“In the current ‘post-liberal’ moment, there’s a new Christian authoritarian chic. Recent examples include a conservative Christian finding virtue with East German communism, and another extolling a ‘Protestant’ Francisco Franco for America.” - Providence
“Deneen calls for ‘a new elite … dedicated to the promotion and construction of a society that assists ordinary fellow citizens in achieving lives of flourishing.’ The result is a regime that is ‘left-economic and social-conservative.’” - Public Discourse
“The ideas of liberty and individual dignity cannot be ascribed exclusively to Christianity—or for that matter to any other religion—as they are inherent in human nature. In short, they are what it means to be human.” - Acton
“Underlying many debates about how courts and policies treat religion… Is any human right – religious freedom in particular – more important than another? And what happens when human rights claims come into conflict?” - The Conversation
“The challenge that confronts Christian political theology today is how to guard against the abusive tendencies of fallen human authority figures while not destroying authority itself; how to acknowledge that nature is fallen, while remembering that nature was created good.” - Providence
“While the concerns animating National Conservatism are real, its reduction of today’s problems and tomorrow’s solutions to issues of nationality, if stubbornly held, will lead to stalemate and irrelevance.” - Acton
“We’re less familiar with Lewis the political thinker. But in the almost 60 years since he passed away… we’ve come to learn more and more about Lewis’ significant interests in, and concerns about, politics.” - Acton
“Nobody seriously thinks that hostile secularity is the ideal state of government, or rejects the claim that society should order us toward the truth or the good. What we cannot do, however, is wink at the authoritarian and illiberal claims about authority that are implicitly, or sometimes explicitly, made in some integralist arguments.” - L&L
“I asked Dr. Murphy to explain some basic arguments for anarcho-capitalism, the extent of American distrust in the current two-party system, and the current state and strategy of the libertarian movement.” - Acton
As election day approaches this year, the prospect of voting looks different to me than it has in the past. Whether I look to the left or to the right, my thoughts echo the prophet Jeremiah: “…Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all who are treacherous thrive?” (Jer 12:1).
Hopefully the situation improves by 2024.
Some may wonder what principles would normally make a Christian feel obligated to vote. They include these:
