FLAGLESS, Flagless: An Introductory Post

Flagless: An Introductory Post

If you were to associate the name “Christian” with the name “Anarchist” in a public or private conversation you would receive looks of perplexity and general disdain. Surely nothing that is “Anarchistic” has anything to do with Christianity?

Anarchism is a word that, sadly, scares everyone. If you were to ask a room full of people what they believed Anarchism to be you would get a fairly uniform response regardless of the political diversity of said group of people: absolute chaos, homemade bombs, violent rebellion, and riots are most commonly associated with the word “Anarchism.” This is rhetoric. Pure, undiluted, rhetoric. You are either lying or have been lied to about Anarchism. Anarchism is a legitimate political philosophy of freedom of morality, belief, money, and trade that has long been overlooked because of state perpetuation of the lie that it is “absolute chaos.”

Furthermore, what has Christianity to do with Anarchism? We believe that Christianity has much to do with this political philosophy of freedom. Primarily, we believe that when Christ came to fulfill the Torah, set Himself up as eternal King, and save His people from their sins, he called all people to a heavenly kingdom and a heavenly law and not an earthly kingdom of coercion or an earthly arbitrary code of law. Earthly kingdoms are the subject of general derision in the Old and New Testaments and the only kingdom that is truly lauded is the heavenly kingdom of Christ. Thus, when a group of Christians proclaim that there is “no king but Christ,” they are making an essentially Anarchistic statement.

This is us.

We love and affirm the work and compassionate ministry of Jesus. We love and affirm the existence and working of the almighty, sovereign, ruling, reigning King of the universe (John 1:1-5; Heb. 1:1-3 ESV.) We love and affirm the Christ who summed up the whole Law with love of neighbor and love for God (Matt. 22:34-40; Mk. 12:28-31; Lk. 10:25-28.) We love and affirm that Christ took on human flesh (kenosis; Phil. 2:5-7) and bore the wrath of the one true and living God (propitiation; Rom. 3:24-25) on our behalf (substitution; Is. 53:5) to atone for the sin that mars the very core of our being (depravity; Rom. 3:23, 5:6-11) by making a positive declaration of righteousness for us possible through His sacrifice (justification; Rom. 3:24-26) so that we could be at peace with God (reconciliation; Rom 5:1-2) and spend eternity in the very presence of God giving praise to Him, treasuring Him, and enjoying Him (Col. 1:15-20; Phil. 2:9-11.) We believe that Christ will one day return (though we may differ how, exactly, this works out) and will establish an eternal kingdom under his perfect, righteous, and just rule. Whether this kingdom is a fulfilled present spiritual reality (covenantalism) or awaiting a future fulfillment (dispensationalism) we firmly believe that Christ alone is and will be the only true king of anything (Col. 1:15-20; Heb. 2:9.)

Therefore, we affirm that in the matter of earthly kingdoms, the Christian is to be, at least, disinterested and unattached, and, at most, actively involved in defending the image of God created in man (maintaining freedom of morality, belief, money, and trade through “peaceful resistant non-resistance.”) Further, the Christian ought to be primarily proclaiming the beauties of the sovereign saving Christ and not any earthly form of government. We do not believe in earthly governments and we do not believe that they work. We do not believe that any governmental system in the last 2000 years has succeeded in establishing even a semblance of a just society. We reject democracy, republicanism, and all coercive systems of government for their inherent corruption. We believe that earthly states are immoral in their perpetuation of fraud, acts of theft, murder, gross injustice, and endless war. We will not consent to this immoral institution though we may, if we feel that it does not flatly disobey God or violate conscience, submit to it to avoid prison or worse.

This blog intends to explore, through microblogging, smaller articles, larger essays, photos, art, music or whatever else may come our way, how the Christian may have a good soteriology, a solid Biblical theology and, yet, also be an Anarchist. Feel free to follow along, to think, to ask questions, to criticize or applaud, and to generally join in our conversation.

Further, if you are a Christian with an Anarchist bent and you’re wondering, “Do other people like me exist?” Yes. We do. You have found us. You don’t have to be in what Peter Berger calls the “cognitive minority” anymore.

Resist Not Evil! Proclaim the King!

Ryan Day Thompson, Contributor
Flagless: A Christian Anarchist Cooperative