I actually think it would be better to have some committed Russian Orthodox preach the Bible to Obama and yes, I would pay actual $$$ to see that. And I am very much impressed by the Orthodox revival among Russians as others have noted on this thread and feel that it may be that at least for now G-d is looking out for Russia more than he is for the US.
But that said, I do wonder what the natural response is for Freepers who have more libertarian tendencies, and I have gathered that you are one of them from your profile and from your posting history, when they come across issues like this and they are dealing with the gay rights movement in the US vs other nations. I can easily understand why Russia is getting a lot of sympathy and support here, but Obama has also been on conflict with numerous other nations, including despotic and totalitarian regimes, over the issue of homosexual rights.
And I have always wondered what the viewpoint for Freepers who are libertarians - who can perhaps be termed Freepertarians - and Freepers who are in agreement with libertarians on most things, reconcile their libertarianism with the type of Christian conservatism that FR is known for.
I also thought it would be interesting to hear from other prominent Freepers who are either libertarian or have expressed sympathy for the majority of small l libertarian platforms. Despite my new history with this account, I have been lurking and posting under other accounts for about 5 years now so I have an idea of who some of the more prominent libertarians are around here.
If you were pinged, you can feel free to give any insight you have or disregard what I am asking about, I will understand either way. I was merely interested in your views on this.
I mean, both the Freerepublic and small l libertarian schools of thought are very much opposed to the homosexual agenda and for many of the same reasons; the attack on religious freedom being one of them. Small l libertarians with actual knowledge on this issue often have to strain themselves, both here and anywhere else people political discussions on internet forums, explaining about how true libertarians are not pro gay agenda and why true libertarians would never ever support gov;t backed gay marriage.
But then, it seems from a libertarian perspective, there is issues with attacking people from a collectivist perspective, which might conceivably be part of the reason why some authorities in Russia are cracking down on this. During the collectivist Soviet era, homosexuals were treated in a purely collectivist, totalitarian fashion and some of these authorities might simply be harking back to their Soviet and roots, or even Stalinist for some of them.
And so from a libertarian perspective, it seems that collectivist gov’t action against any group of people for any purported reason is a serious issue. And so from a libertarian viewpoint, something like this is not necessarily too be wholly applauded. Small l libertarianism is, again, very much against the gay agenda and against gay marriage and against gov’t enforced endorsement of homosexualism and against having gay activism on our tv screens at any turn. But small l libertarianism also teaches that homosexuals are too be looked at as being normal, regular people like anyone else and that simply being homosexual should not lead to people being viewed or treated any differently than, say, being left handed. Small l libertarianism followers also typically believe that even as they oppose the gay agenda they have to acknowledge at the very least the possibility that there is such a thing as homosexuals who were born that way and cannot be cured through prayer and therapy, and small l libertarianism teaches that we should be able to acknowledge this while still being very much against the gay agenda.
Even though Christian, social conservatism and small l llibertarianism are both against gay marriage and against the gay agenda, I often imagine that reconciling them can still be incredibly difficult in light of what many conservative Social conservatives and small l libertarians believe about homosexuals as people. I was wonder how you are able to do it if it is possible and how you can reconcile Christian conservatism with small l libertarian thought.
The good Lord doesn’t care a hoot about denominations. It’s personal salvation, as always, He is after, and He is always craftier than the devil’s attempts to block it (not to mention the devil is on a chain anyhow — if we had the eyes to see, we would realize the fight between God and the devil is very unfair, to the devil... it’s only his smoke screen of lies that give any other impression). The Rooskies got laid low when communism finally fizzled, which was a perfect set-up for finding God.
The US might not get back on its gospel feet until a similar humbling, though I never say never. I think the Holy Spirit is getting aggressive here again. He has caught ME up and I am definitely a spiritually soggy, hard to light kind of guy.
Part of the Founder's value system recognized the cultural & social differences among the several States. Thus the United States as members of a Federation, gave their Federal Government no say whatsoever on moral & social questions. Health, Safety & Morals--what lawyers call the "Police Powers"-- were left to the States, and within the States, in some respects, often to the local subdivisions.
In a similar vein, they explicitly left the question of an established Church to the States. While Jefferson got the State Legislature in the Old Dominion to disestablish the Virginia Church, he never suggested, when he was President, that the Federal Government had the right to force such a change on any other State. Any changes in that direction were voluntary.
The point is this: One of the principal tenets of any rational "Liberty," is the right to form communities of like thinking people; the right to determine what moral & religious principles you will recognize both as individuals, and in communities of the like-minded. The idea of an imposed multi-cultural chaos on local communities, is part of the insanity that flows from that abomination, falsely called "liberalism," today.
William Flax
Ping