Democrats and Republicans won't hesitate to call a consistent libertarian
an "anarchist." It's a word that sounds really bad. Nobody wants
to be an "anarchist."
Except Kevin Craig.
We were taught in our government school civics class that "anarchists" are bad. The dictionary tells us that the word comes from the Greek words a-
meaning "not" and "archist." But we were
never told what an "archist" is.
It turns out that "an-archists" are good people. It is
"archists" who are bad.
When most people hear the word "anarchist" they think of a
bomb-throwing assassin who doesn't believe in private property. But in
fact, during the 20th century, "archists" dropped more bombs and
confiscated more private property in a single day than so-called
"anarchists" did in an entire year.
But mostly, when people hear the word "anarchist" they think
of someone who is against "the government."
- I believe in a well-governed, orderly society.
So why this webpage in defense of "anarchism?"
Because the greatest threat to a well-governed, orderly society, is the
institution that drops the most bombs, assassinates the most people, and
confiscates the most private property.
That dangerous force is none other than "the government."
I believe that every single person who signed the Constitution in
Philadelphia in 1787 would have been appalled at the idea of abolishing
"the government," but if they could visit America in 2006 and
see what happened to the Christian Republic they formed, and if they could
read a few of the webpages on this website, they would be inclined to
agree that the only way to preserve the American ideal of "Liberty
Under God" is to abolish the United States and repudiate the opposite
of "anarchism," which we will call "archism."
Government schools have trained us to oppose "anarchists." We
have been trained to believe that "archists" are good and
"anarchists" are bad (though we never use the word
"archist"). This is the exact opposite of the
Biblical position. This is
The
Biggest Government Lie of All Time
In the Bible, archists are bad. Jesus says we are not
to be archists, and He says the opposite of an archist is a servant.
I strive to be a servant, not an archist.
We have it all backward. "archists" are bad; "anarchists"
are good.
It won't be easy to convince most Americans of this fact. They won't
care to take the time to read this webpage and rethink their
government-school lessons.
You've heard all the bad rumors about "anarchists." Let's
look at the track record of "archists."
Death
by Government:
The Chilling Statistics of Archist Democide in the 20th Century
|
When people think of "anarchists"
they think of bomb-throwing assassins and anti-property criminals.
This is exactly what "archists"
want people to think. In fact, more bombs are thrown by "archists"
than "anarchists,"
and more crimes against property are committed by "archists"
than common "private sector" criminals. "Archists"
have deliberately murdered an average of 10,000 per day in the
20th century. They are planning to murder an additional 15,000
per hour in the next century. |
The opposite of an "anarchist" must be
an "archist."
An "archist" believes that violence is
morally wrong, but violence committed by "the State" is
morally acceptable. |
| In 1994
"criminals"
committed 7,885 bank robberies, taking $28
million. That same year, "government
agencies" seized $2.1
Billion in "asset
forfeiture proceedings," often without "probable
cause," and often not returned when innocence was proven. Theft
by any other name . . . would be called "taxation." |
The crimes committed by those
who are called "criminals" cannot come close in number or
intensity to the crimes committed by "organized government."
|
|
Why did God decide to judge the
world by flood at the time of Noah? What do you think God hates so
much that He would destroy the earth because of it?
In a word, the answer is "archism."
Find out more. |
This is the most important civics class you will ever have. The lives of
hundreds of millions of people depend on your getting an "A" in
this class.
Class begins with marching orders from "the Father of his
Country," George Washington.
The commander-in-chief directs
that divine service be performed every Sunday at eleven o'clock in
those brigades [in] which there are chaplains; those which have none
[are] to attend the places of worship nearest to them. It is
expected that officers of all ranks will by their attendance set an
example to their men. While we are zealously performing the duties
of good citizens and soldiers, we certainly ought not to be
inattentive to the higher duties of religion. To the
distinguished character of patriot, it should be our highest glory
to add the more distinguished character of Christian. The
signal instances of providential goodness which we have experienced,
and which have now almost crowned our labors with complete success,
demand from us in a peculiar manner the warmest returns of gratitude
and piety to the Supreme Author of all good.
—George Washington, General Orders (1778)
The Writings
of George Washington from the Original Manuscript Sources,
1745-1799. Edited by John C. Fitzpatrick. 39 vols. Washington:
United States Government Printing Office, 1931-44, 11:342. |
So what is "the distinguished character of a Christian?" We can
do no better than ask Christ Himself.
Jesus Commanded His
Followers to Be "Anarchists"
We'll be reading a passage from the Gospel of Mark
below, but consider these preliminaries:
Anarchy Defined
"Anarchy" comes from two Greek words:
A + archy
(the "n" is added to bridge the two vowels).
