Anarchy is the Only Political Ethos that makes sense for Christians
Matthew 22: 37-40
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
If you are actually following in the footsteps of Yeshua (Jesus), you may naturally find yourself confronting hypocritical authoritarian governments, calling them out publicly for their devious schemes and lies, and becoming a target for their wrath as you liberate the minds of the people those in power work hard to enslave. Your philosophy may fly in the face of the established narrative, enraging those who hear it as they cling desperately to their dead paradigms and traditional beliefs. Those who hear the good news may find newfound purpose in life, filled with joy as they shrug off the burden of a lifetime of lies, trading them for a deeper understanding of the universe and a purpose-filled existence. You live as an ambassador of your beliefs, teaching by example the values and ideals that define you so that others may see what it means to live peacefully and to treat others with respect and understanding. You hold yourself to a higher standard of conduct, knowing full well that the path you have chosen depends upon your strict adherence to its principles in order to function. You reject the earthly authorities of man, whose machinations rely on violence and whose doctrines contradict the the truth you have come to know. You attract like-minded people who wish to interact both personally and in business with others who see the world they way they do and hold the same values. You see the beauty and the truth of this philosophy so clearly and want to share it with others, marveling painfully at the resistance you meet, and relishing every encounter where the truth in your beliefs reaches another person, setting them on the same path.
If this sounds like you, you might be a Christian, or you might be an Anarchist. I consider myself both.
sweet, great article Jordan! Look forward to reading more from you bro! -- Matthew Mencel
I've been thinking lately about how I could establish a pretty solid biblical basis for what people around here describe as anarchism. I'm a little hung up though on Romans 13:1-7. What are your thoughts?
Romans 13 becomes one of the most anarchic verses in the Bible when you realize that it has always been falsely translated because those doing the translating were employed by centralized governments and risked getting their heads cut off if they applied the same Greek meanings as they did elsewhere in the Bible. http://higherliberty.com/?p=617
The entire Bible becomes one of the greatest anarchist textbooks ever written when the reader removes the mysticism added by state corporations known as churches... Bastard's Summary of the Bible.
Romans 13, in my opinion, is the Achilles heel for the argument that the modern bible is the literal "Word of God" cover to cover. If you follow the teachings and example of Yeshua, then Paul's opinions in Romans(& that is all that they actually are) become void. Before his conversion, Paul was a Roman assassin and mass murderer, hunting Christians for the Empire. I doubt he lost his statist tendencies entirely and that reflects here.
We may just need to agree to disagree on the point of the inspiration of Paul's writings. Both he and Peter both believed that his letters constituted the word of God. But that aside, I don't think Romans 13 is necessarily a statement against anarchism. Could it be that God expects us to submit to state governments that exist to the degree that said government promotes freedom of conscience? That doesn't necessarily mean that any government is God's ultimate intention. Is it also possible that although Paul wrote that, he also believed that the ultimate expression of the kingdom of God on earth would be a society that looks to God as king, not man? It seems this was God's original intention for the people of Israel but they insisted on making a man their king.
Hey Jordan, good to see you on here. I just introduced myself on here. It's pretty cool.
Someone once told me the word anarchy literally means "no rulers". I think believers are an occupying force within this broken world system. Yes, the Bible does say to obey the higher powers, but this is in the context of reasonable laws, and we are living in an era of increasingly lawless governance.
Yes, a believer is rulerless in the sense that our ruler is an unseen force inside us, the Holy Spirit in our conscience! Those Quakers who opposed slavery back in the day engaged in "civil disobedience" rightfully. Daniel went to his window to pray although it was forbidden. I could go on with examples...
Keep posting stuff like this. I've been looking for other believers to follow, and that I hope would follow me in turn.