I listen to a lot of podcasts. I am sure there are people who dwarf my listening habits, but I would guess I listen to between 5-10 hours per day, which in my mind is a pretty large number. I have a podcast running in the background during most of the day, unless I am writing a sermon or reading a book. Both of these activities take too much of my horse power to listen to a podcast at the same time.
One guy I slowly warmed up to, is Pete Quinones. I say I slowly warmed up to him because his bumper music back in the late 20-teens was really loud and assaulted my eardrums and there were episodes of Freeman Beyond the Wall I missed just because I could not stomach the bumper music long enough to get to the content. When my wife was with me she would begin howling when the bumper music started and I pretty much lost every episode when she was present. However, I very much enjoyed the content and as I do with authors of the written and oral tradition, when I like someone I start at the beginning and listen to it all in order of creation. Most of the time anyways.
Pete is such a prolific content creator that it took me more than two years and probably closer to three years to catch up and get even with the content he was putting out each week. Due to my own circumstances I am behind by thirty episodes again, but I am sure at some point in the near future I will be at par again. I say all of this because Pete is making me think about one thing in particular the last six months or so. Am I living in a fairy tale in my head where at some point freedom will break out and we will all be happy just because liberty is the best option for everyone? Pete calls this syndrome, "Living in Ancapistan in your head."
The interesting thing about this is, I have listened through the full spectrum of Pete's change of thinking that has brought him to this point. From his Free Man days of rejecting government power and force to the 2019-2020 period where he really pushed the Mises Caucus and Libertarian Party participation hard. I almost quit listening during this period, but I stuck it out and it did not last long before Pete rejected partnership (and there was somekind of mishap I never bothered getting involved in figuring out involving alcohol and whatever) with these entities and now Pete seems to push for local involvement in small rural communities, which is something I have advocated myself over the years and even considered running for local office. The whole 10,000 Lichtensteins option, which is very appealing to me and I am sure lots of other people.
I say all of this because I have not spoken with Pete and interviewed him to hear his exact thoughts on the matter. I suspect he would not give me the time of day or access to his platform for this discovery and that is fine too. The Free Saint project is pretty small and definately not a niche most folks, especially non-believers, are interested in.
I am putting this essay together because Pete has made me stop and think about this topic and since I have listened to so much of his content, I think I have a pretty good idea of his arguments in a general sense at least. So my timeline of events and characterization of his thoughts is my own fabrication based on my familiarity with his work and may not merit or represent his thoughts at all. So no one should gauge Pete's feelings based on how I understand them, although I think I am at least in the ball park on his evolving thinking, which brings me to where I am now.
I wonder if I am living in Ancapistan in my head.
Lately I am pondering this question and mulling it and rolling it around and considering where I think Christians fit in the current world view Pete is advocating. It is easy to consider non-political Christians of the libertarian bent because I think that is what the Biblke most clearly advocates. I want to ensure that whatever it is I am doing and/or advocating actually fits within the Christian framework and worldview.
I agree for the standard Libertarian or even the Mises Caucus folks, political engagement and involvement at the local level is an understandable direction and achievable. They can certainly run locally and maybe win at the county and town/city level. From here they may be able to make something of a difference to slow down the advance of the forces of darkness or at a minimum they can make a morel stand and educate some people and force others to openly declare their criminal desires and acts.
But what about the Christian? Does this merit an option for the Christian or should they remain on the sidelines focused on the Gospel and the kingdom of God? Speaking for Pete, I think he would say the Christian who abstains from politics and involvement is accomplishing nothing of value, especially in the face of the outrageous power grabs of the regime both locally and federally. Perhaps that is an overstatement of his position, I am not sure.
I do think this is the best position for the Christian after having witnessed the amount of time most Christians I know spend thinking about politics and how little they spend spreading the Gospel or advancing the kingdom of God. This is my dilemma. I am sympathetic to Pete's position that people like us, and by that I mean people who believe in freedom in a much more expansive way than the national security State defination of freedom, that if we are not involved are just acquiescing ground to the enemy.
I do not disagree. We are giving up the ground they already own right back to them peacefully, because I want Christians to spend their time on their first love, not politics. Christians should be on the outside looking in, even if this means suffering the consequences of the sin of the people around them and their choices. This world is not going to get better as far as freedom goes. It seems to only get worse and I expect that to continue. I expect things will continue getting more and more challenging just to live, but it is within that realm I think Christians have an opportunity to speak to the hearts of man and get them to question the reality that is thrust upon them instead of the promised reality that is coming when all the promises are fully realized in a new world.
I do not think man can usher in a period of freedom through force or moral superiority or the voting booth. I think there was a chance for this to happen when the UK Empire was breaking apart, but the US chose to replicate what it was born from and freedom and liberty never had much of a chance after that. I suppose the Ancapistan I am living at inside my head is the Kingdom of God and I am good with that. I do not think the best or most accurate Christian position is greater political involvement, but less.
The Christian should make sure there is a clear line and difference between the world and the Kingdom of God and if this means we take some beatings, then let the beatings commense. If this means we are killed, then line us up and get it over with. I also understand this politically looks very weak.
I most definately think Noem and DeSantis did the best job as governors and I can understand the appeal of mobilizing the Christian voting block to support others like them, except where are these people? They do not exist. Noem and DeSantis are unique and the words I need people to hear me speak more than anything are those words that lead to redemption and salvation and if I am working hard to win a political battle to just slow the inevitable advance of tyranny, then I am not working hard for the kingdom of God.
So to my Christian brothers and sisters I say, give unto Caesar what is Caesar's and render unto God what is Gods.