"A" means "not" or
"without," as in "amoral" (which Christian Anarchists are
not).
"Archy" means "head" or
"ruler."
|
"Monarchy"
means one king rules over all. |
"Oligarchy"
means a small group rules over all. |
"Rule" classically means to
"tax," "imprison," "conscript" and
"declare war."
"Anarchists"
- believe that no person or group of people should "rule" over
other people
- believe that no one has the right to initiate force against others
- believe that no person or group of people has a right to steal, kidnap
or kill.
"Archists"
- believe they have the right to "rule" over others
- believe they have the right to initiate force against others
- believe they have the right to steal ("tax"), kidnap
("conscript") and kill ("smart bomb")
(or to "vote" for someone to do it for them).
"Anarchism:
What Is This Word Our Rulers Hate?"
by Patricia Neill
Some who call themselves "anarchists" say they believe in no
law at all. From a Christian perspective, this
is an impossibility. In a group of 50 such "anarchists" there
will be 50 law-makers and (at least) 50 codes of law. Every such
"anarchist" is really just a nascent archist.
When everyone is his own god, his own law, you have multi-archy,
or poly-archy.
You may have chaos.
You may have terror.
But you do not have the absence of
archism, which is what "anarchy"
literally means.
"Anarchy" is best defined as the absence of a
"State," a "political" system,
or a "civil government."
Christian Anarchism
"Christian Anarchism" is the view that Jesus should be our
Law-giver,
Christian anarchists believe that society is more orderly, harmonious,
and prosperous when people are committed to Jesus Christ and His Word,
rather than to the arbitrary, shifting decrees of Secular
Humanism and fiat law.
- The Christian believes that
Jesus Christ is the only legitimate
"Archist"
- (Colossians
1:18; cf. Acts
3:15; 5:31;
Romans
15:12; Hebrews
2:10; 12:2;
Revelation
1:5)
- and His Word is our "Archy"
- (He is the Word; John
1:1;
I John 1:1; Revelation
19:13; cf. also Hebrews
3:14; 5:12).
-
- Christians are heaven-bent on the non-violent overthrow of all Secular
Humanist Archies, and the proclamation of the right of Christ to be the
world's sole Archist.
- This is "The
Christmas
Conspiracy."
A Christian is commanded to love his enemies, not "bomb them back to
the Stone Age." A Christian is commanded to obtain life's necessities
by voluntary exchange, not by levying a "tax." A Christian cannot
be a part of "the State." A
Christian cannot become an American citizen.
Mark 10:42-45
The classic passage in which Jesus forbids us
to be "archists"
(and thereby commands us to be "anarchists") is Mark 10:42-45
But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, "You know that
those who are considered rulers
over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise
authority over them. {43} Yet it shall not
be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be
your servant. {44} And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave
of all. {45} "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but
to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."
The word translated "rulers"
comes from the Greek word from which we derive our word
"anarchist." Jesus clearly says His followers are not
to be "archists,"
and that means we are to be "an-archists." In fact, God hates
archists.
2. God Hates Archism
Who Are "Archists?"
As we have seen, the Lord Jesus Christ is said to be the only true
Archist. Earthly "archists" seek to be lord over others, usurping
the authority of the Prince of Peace. The Bible therefore speaks very
negatively against earthly "archists."
Here are some more verses which use the word "archist."
Do YOU want to be an archist?
Ephesians 2:2 in which you
once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince
of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of
disobedience,
1 Corinthians 2:6-8 However, we speak
wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of
the rulers of this age, who are
coming to nothing. {7} But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the
hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, {8} which
none of the rulers of this age
knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
| Romans
13:1-3 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers
(exousiai) [pl.]. For there is no exousia
but of God: the powers
that be are ordained of God. {2} Whosoever therefore resisteth the exousia,
resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to
themselves damnation. {3} For archists
are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be
afraid of the exousia?
do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: |
Ephesians
6:12
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against
principalities, against exousiai,
against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual
wickedness in high places.
Colossians 2:15
And having spoiled archists
and exousiai,
He made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in Him. |
Acts 4:26 The kings of the
earth stood up, and the archists
were gathered together against the Lord, and against His Christ.
John 12:31 Now is the judgment
of this world: now shall the archist
of this world be cast out.
What Do "Archists" Do?
Archists attempt to convince us that when things don't go the way we
would like them to go, we can resort to violence
to change matters. Even if nothing will be changed by violence, that's OK,
because making them suffer who made us suffer is called "justice."
Archists thus believe in institutionalized vengeance.
