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Do Christian conservatives have a future in the Republican Party?
The Washington Times ^ | 9/23/13 | Joseph Cotto

Posted on 10/01/2013 12:06:37 PM PDT by shego

For better or for worse, libertarianism is on the upswing in the Republican Party....

...."68% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents agree with the statement that 'individuals should be free to do as they like as long as they don't hurt others, and that the government should keep out of people's day-to-day lives.'....

"Some fundamentalist Christians are very libertarian in their beliefs," explained Dave Nalle, Chairman of the Republican Liberty Caucus, to The Washington Times Communities earlier this year....

"They understand that the governmental restraint which is central to libertarianism works to their benefit in protecting them from government interference in their religious life," he continued. "Like Ron Paul, who is very religious, they value the independence of their churches and want to keep government from promoting any ideology through the schools or its other programs. While they do not support social libertarianism they understand that if government can dictate lifestyle decisions it's a knife which cuts both ways."

During the same interview, Nalle mentioned that "(w)here we do run into problems with the religious right is with those small but influential groups which believe that they should promote their beliefs by using government as an instrument to impose them on other people.

"They don't understand that this is a terrible practice which can be turned against them and they use tactics which are essentially the same as the secular humanists from the left who are their greatest enemies. Ultimately I don't see much future for this element in the Republican Party or even in mainstream politics.

"When they are fanatical about forcing their beliefs on everyone through legislation they make themselves so unpopular that they become a political liability which no party can afford to get involved with...

(Excerpt) Read more at communities.washingtontimes.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: conservatism; gop; libertarian; republicans
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To: CatherineofAragon

Great tagline!


41 posted on 10/01/2013 1:08:15 PM PDT by Nea Wood (When life gets too hard to stand, kneel.)
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To: Rockingham
Is there room for libertarians in the GOP? Of course there is, but they seem unlikely to ever be numerous enough to command that the GOP cannot oppose abortion and otherwise support traditional values.

They are gaining, in 2012 they ran a pro-abortion, pro gay military candidate who opposed the GOP pro-life platform and ran pro-choice ads in at least two states, one being Ohio (which the GOP lost).

42 posted on 10/01/2013 1:09:49 PM PDT by ansel12 ( 'I'm on That New Obama Diet... Every Day I Let Vladimir Putin Eat My Lunch' .)
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To: Nea Wood

Thank you. :)


43 posted on 10/01/2013 1:19:02 PM PDT by CatherineofAragon ((Support Christian white males----the architects of the jewel known as Western Civilization.))
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To: shego

Nope.


44 posted on 10/01/2013 1:19:16 PM PDT by ThePatriotsFlag ( The Republican Party has become the White Flag Party-shamefully surrendering daily to Socialism.)
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To: Pietro

You want a list of sectarian behaviors and beliefs currently being coerced onto the population?

The ban on online gambling, illegality of prostitution, drug regulation and prohibition, alcohol sales restrictions, refusal to enforce borders, vehicle emissions inspection, sobriety checkpoints, compulsory education, etc.

Enforcement of property rights is the only legitimate use of governmental force. Bank robbery is illegal because it violates property rights, not because armed robbery is immoral. Rape is illegal because it violates the property rights of the victim over their own body, not because extramarital sex is immoral. By the same reasoning, abortion should be illegal because it robs a person of the property of their life while they are at their most vulnerable.

The use of governmental force to; ensure “public safety”, protect the “environment”, help the “poor”, “save” the children, etc. is nothing but the siren song of statist oppression and oppressors whether the motivating factor is Socialism, Communism, Fascism, or the Social Gospel.


45 posted on 10/01/2013 1:24:58 PM PDT by noprogs (Borders, Language, Culture)
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To: Jewbacca

I agree.

The government never saved a soul.


46 posted on 10/01/2013 1:29:17 PM PDT by noprogs (Borders, Language, Culture)
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To: noprogs
refusal to enforce borders

That is a libertarian goal, totally open borders, and you left out other libertarian victories like homosexual equality and marriage in the military and in immigration and federal employment.

47 posted on 10/01/2013 1:33:11 PM PDT by ansel12 ( 'I'm on That New Obama Diet... Every Day I Let Vladimir Putin Eat My Lunch' .)
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To: Jewbacca

The libertarian agenda is to make the government liberal on social issues, that is their political agenda and activism, it is literally their platform.


48 posted on 10/01/2013 1:35:37 PM PDT by ansel12 ( 'I'm on That New Obama Diet... Every Day I Let Vladimir Putin Eat My Lunch' .)
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To: noprogs

I think you need to re-up your meds.


49 posted on 10/01/2013 1:36:06 PM PDT by Pietro
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To: ansel12

Discrimination in federal employment for any reason whatsoever other than citizenship and ability to do the job is theft from the taxpayers.


50 posted on 10/01/2013 1:37:46 PM PDT by shego
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To: C. Edmund Wright
I see some social only conservatives do that to libertarians and vice versa.

Where do you find "social only conservatives" taking on libertarians, where does one find those two teams battling it out?

