by Ian Tartt
Most modern Christians belong to the Christian Right, which means they are generally unfavorable to personal freedom (at least on the “messy”issues). However, that doesn’t have to be the case, nor should it be the case. This article includes three big issues on which Christians should agree with libertarians and arguments as to why…
1.Repealing the income tax
Many Christians will defend taxation with the following passage from Mark 12:13-17: “And they sent to him some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians, to trap him in his talk. And they came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone’s opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?” But, knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why put me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” And they brought one. And he said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said to him, “Caesar’s.” Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they marveled at him.”
Often, this passage is used to show that Jesus was supporting taxation. But some Christians believe that Jesus was actually referencing Psalm 24:1:
“The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein”.
Those who take this view say Jesus was really saying that nothing belongs to Caesar because everything belongs to the Lord. Whether or not this is correct or incorrect, the case against taxation (or at least the income tax) from a Christian view can still be made. Both the Old and New Testaments speak about the importance of tithing, which is giving a portion (usually ten percent) of the first fruits of your labor to God. Through the withholding tax, a part of the income tax since the Second World War, Christians are unable to tithe from the first fruits of their labor. Repealing the income tax, as most libertarians are calling for, would allow Christians to tithe properly.
Another benefit of repealing the income tax is that everyone would have more money. This would allow Christians to donate more to charity (either through an organization like St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or through buying a homeless person a meal), which is another important virtue in Christianity. The Christian case for repealing the income tax is strong.
2. The danger of Earthly rulers
Believe it or not, the Bible actually warns against the danger of Earthly rulers. In 1 Samuel, the Israelites demanded Samuel give them a king. After praying, Samuel said the following in 1 Samuel 8:10-22:
“So Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking for a king from him. He said, “These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen and to run before his chariots. And he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his servants. He will take the tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants. He will take your male servants and female servants and the best of your young men and your donkeys, and put them to his work. He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves. And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.” But the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel. And they said, “No! But there shall be a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.” And when Samuel had heard all the words of the people, he repeated them in the ears of the Lord. And the Lord said to Samuel, “Obey their voice and make them a king.” Samuel then said to the men of Israel, “Go every man to his city.”
Does any of that sound familiar? Everything Samuel warned them about, from forcing their kids into the military to taking their property to ruling over them like a master rules over his slaves, happened to them, and it’s still happening to us, even though we have a president rather than a king. The Bible repeatedly makes it clear that humans are fallen and wicked, and one major consequence of that is abusing authority. Libertarians recognize this, which is why we call for greatly reducing the size and power of government. The fewer people in positions of authority over others, and the less power those positions have, the less abuse there will be.
3. Drug policy reform
Drug abuse is a major concern in many Christian denominations and circles. The Bible refers to the Christian’s body as the temple of the Holy Spirit and warns us against harming it, which leads many Christians to support drug prohibition. While it is true that many drugs are dangerous, marijuana and the opium poppy (from which heroin is derived) are both naturally occurring plants, meaning that God made them. So to say these substances are bad is to say that a creation of God is bad. Further, most Christians are already fine with alcohol, tobacco, and many other dangerous drugs being legal (including synthetic drugs and drugs that can be obtained without a prescription); if they’re ok with manmade drugs being legal, than why would they oppose the legalization of natural drugs? Both marijuana and opium can be used as effective pain relievers, and to oppose a substance that can bring pain relief seems cruel and contrary to Christian values such as compassion and love. Consider also the people who are imprisoned for doing illegal drugs. Is that the proper way for them to be treated? Should they be subjected to such punishment, along with the life-destroying effects of being isolated from society for so long and having a felony on their record, and the high likelihood that they will be sexually assaulted in prison? Two passages easily come to mind that talk about how Christians should treat others.
The first is Matthew 7:12:
“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”
Commonly called the Golden Rule, this is a simple yet powerful commandment for how to treat our fellow man. With regards to drug usage, would a Christian want to receive the punishment that users of illegal drugs currently receive? Would they continue supporting candidates and laws that facilitate that punishment if they thought about it in this way? The next passage that discusses how you should treat your neighbor, Matthew 25:31-40, is even more powerful:
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’”
Think about that for a minute, especially the last line. If a Christian supports the arrest and imprisonment of peaceful drug users, then that means they support the same being done to Jesus. That’s something rarely brought up in churches. Speaking of churches, many pastors, spiritual leaders, and relief organizers used one or more illegal drugs before they were saved. Paul, author of most of the New Testament and one of the greatest examples of a life dedicated to Christ, murdered Christians before he was saved. Imagine how different the world would look if Paul or anybody else who lived such a vastly different lifestyle before their salvation had been imprisoned instead of repenting and doing incredible works. For all these reasons, Christians should support, if not full legalization, at least the rescheduling of natural drugs such as marijuana and opium, and a reduction in the penalties for illegal drug use.