Can A Christian Be A Libertarian? According to Jesus Christ, there are two rules to Christianity. The first is that the love of God should be your all consuming passion. The second is that you should love others just as much as you love yourself. It is the second rule with which we must concern ourselves when looking at political parties and political action. I would assert that except for the mentally infirm, who are incapable of making their own decisions, rule number two requires that we grant to others the individual respect required by the Golden Rule. There is an old saying that the proof is in the pudding, so let us look at the performance of the two major parties over the last century. The Democrats When one thinks of the Democratic party, one sees a history of income redistribution (charity at gun point), and a culture of government (slavery) dependency. Cities in chaos, the destruction of public education, and government sponsorship of a questionable moral climate. The state now drives the church into silence in the public square. I, for one, find such interference abhorrent. I do not want it for myself and I do not want it imposed on you. The Republicans Theoretically, the Republican party, stands for a reduction in government, and individual freedom. However, the truth is much different from the spin. No Republican administration in my lifetime has even tried to reign in the growth of the redistributionist, culture of government dependency. Oh they decry it, but reign it in- no way! In fact neither party opposes the redistributionist (thieving) welfare state. The Republicans are every bit as committed to corporate Welfare as the Democrats are to Social Welfare. A people in debt are ruled by their money lenders. The Republican party seeks to insure that the status quo of those money lenders is maintained. The Libertarians The Libertarians believe that the purpose of government is to create a society where each man can excel or fail by their own efforts. Libertarians believe that the rough and tumble of capitalism has and will create a better life, and that a man who can support himself from his skills and property is truly free. The Libertarians believe in a society free from a compulsion other than a ones own conscience. Libertarians believe that in a free society the church has the same right to the public square as any other group. Libertarians do not believe that the government should usurp the wealth of its citizens, or create conditions that force people to live in ignorance. Libertarians want to create a society in which you are free to live by your own lights. I believe that that is compatible with the second rule.