Norman Horn Discusses Christianity & Liberty with MHD
{ Posted on Jun 06 2009 by Jason Talley }
While at the South Austin Freehold I had an opportunity to talk with Norman Horn, the proprietor of Libertarian Christians. He discussed why he feels that Christians can also believe in freedom, as he does.
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- Jun 6, 2009: All Things Expounded » Interview of Norman Horn
Oh man, I’m happy this footage survived your encounter with the police! I was afraid it was destroyed when they took your camera. It was really great to meet you guys and I am absolutely thrilled at what you are doing with MHD. Safe travels!
As a theologically conservative Christian who is also a libertarian, I find this really interesting.
I think one of the biggest problems we encounter is the confusion regarding the distinction between libertarianism and libertinism. This distinction explains how someone who by their own lifestyle would probably be thought as a social conservative can actually be libertarian politically.
Some (and I don’t think they are the majority or anything) in the liberty movement let their dislike of organization religion and Christianity in particular affect how they treat Christians who are also in the movement. Sometimes it can feel like “Libertarianism” is an atheistic club and that anyone who has strong religious convictions has to defend their credibility as a libertarian. But I don’t think that is the case. Statists come in all stripes, colors and religious convictions. And so do liberty loving people.
One will not find a lot of “proof texts in the bible” speaking of political liberty. The Bible is much more concerned with metaphysical liberty. But I think Norman was right in saying (perhaps not in these exact words) that we are better off to look for themes, motifs, and overarching concepts. And you will find a lot of those. I find the Laissez-faire approach of looking at political issues that libertarianism takes to be very compatible with my theologically conservative Christianity.
Mark: Like you I am very theologically conservative as well.
One thing I realized immediately after we did the interview was that I missed saying a critical point about “proof texts” in the Bible – or rather why there aren’t any. It is that there is no *need* for a proof text because freedom is supposed to be *assumed*. That is the natural law, the way things are at ground level. It is the STATE that must justify itself from the Scripture, not liberty!
That is why Romans 13 and Matthew 21 are so important to statists as THEIR proof-texts, and that is why we must consistently show why that assertion is wrong.
I’ll know what to say next time I’m in an interview, eh?
I am also a Christian and Libertarian. Like Norman, I am personally conservative. However, unlike Norman or Mark–I am a theological liberal. With that said, Norman’s site is an excellent read.