The Bible clearly links violence
and rulership. The Bible says Israel rejected God when they opted for
archism (1 Samuel 8). Much of
the Old Testament Scriptures describe this archist rebellion, denounce the
violence and death it caused, and record the prophets' message of judgment
from an anti-archist God. Whole books in the Bible chronicle the violence of
the kings. God hates this violence-archism nexus, and when His patience is
crossed, He will destroy all those involved in this "patriotism."
| Genesis 6 Now it came to pass, that
the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful;
and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose. {4} There
were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the
sons of God came in to the daughters of men and they bore children
to them. Those were the mighty men
who were of old, men of renown. {5} Then the LORD saw that the
wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of
the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. {11} The earth
also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.
{12} So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for
all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. {13} And God said to
Noah, "The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth
is filled with violence
through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth. |
Above all previous centuries, the 20th century is characterized by:
- Secular Humanism: Rebellion
Against Christ the True Archist
- Leviathan: Huge,
centralized governments
- Violence: More murders
than any previous century. "Legal" murders.
But most Christians don't care about violence. Most Christians don't care
about archism. They only care
about "personal peace and affluence." They're just waiting around
for the rapture, and if they can skim a little pork off the top of the
archist barrel before they go, all the better. Their archist apathy makes
Jesus puke (Revelation
3:16).
Since Christ is the Prince of Peace, it follows that Christians are Pacifists
(from the Latin word for "peace"). And since "archy"
("the State") is institutionalized violence, it follows that
Christians are anarchists.
| The most important reason for being a Christian
Anarchist is not merely to point a finger at the bad things archists
do, like killing, stealing, kidnapping, and committing other acts of
violence. The most important reason for being an anarchist is the
effect archism has on us. We hear the philosophers
and theologians -- and
sometimes politicians -- praise Jesus as a "great
teacher," and everyone gives lip-service to the Sermon on the
Mount. But when a pagan dictator threatens to raise our gas prices,
Jesus takes a backseat to realpolitik. And
everyone learns a subtle lesson: loving your enemies and forgiving
one another is all well and good for our "private
lives," but for public matters --
the "really important stuff" in "the real world"
-- "national security"
takes precedence over "the Great Teacher." Thus when
someone wrongs us, we don't think twice before saying "I'll sue
his pants off!" (See 1
Corinthians 6.)
From a Christian perspective, two things characterize pure
religion. They can be summed up in the words of the Apostle James:
Pure religion and
undefiled before God and the Father is this,
To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and
to keep oneself unspotted from the world.
James 1:27
Christian Anarchism is the "one pure religion." If you
want to be the kind of person who spontaneously and from the heart
has the compassion of Jesus, and visits the weak and afflicted, you
must become a "Christian anarchist."
Your success at treating the most despised members of society
with love and compassion is a divine indicator of your allegiance to
the Lord Jesus Christ. If you treat the "marginalized" and
your "enemies" with contempt, those acts will be imputed
to your account as though you had personally treated Christ that way
(Matthew 25:31ff.).
For this reason, it is absolutely vital that you remain
"unspotted" by the agenda,
mythology, and weltänschauüng of the world of archism.
The world-and-life view of archist culture is
summed up in these phrases:
- "Survival of the fittest,"
- "Looking out for number one,"
- "I'm not going to let him get away with that!"
- "You can't tell me what to do!"
- "Take this job and shove it!"
- "I'll sue his pants off."
It is an impure religion of the worship of self, and the denial
of Christ. It is the refusal to love even your enemy, and to follow
Jesus to the Cross. It is the religion of Secular Humanism. As a
product of government media and schools, this religion has left your
spirit spotted and impure. You must get these ideas out of your
head if you are to find yourself at Christ's right hand (Matthew
25:34). You must become "unspotted." You
must become a Christian anarchist. |
| |
In the Garden of Eden there was the Family. "The
State" did not exist. Vine & Fig Tree is
a Biblical phrase which speaks of a day when we beat "swords into
plowshares" and every family holds their property without fear of
conquest. The Prophet Micah
speaks of this day: when Edenic
conditions will be restored throughout
the earth. This means the disappearance of "the State."
In saying we are not to be "archists," Jesus is saying we are
to be "servants." Click
here to study this idea. This is a principle for individuals and
governments alike. At one time politicians were called "public servants."
3. Aren't Anarchists Lawless and
Disorderly?
No. Archists are. Archists are in rebellion against the True Source of
Law and Order, Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace. The history of the world
and especially the history of America makes clear this correlation:
More "government" = more disorder and
lawlessness
Here is what a Christian
Anarchist looks like after he has joined The
Christmas
Conspiracy.
