What The Biggest LARP Ideology Can Learn From Christianity
This past week, AustroThomism.com founder Caleb Brown tweeted asking “Is there a bigger Larp ideology than Agorism?” The answer in almost every way is an unequivocal yes.
Konkin initially defined agorism as “the consistent integration of libertarian theory with counter-economic practice; an agorist is one who acts consistently for freedom and in freedom.” All too often, this drive for consistent libertarian theory leads to agorists explicitly ruling out very powerful tools like political engagement. This gives it its overwhelming “LARPing” element for which it is often criticized. It’s hard to pretend to fight the system when you will only fight it from your own backyard.
However, underneath the joke that is the internet Agorists who refuse to take any action, there is a kernel of truth to the foundation of this seemingly LARP ideology. The core of agorism is this last piece of the definition, acting consistently for freedom in freedom. The concept of taking your freedom into your own hands is actually quite admirable. It is here that the agorists could learn from us over here at AustroThomism, from Christianity.
Acting consistently for freedom in freedom is exactly the goal. But we have to turn to Galatians to know what exactly that means. This was the second reading just a little over a week before the Fourth of July this year. I vividly remember a homily about what freedom meant after hearing
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. So Christ has truly set us free.
The homily I heard that day had two main points. First off, that freedom is not the
freedom to do whatever you want. Freedom is freedom from the chain of sin. An obvious point to Christians but such an important point. Christ didn’t free us for liberty’s sake or for the sake of being able to do anything. He freed us for freedom’s sake. This is the freedom that we should be consistently acting in and for, not just an anti authoritarian impulse, this real freedom.
The second key point is that while He did free us and we can’t rely on anyone else but Him to free us, we also cannot let ourselves be burdened again by a york of slavery. Our free will and exercising our freedom wrongly puts us back into slavery. And this is how it’s so easy to turn a consistent desire for freedom into a LARPing ideology. Instead we must act in real consistency to defend the real freedom we’ve been given.
The reality of agorism does not lead to freedom, but the concept of taking ownership of the freedom you’ve been blessed with is beautiful when you remember what real freedom is. Instead of dealing in the black market, however, look to St. Augustine’s words: “Take care of your body as if you were going to live forever; and take care of your soul as if you were going to die tomorrow.” Rather than “LARPing,” these are the two steps to take to actually “act consistently for freedom and in freedom”
Connor Mortell