Christianoid Authoritarianism

Authoritarianism is the belief that some men are entitled to rule others.

Panlibertarianism is the belief that no man is entitled to rule another.

Panlibertarianism denotes opposition to any Authoritarianism. Ordinary Libertarianism (in common use in politics) denotes opposition to big-Statism, and is neutral regarding Small-Statism and Clericalism. It is entailed by Panlibertarianism but does not entail it.

Christianoid Authoritarianism entails a duty to recognise God's appointed agents, and to obey them. Voluntary or enforced, acquiescence in a despotic authority makes a man servile; in a communitarian one, effeminate; and in a paternalistic one, infantile. None of these styles of authority is compatible with the vocation to serve God, who in fact appoints no such agents and "has no grandchildren". In this respect priests are no better than gangsters.

The variants differ as regards how to recognise God's supposed agents.

For instance, recognition may be based on apostolic succession or personal charisma (forms of Clericalism) or on sucess as a gangster (Statism).

Variants range from maximally severe (totalitarianism, which excludes any liberty) to very mild (which allows much liberty but with some exceptions), but there seems no historical justification for distinguishing these gradations as separate heresies.

For instance, I know of no small-Statist Christianoids who have regarded big-Statism as a heresy.

Back to Influential Heresies.