12. The Spirit of Market Anarchy (Part 4): The State Ain't So Great Either--Rethinking Hitchens

The Spirit of Market Anarchy: A Critique of New Atheism's Secular Statism (Part 4) "Pick Your Poison: Religion or the State?" In Part 4 of The Spirit of Market Anarchy, we evaluate the shortsighted goals of the secular statists like Sam Harris, Christopher Hitchens, Annie Laurie Gaylor, and the Freedom From Religion Foundation in their advocacy for plans to "TAX THE CHURCH." This is, in its outline, perhaps the worst idea that atheists could espouse, since religious freedom, as shown in Part 3, is tax rebellion and the result of laissez-faire, and not just a superficial "feeling" of metaphysical freedom. The big government New Atheists get drawn into the trap of this horrendous idea because they advocate the "pay your fair share" principle of Welfare Statism, and thus have abandoned logic, economic calculation, and denotations of freedom. As I argue, there is nothing better calculated to create religious strife and religious intrusion into government than any plan to tax the church. The more that government gets into religion, the more that religion gets into government. It's the natural byproduct of taxation/representation. Those who are taxed get represented. Once again, atheism and religious freedom are best served by INCREASES in economic freedom and the diminution of taxes, not in decreases in economic freedom. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/culture-anarchy/support