Libertarians who are also atheists why are you both?

I'm not a libertarian so I'm guessing here, but God is the ultimate big brother. Seems like libertarians would be opposed to this level of monitoring and control.

I don't like affiliating with a political party b/c as soon as I say I'm this or that, someone will say/do something I don't agree with and say it's part of that.

I've been voting Democratic lately, sometimes the Green Party, but I remember a while ago, something I said prompted this guy to email me and we were discussing politics/social issues and he pretty much agreed with everything I said, except he was under the impression that the 'Democrat Party' was all about 'big brother' and taxing you to death. Even though they are the ones protecting other people's rights to their own health care decisions and who they can legally marry. And they're the ones who expect there to be SOME form of income for wars we fight and the deregulation of companies who pay their employees so little they have to go on welfare and the national debt is lowered.

But I can definitely see why an atheist wants freedom from social issues and why some of them would call themselves 'libertarian' since the word 'liberal' means 'free', as in free from the restraints of others whims, but there is a grey area everyone needs to meet on. Hence, the reasoning behind democracy, and voting. Not everyone thinks they should have 60% of their paycheck go to 'the government', but who would oppose housing, transportation and healthcare? So, there has to be a middle ground people can meet at.

That is me also. Because both are obviously the best things to be. Both are closest to truth and reason-assuming truth and reason are even possible.

Stefan Molyneux is actually the very fringes of Libertarian. I like the guy but I have a hard time counting him among us. He is simply anarchist-which is NOT Libertarian. He is to a Libertarian what a Communist is to a Liberal. He embraces the ideal state of human affairs assuming it is somehow possible and sees Libertarianism as the first step in that direction.

I have a hard time believing it will ever even be possible to have the Libertarian form of government either. And religion will likely never disappear. But Libertarians are people who refuse to believe 2 plus 2 equal 5 even if the other 99% think they do. We are often criticized for being in the minority. But being in the minority no more makes us wrong than being one of the few in Mensa makes one dumb. I would no more dilute my beliefs to fit in with Demopublicans than a Mensa would fry his brains on alcohol so he could fit in with the bar crowd.

I believe Libertarianism is basically the Mensa of politics and actually statistically Libertarians indeed average smarter and more affluent than the other parties' members. Indeed, our independence makes voting irrelevant anyway since we are not voting for special favors from politicians or asking them for anything-so how is our symbolic vote wasted?

I am a liberatarian deist. But I really do not see how one's political view shoudl strongly affect their religious views or vice versa.

jereh,

The original quote was:

"if you are younger and not a liberal, then you are heartless;

If you are older and not a conservative, then you are stupid."

Edit:

I could claim that both of my views are due to my rational thinking or some other self-serving ego-driven crap like that.

But the truth is that I don't know. I don't know what god is like, and cannot claim to. I also cannot claim to be able to judge others and what they do. I only want them to respect my rights, and I will respect theirs. So I say give the most liberties possible.

My rationale for being a deist is simple. I see organized complexity in the science I study and the universe I live in. The best explanation for organized complexity that I ahve thus far seen in intelligent design, Should a better explanation come along, then I will accept the better explanation. Until then, I will accept the explanation I have. I certainly fit your definition of an agnostic as I do not make any claims of "knowledge".

Yeah it's probably that actually. Most libertarians (who have a good understanding of the political philosophy) weren't born into libertarian families, they became libertarians because they were convinced by good arguments. Similarly, a lot of atheists weren't born into atheist families, they left a particular religion after being convinced by good arguments.

Libertarians typically value rational arguments above appeals to emotion (not all libertarians, but most), so this is why there's a pretty big overlap between libertarians and atheists.

I'm somewhat of a Libertarian, but fiscally Liberal. I'm not entirely sure how to answer this, because I don't really subscribe to partisan politics, I just find ways to describe my views. Minarchist laissez-faire socialist/capitalist. I believe that humanity is a family regardless of differences, or even a want to talk to each other, so that guides my worldview and political views.

I am. I'm a Libertarian because my political views are governed by reason. It's why I've never been able to make the leap of faith. It's why I can look at history and see that large government has often abused it's people.

On principle I like libertarian-ism. I like the idea that people should be responsible for themselves, and that government shouldn't intervene. In practice I observe that without a strong state to intercede, the powerful and large businesses interests run ram shod over the needs of the "little people", and that poverty grows unabated. I would prefer a prosperous nanny state to a fundamentally inequitable and insurmountably unfair stagnant state.

"I was willing to admit I might be wrong."

By definition saying I don't know means your agnostic which is being skeptical of religion but willing to admit with evidence you are wrong. Atheistism is being 100% sure that no deity or deities exist and could careless about evidence that doesn't fit their worldview because they are to busy trying convert others thinking they are saving the world of ignorance which can be proven by just going to the religious section of this website.

the subjects dont have anything to do with each other. im an atheist because relgious people have yet to prove or provide evidence their claim. im only a little liberal. if i had to pick a political label i guess it would be lefty lib.