Why I am an Anarchist.

Christian anarchism is, in my view, deeply rooted in the kind of pacifism taught in the Sermon on the Mount. The need to dominate, to control, and to force is inherent to human nature, and yet it is also at odds with the Gospels which instruct us to be poor, gentle, and humble.

This may seem different from what many people hear about the Christian religion. We are all familiar with the present day religious celebrities, with the hateful rhetoric on homosexuality and on abortion, with "End of Days" or "Left Behind" talk, and with the call to arms against our Muslim brothers and sisters. These things are profoundly at odds with the Gospel message.

The Gospel preaches the "Kingdom of God", a potential world, in which all people submit to God's law: "That you love one another as I have loved you." (John 15) The Kingdom is a world in which every person makes of themselves a servant unto every other person. This commitment cannot be forced; it must be entered into voluntarily. And so I am an anarchist precisely because I am a Christian.

"All the believers were of one heart and mind, and they felt that what they owned was not their own; they shared everything they had... There was no poverty among them, because people who owned land or houses sold them and brought the money to the apostles to give to others in need." -Acts 4:32-35