Ron Paul, Libertarianism & Catholic Teaching

[XNavyNuke]

Ron Paul, Libertarianism & Catholic Teaching

A reader has taken issue with my characterization of GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul as "a libertarian wingnut." I have reflected on the phrase and stand by it. Indeed, while libertarians can be very smart, there is something a little crazy about their beliefs, a craziness that is rooted in their unbalanced view of human nature.

XNN

 

[msirilla]

(For full disclosure, I am a practicing Catholic and a professor of Catholic Theology.)

Well, that's what I'd expect to read about RP from a magazine like America.

For an alternate take on RP, see:

Catholics for Ron Paul
http://catholicsforronpaul.blogspot.com/

Thomas Wood's Open Letter to Catholics in support of Ron Paul
http://www.lewrockwell.com/woods/woods83.html

I find RP's position on limited gov't much more in line with Catholic social teaching (especially the doctrine of subsidiarity, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subsidiarity) than anyone else on either side of the aisle.

Expect authors who are published in America magazine to endorse Dems (universal health care, etc.)

 

[Evil Princess Kat]

This author seems to confuse objectivists and libertarians - we not the same thing, and only loosely related by a few common beliefs. I'm a libertarian, and I personally can't stand Ayn Rand's preachy, lackluster writing style and there is not much about her as a person that I admire. But even I have to agree this article paints her beliefs with a very broad brush.

There are many of stripes of libertarianism, some of which are at odds with each other. But I think we can all agree that collectivist stereotyping is stupid, yes?

I don't get why any thinking Catholic would hate Ron Paul - his views on foreign policy support their "just war" doctrine, he strongly champions religious freedom, and he's more pro-life than anyone else running. Isn't that what they care about???

This quote kind of scares me:

The libertarian worldview could not be more at odds with Catholicism. The Promethean promise the libertarians champion is a Promethean nightmare to us Catholics. We do not value human autonomy above all else, nor place freedom above truth or equality or justice in the scale of virtues.

But there cannot be truth, equality, or justice without freedom. Without freedom, it's the government powers that be who get to decide what's "true", "equal", and "just", and history shows us that they are more often than not opposed to what God considers to be moral.

 

[jb4ronpaul]

there seems to be as many definitions of libertarianisms as there are libertarians.

 

[billyjoeallen]

I submitted a comment to that article hours ago.
notice there are no comments?

 

[DetroitLion]

That is the magazine for the Jesuits. Anyone who knows their Catholicism knows that the Jesuits have been the biggest order of apostates in the Church since the Second Vatican Council and all the destruction it has brought to the Church.