Crisis Has a Remarkably Silly Piece Up

denouncing Yr. Obdt. Svt. as an “Inquisitor” because I express the opinion that Libertarianism is a species of heresy. What I mean, of course, is that libertarian thought does what heresy always does: it pick out bits of Catholic teaching it likes and uses them as weapons against all the bits it doesn’t. Specifically, libertarianism tends to exalt subsidiarity over solidarity and denigrate the common good by over-emphasizing individualism. It is, as I have repeatedly argued, a philosophy for people with no children. Somehow, this opinion gets translated into an Inquisition by the fertile mind of the author and then the comboxes get going with a good old fashioned 15 Minute Hate in which readers wander far afield rehearsing my manifold sins on a variety of unrelated topics as their personal Emmanuel Goldstein.

For the record, my approach to people attracted to libertarian errors, like my approach to people attracted to other errors, is not to demand an Inquisition, nor that they be kicked them out of the Church. I don’t believe there is, in this world, such a thing a pure church and I think one of the plagues we face is laymen running around, performing Inquisitions and trying to kick out the Impure. Indeed, I once wrote a piece for Crisis about it.

Fave comment style so far, the various changes on: “This is a great article publicly criticizing Mark Shea. Look out! He just might show up to defend himself! What an uncharitable ass!”

This was unexpected and rather difficult. There was some scattered clapping, but most of them were trying to work it out and see if it came out to a compliment.