The government of the LDS libertarian

A recent internet debate with a Mormon libertarian left me thinking about the relationship between Christianity, particularly the LDS variety, and libertarianism. I have known many Mormons who proclaim to be Libertarian in their views. I find this odd, as it is very apparent they fully believe in government. Socialist, totalitarian, unelected and unaccountable government. They believe we are all subject to this government. We don't get to vote on it, criticize it or petition it for a redress of grievances. They hold contempt for the American form of government, in which people are free to have their own thoughts and opinions. This is a government that prosecutes thoughtcrime.

The LDS church is a socialist organization. There is no question about this. Its members are required to surrender ten percent of their income to the church, with which it does as it sees fit. This ranges from welfare for the poor to the building of high-end shopping malls for the continued profit of the prophets. Members might claim this redistribution of weatlh (a term defined by my opponent as " requir[ing] theft from one person and an unearned gift to another") is given by their own free will and differs from taxation in that it is not compulsory. Any Saint who has ever opted out of the full tithe knows this is nonsense. Not tithing is a sure way to lose one's temple recommend, which means demotion to a lower kingdom of Heaven. Not paying taxes in the U.S. might result in incarceration, which is continued existence  with reduced freedom and pleasure, for a finite time. Not paying taxes in the LDS world results in eternal incarceration.

The faithful might next argue that this form of taxation is justified as it comes from a perfect and moral divine authority. This would charge them with demonstrating the perfect morality of a being who thinks its fun to command his faithful follower to kill his beloved son, only to call "just kidding" at the last moment. A being who feels rubbernecking at a rain of fire upon ones own house to be worthy of the death penalty. A being who feels just fine killing babies. Not to leave out the New Testament, a being who shows his perfect love by creating an entire race of beings programed to fail, the only way they can can escape failure is to become sycophants to him and his son, whom he demanded be tortured to death as some sort of primitive blood sacrifice. So I guess the perfect morality argument is out.

So what's left? Personal revelation. "Just knowing" the presence and intent of God. Nevermind the contradictory accounts of all those who claim to have had such revelations. Nevermind those who tried with all their heart to experience such revelation, only to kneel in punishing silence with hands folded. Nevermind the testimony of those who have had such experiences and later conceded they were more likely a product of their own biology. Nevermind scientific experiments which replicate these mystical experiences with electromagnetic stimulation of the brain and psychoactive chemicals. They are right. Their beliefs are true and we need to accept them. We are all subject to the regulations of their dictatorship, we know it, and we are just too stupid/stubborn/selfish to admit it.

At the end of this all I must doff my cap to my rhetorical adversary. What started out as a knife fight was transformed, through civility and a sense of humor, into a table tennis match. He may not have been able to keep up with my volleys, but at the end of the day you put down your paddle and have a beer. Or a Diet Coke. Whatever quenches your thirst.