How Christian is Tea Party Libertarianism?

[babsbunny]

http://blog.sojo.net/2010/05/27/how-christian-is-tea-party-libertarianism/


How Christian is Tea Party Libertarianism?
by Jim Wallis 05-27-2010

The insurgent Tea Party and its Libertarian philosophy is a political phenomenon, not a religious one. Like the Democratic and Republican parties it seeks to challenge, it is a secular movement, not a Christian one. As with both major political parties, people who regard themselves as Christians may be involved in, or sympathetic to, the new Tea Party; but that doesn’t make it “Christian.” But like the philosophies and policies of the major political parties, the Tea Party can legitimately be examined on the basis of Christian principles — and it should be.

Since the Tea Party is getting such national attention, our God’s Politics blog is going to begin a dialogue on this question: Just how Christian is the Tea Party Movement — and the Libertarian political philosophy that lies behind it? Let me start the dialogue here. And please join in.

[KonaKane]

1. Christianity has more in common with socialism than it does greedism.

Greedism meaning teabagging libertarianism. The fact that so many American conservatives cleave to their idea of Christianity has always been a head scratcher for me.

[Lesleymo]

17. This is a head-scratcher for me too. And I'm a Christian.

I have so many friends who have "given their hearts to Jesus" and yet, when asked about helping the poor they stiffen up and angrily proclaim "if you don't work, you don't eat."

I don't get it. I really don't.

[H2O Man]

2. The vast majority

of those that I have seen on tv, read about in the paper, or read comments from on the internet, appear to identify themselves with christianity.

[gateley]

3. I think they're that new breed of Republican Right Wing Christian - justify whatever

you do by telling yourself Jesus would want you to.

[Catshrink]

10. Jesus-is-my-mascot Christianity.

[DailyGrind51]

4. Libertarianism is economic narcissism,

Christianity, Judaism, and Islam are all altruistic, focused on being "our brother's keeper".

[FiveGoodMen]

5. It comes down to: Who gets to define the word Christian?

The Jesus of the gospels certainly wouldn't be a tea-bagger.

On the other hand, most of the Americans -- at least the vocal ones -- who call themselves Christians seem to be in line with republican/tea-bagger thinking.

So what does the word "Christian" mean, anyway?

[divvy]

6. The Tea Party defines contemporary Christianity.

It has been that way for about 35 years now. Didn't you notice?

[Scuba]

7. Well, today it seems to mean "I hate everyone not just like me"

[Touchdown]

8. Full on Calvinist.

No doubt about it.

[Warren DeMontague]

9. Which is tastier, Poop or Puke?

:shrug:

[JoeyT]

11. I'm still waiting on some of the Religious Right in the Tea Party

to read one of the books by that Rand woman they keep hearing about and totally lose their shit.
I guess reading a book was too much to expect of them.

[The Gunslinger]

12. They are not at all

Their inspirational leader is Ayn Rand who is an Atheist, and about as far away from Christian morality as possible.

[Hempathy]

13. I've NEVER understood how a "Christian" could be a republican, or even a libertarian.

Christianity is more about cooperation than competition- if anything, the biblical Jesus, had he actually existed, would probably have been a socialist.

[scheming daemons]

14. Jesus of Nazareth would've loathed libertarians

I'm an atheist, so to me, Jesus was just a very wise man in the same sense that Confucius and Buddha were.


But the things he taught are so incompatible with libertarianism as to be polar opposites.

[SoxFan]

15. I hate questioning anyone's faith or patriotism

That said, I have always seen libertarianism as the antithesis of the social justice Catholicism with which I was raised. Even on "pelvic issues" I find the libertarians tiresome. Too many come across as selfish right wing pricks who happen to like to smoke weed and fuck random strangers.

Yeah, I know, the last sentence is going to make me real popular around here, but that's how I see it.

[troubledamerican]

16. Christian-ism = Tribalism. Jesus is only a mascot.

[mwb970]

18. The link does not work for me.

Here's an alternative link to the same article.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/592170