inspirational speech.   The openly gay actor highlighted the struggle for the LGBT community, specifically regarding Russia’s new anti-gay laws and the upcoming Winter Olympics, which is set to take place in that country next year. 

The following is bound to piss off many of my friends and family as they span the religious and political spectrum.  They may find my Reformed Christian and Libertarian views *gasp* “Hardly Tolerable.”  My current understanding of Scripture leaves me to believe that a homosexual act is a sin.  I also have been a supporter of the LGBT community politically.  Schizophrenic?   Not in the least.  The sexual practice of another person, gay or straight, in no way restricts my life, liberty, or property and I will most certainly not restrict theirs.  We should treat others how we would want to be treated.  Respect one another.  Disagreements are bound to occur and that’s a good thing! 

There is currently a petition out requesting the President of the International Olympic Committee to relocate the 2014 Winter Olympics from Sochi, Russia to Vancouver, Canada.  Sign it.  

http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/international-olympic-committee-ioc-relocate-the-2014-winter-games-to-vancouver-2

Motor Vehicle Anarchism

DENVER- In the wake of the Venice Beach boardwalk tragedy this last weekend, a question is raised by many: “Is the need for Car Control long overdue?”  For years the national discussion has revolved around Gun Control.  However, in 2010 there were 32,885 motor vehicle deaths in the United States, three times the amount of fire-arm related homicides that same year.

Cyclist enthusiast A.K. Streeter from TreeHugger.com says that “Motorists bend and break laws systematically.”  Such sentiment has led to greater research and development into autonomous, or self-driving, cars.  These robotic cars would be able to sense its environment and navigate without erroneous or even emotional human input.  These robotic cars could also be fully electronic, drastically improving the air quality of inner cities.  Combine this technology with the efficient oversight and control of the DMV and DOT, peace and safety on the streets could very well become a reality.

Not all are in favor of an automated highway utopia, their extremism instead driving them to prefer chaos to order.  “I can’t stand all these pedestrians and bicyclists acting like they have the right of way,” says 28 year old Colorado resident John Knox.  The self-described “motor vehicle anarchist,” audaciously adds that “I admit I’ve nudged one or two [pedestrians and bicyclists] with my car.”  In response to the possibility of his car being replaced by a far safer self-driven car, Knox says, “Look, I know I am not a great driver, but it’s my right to drive.” 

Not all agree with the common misconception that driving is in fact a “right.”  Kathy Mullins of the progressive think tank The Nation Builders says, “…driving a car is a privilege…rights should be reserved for REAL rights like the right to clean air…”

Degreasing the Gears

The act of dehumanizing another person has always been the grease that lubricates the gears of sin.  While we may have caught a brief glimpse of the man’s face that just cut us off on the road, we quickly reduce him to a non-person, making it easier to sling our curses.  Online social media is rife with dehumanizing potential due to its inherently impersonal nature.  We create a caricature of a disliked politician in our mind so that the deprecating comments can flow without shame. 

On a larger scale, the dehumanization of man has historically been reinforced by public institutions, as well.  The dignity stripping practice of slavery was a promoted enterprise of the state for hundreds of years.  Today, humans living in their mother’s womb are categorized as non-persons in an attempt to remove the pain of guilt when they are put to death.  Yet some of those camped outside of abortion clinics spew hateful comments at the women who enter.  Ironically, rather than being showered in love during their greatest hour of need, these women are dehumanized and in turn seek a false sense of dignity from doctors of death.

How long did it take for us to dehumanize the Boston bombers?  We categorized them as non-persons before we ever saw their photos.  Many will say, “They dehumanized themselves and those they injured by their acts, not us.”  Their acts were dehumanizing and it was their distorted view of others as non-persons that twisted their thinking that the attack would be justified.  Dehumanizing another person justifies the sin in the eyes of the sinner.  

The same goes for us, however.  We need to be on guard that we too do not fall into the same trap.  The more we dehumanize others, the more we dehumanize ourselves.  The scary reality is that the potential for sin is great in all of us and but for the grace of God, go I.  Instead, we should repent when we find ourselves dehumanizing others, have faith in the righteous works of Jesus and his atoning sacrifice for such sins, and know that we are forgiven.  Only then will we begin to degrease the gears of sin.