How to Talk to Christian Voters: Liberty And Care For The Poor

Nick McRae

This probably goes without saying, but Libertarians have a bit of a PR problem when it comes to Christian voters, despite the fact that many Libertarians — including high profile liberty-lovers like Ron Paul — are themselves outspoken Christians. Indeed, Libertarian values are often misunderstood by Christians in general, who may think libertarianism encourages personal immorality and discourages care for the poor and marginalized. As a pastor in Texas, I run up against these two misunderstandings all the time.

If we Libertarians are going to reach more Christian voters with Jo Jorgensen’s message of freedom, we need to learn to talk about our values in a way that the average Christian will understand and connect with. I don’t have space in this Jorgensen Insider article to discuss both personal morality and care for the poor, so at this time I’ll simply tackle the latter. Below are some thoughts that I hope will help you frame your discussion about liberty with any Christian voters who may come across your path.

Whether they realize it or not (and Republican-leaning Christians in particular may not), many Christians support big government out of well-meaning concern for the poor and marginalized. It’s natural for Christians to care about the least, the last, and the lost; it’s built right into the religion. Some will assume that because Libertarians oppose taxation for government programs, Libertarians must not care what happens to the poor and marginalized.

It’s important to assure Christian voters that this isn’t the case. Libertarians do care for the poor. We simply believe that local communities made up of caring individuals know better how to care for their real, flesh-and-blood neighbors than do politicians and bureaucrats in Washington, DC.

Republicans and Democrats want to convince you that the best way to care for your neighbors is to take your tax money to Washington, come up with a one-size-fits-all plan for 330 million people, and then enforce their plan on every American everywhere, whether it actually makes sense for your neighbors or not.

They propose to do this without ever setting foot in your neighborhood. They expect to do it without ever looking the poor and marginalized people of your neighborhood in the eye and asking them what they actually need. Libertarians believe that you and your neighbor know better how to serve one another than do politicians and bureaucrats in Washington.

The even bigger problem with tax-funded, one-size-fits-all, big-government programs intended to remedy poverty and oppression is that these programs convince people like you and me that we’re off the hook for taking care of our own neighbors. Sending off our tax dollars to the government too often makes us Americans — Christians and non-Christians alike — feel like we’ve fulfilled some moral obligation toward the poor without really having to do anything.

You’re busy people, these government programs tell us. Let us figure out how to help the poor. No need for you to actually meet your neighbors. No need for you to look them in the eye and ask them how you can help. No need for you to decide for yourself when to open up your wallet to help with the groceries, or the rent, or to help buy a suit for a job interview. Let us handle it for you. We know better than you.

Jesus said, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” He didn’t say, “Pay the government and let them love your neighbor for you.” Invite Christian voters to imagine how much of a difference they could make in their actual neighbors’ lives with the money they normally have to send off to Washington.

A vote for Libertarian Jo Jorgensen is a vote for an America where Americans are free to love our neighbors ourselves. We don’t need Washington to do that for us.

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