51 posted on 10/01/2013 1:38:42 PM PDT by ansel12 ( 'I'm on That New Obama Diet... Every Day I Let Vladimir Putin Eat My Lunch' .)
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To: noprogs
The ban on online gambling, illegality of prostitution, drug regulation and prohibition, alcohol sales restrictions, refusal to enforce borders, vehicle emissions inspection, sobriety checkpoints, compulsory education, etc.

Out of that list, I think that most traditionally minded Christians would have no problems making it a state by state issue, which is Constitutionally correct, and will allow both groups to vote with the feet. I've found the secularists more pushy on the compulsory education (both expanding the mandatory age and the consept in general). The home schoolers ALWAYS fight against that stuff. I agree that pushing for a ban on online gambling (whixh is impossible to regulate at the state level) REALLY hurt conservative Christians in '06, and it wasn't a front burner issue, or even favored by all that many. Conservative Christians are generally OK with border enforcement, even if they don't want to start aggressive deportation on those already here. They do not wish to compromiose so much of abortion or the homosexualist agenda.
52 posted on 10/01/2013 1:39:18 PM PDT by Dr. Sivana (There's no salvation in politics.)
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To: shego
Discrimination in federal employment for any reason whatsoever other than citizenship and ability to do the job is theft from the taxpayers.

That is your libertarian position officially stated as ""Sexual orientation, preference, gender, or gender identity should have no impact on the government's treatment of individuals, such as in current marriage, child custody, adoption, immigration or military service laws.""

A position that the founding fathers disagreed with and reflected in their legislation on the question.

53 posted on 10/01/2013 1:42:56 PM PDT by ansel12 ( 'I'm on That New Obama Diet... Every Day I Let Vladimir Putin Eat My Lunch' .)
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To: Dr. Sivana; noprogs
Conservative Christians are generally OK with border enforcement,

I would call them the strongest voters for border control, the libertarians are the most radical in opposing border control, they actually want to truly open the borders and fire the Border Patrol and INS.

54 posted on 10/01/2013 1:46:25 PM PDT by ansel12 ( 'I'm on That New Obama Diet... Every Day I Let Vladimir Putin Eat My Lunch' .)
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To: ansel12

It’s interesting because many people focus on that part of the Libertarian message about borders.

But, for instance, one of my old college professors, who is a Libertarian believes in opening up the borders.. BUT
as a pre-condition to that.. he wants ALL welfare and any and all government benefits whacked.

So yeah.. you can come in.. but you’ll get no special treatment for how you vote..


55 posted on 10/01/2013 1:48:12 PM PDT by ConservativeMan55 (In America, we don't do pin pricks. But sometimes we elect them.)
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To: ansel12
Hard core libertarians in the GOP often have rich backers and may run splashy ads, but do they have troops on the ground, credible candidates, and adherents in office? Not really. Hard core libertarianism is a minor influence when it comes to practical politics.

And instead of advocating big ideas to the public at large, libertarians seem to prefer to be ankle biters in the GOP and whiners about Christians and social conservatives. Odd, is it not, that the settled strategy of GOP libertarians is to tell the majority in the party to shut up and to go away? Whatever happened to freedom of thought and speech as libertarian principles?

56 posted on 10/01/2013 1:48:15 PM PDT by Rockingham
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To: ConservativeMan55
But, for instance, one of my old college professors, who is a Libertarian believes in opening up the borders.. BUT as a pre-condition to that.. he wants ALL welfare and any and all government benefits whacked.

ROTFL, that is the libertarian position, which part do you think they will succeed at first? Which part do they always win first in the last 50 years?

I'll gladly end social programs and welfare on Tuesday, if you'll only give me open borders today. LOL

I tell you what, FIRST, you end welfare and the social programs in America and THEN we will discuss opening America's borders to the world and importing 10s of millions of more third world democrat voters.

57 posted on 10/01/2013 1:56:32 PM PDT by ansel12 ( 'I'm on That New Obama Diet... Every Day I Let Vladimir Putin Eat My Lunch' .)
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To: Rockingham

Post 42 says different.


58 posted on 10/01/2013 1:57:35 PM PDT by ansel12 ( 'I'm on That New Obama Diet... Every Day I Let Vladimir Putin Eat My Lunch' .)
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To: ansel12

I really do not care to whom or what or why you attribute refusal to enforce the borders. It could be Socialists looking for voter base. It could be Libertarians to free up labor exchange. It could be “crapitalists” impoverishing the middle class. It could be equalitarianism, courageous conservatism, whatever.

As your yard is defined by its border, so is our country. Border enforcement is a basic governmental duty that our federal government is NOT doing.

Rulings promoting the homosexual lifestyle in the military were done exclusively during Democrat administrations and by bureaucratic fiat within the military, and NONE of them were rolled back during supposedly socially conservative GOP administrations. I don’t think the Libertarian Party per se had much to do with it.


59 posted on 10/01/2013 2:03:55 PM PDT by noprogs (Borders, Language, Culture)
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To: Pietro

I think you’re a statist and get pissy when you read something that reminds you of it.


60 posted on 10/01/2013 2:07:05 PM PDT by noprogs (Borders, Language, Culture)
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