In Support of Christian Anarchism

• John Vandivier

This article partly reconciles Christianity and Anarchism, at least in the form of peaceful, legal anarcho-capitalism.

While I am an anarchist, I am also a gradualist and an advocate of peaceful and legal anarchism. I want an anarchy, but I don't want an anarchy today. I think it would result in socio-political and economic shock which would cause widespread damage. I prefer a slow death of the State. As a Christian, I am also only in favor of anarchy under the condition that it can be consistent with Christianity. After years of considering the subject, I believe that anarchy and Christianity are very consistent. This article covers only a few ways.

For Christians out there, there is a pretty good argument from the Bible that the State has a special moral authority from God: <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+13">Romans 13. Even so, I think we can out-compete the government from within the law - beat it at its own game - and create an anarchy even without defying the Biblical command to obey government. I also believe, however, that the verse Romans 13:1 can be read as a somewhat tautological statement. While Romans 13:2 essentially says don't rebel, Romans 13:1 says whoever is in charge is in charge because God put them there. Consider the possibility Christians do not rebel, yet the governing power of government naturally withers away as it is out-competed from within the law by the market. We seem to have a case of the invisible hand bringing down government and bringing up the market. In fact, I believe this is exactly what will happen in the long run as economists say.

Christianity essentially advocates "moral capitalism" as the ideal economic system. Ways Christianity and Anarcho-Capitalism are potentially consistent:

  • Condones Market Activity: The Parable of the Talents: Matthew 25:14-30 and Luke 19:12-27
  • Supports Freedom: 2 Cor 3:17  \"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.\"
  • Property Rights and Ownership: Genesis 1:28, \"And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (Dominion = sovereignty or control.)
  • Accurate Information: 2 Corinthians 2:4 \"Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God.\"
  • Anarcho-Capitalism implies an arbitrarily high quality of life as time approaches infinite and/or in the long run. Christianity teaches an extremely high quality of being for those who make it heaven. Christianity also talks about a period of unparalleled prosperity in the end of days.
  • Christianity talks about a man of lawlessness as one of the signs of the end of days. This could refer to a leader of anarchism, although I don't buy that interpretation.