Anarchism: A Biblical Imperative
You probably view the phrase "Christian Anarchist" with
incredulity. A person who claims to be an "anarchist" cannot
possibly be a Christian, you think. The "Vine
& Fig Tree" brand of Christian Anarchism is a rigorously
Biblical anarchism. We believe in the historic views of the Inerrancy
of Scripture. We are six-day
creationists and 5-point
Calvinists. We strongly and enthusiastically hold to the first 20 chapters
of the Westminster
Confession of Faith (1647).
And yet we believe the Bible nowhere commands men to form "the
State," and everything the State does is a violation of God's Law. And
as "Theonomists,"
we take Biblical Law very, very
seriously.
If you desire more assurance that we as Christian Anarchists are not
anti-Christian, please consider the following links:
Nothing is more important in this
world than
Christian Anarchism
and destroying the myth of "The
Divine Right of Archists"
During the 20th century, on the average, 10,000 people were deliberately
killed by "archists" every single day. Untold
hundreds of billions of dollars in private property have been seized by
"archists." All the great religions of the world implicitly teach
against theft and murder, but "religion" is relegated to the
"private," because the only thing that really matters is
"public," "official," and approved by the government.
"Forgiveness" is not as "real" as a lawsuit in
government courts. "Peace" is "idealistic"; war is
"practical" and "realistic." Kindergarteners on the
playground already sense these basic facts of life.
"The government" turns out to be the greatest source of theft,
murder, and denial of human rights on the planet. The idea that
institutionalized violence ("the State") is OK pervades our lives.
This mythology must be destroyed.
[top]
4. What about Romans 13?
Your first question is likely to be: "But what about Romans
13?"
Romans 13 is the most disastrously misinterpreted Biblical text in the
history of Western Civilization. Romans 13 says "the powers" are
"ordained" by God. As Calvinists we believe everything
is "ordained" by God, including the demonic
"powers," of whom the Apostle Paul says we
are to "wrestle against" (Eph. 6:12). God
"ordains" evil, and the State is the institutionalization of
evil. Christians are not to resist evil by fighting evil with evil. This is
the message of Romans 12. Not only are Christians not to resist evil in the
form of an isolated bully, Christians are not to return evil to the greatest
form of evil in the world: The State. This is the message of Romans 13. Here
might be the first place for you to begin:
- Vine
& Fig Tree's Romans 13 Home Page
- The most disastrously misunderstood Biblical text in
history!
This question is often asked as a diversion or an excuse to avoid the
responsibilities and duties of a Christian Anarchist (like forgiving enemies
rather than declaring war on them). We don't want to have to take Christ's
Sermon on the Mount "too literally," and we want to
justify our vengeance against our enemies by saying "we must be practical,"
and we usually turn to Romans 13 to do that. Read the chapter in its context
(Romans 12).
Romans 13 is no obstacle to Christian Anarchism. In fact, Romans 13 proves
Christian Anarchism:
- Romans 13 says "the powers" are "ordained" by God.
- "Powers" are evil. Christians "wrestle
against them."
- Not everything God ordains is good. God
ordains evil. The State is evil. The State is God's judgment on
archist disobedience. Saddam Hussein does not bear weapons of mass
destruction in vain. He is God's "minister." (Proverbs 21:1)
Are you afraid of Saddam Hussein? Then you must be an archist
(Romans 13:4).
- If you really want to obey Romans 13, pray
to God; ask Him to make you an anarchist.
Do you really want to know what Romans 12 and
13 are about? Then see our
Christian Anarchism from Genesis to Revelation
The whole Bible teaches Christian Anarchism. From cover to cover. Most
Christians are familiar with only a few passages in the Bible, those on
"salvation," or maybe a few passages on "the
rapture" or "the second coming." Most Christians have
never read the history of the rise of
the State or the idolatry and infanticide of the kings, and the Prophets
who so thoroughly denounced them.
The Bible Describes the Battle: Politics
vs. Patriarchy
All human beings are created in families. Patriarchy
is an inescapable concept. If the Christian pater does not train his
family in the Ways of Peace,
he will be oppressed by a “paternalistic” State. The Family is
the basic social unit of a prosperous society.
Obedience through the Family eliminates
tyranny, protects property.
The Institution called "The State" is unBiblical. It reflects rebellion
against God's Law.
The whole history of man as
recorded in the Bible is the history of sinful rebellion against society
as created in the Garden of Eden, and the construction of institutions based
on Humanistic power: coercion and violence. It is the history of Politics
vs. Patriarchy.
| 200 million people in America claim to be Christian.
If all of them would
the State would disappear. |
One reason many of these Christians don't actively work for Micah's Vine
& Fig Tree society is that they believe God has predestined
the world to get worse and worse. This
is an unBiblical view.
A second reason many Christians don't actively work for Micah's
Vine & Fig Tree society is that they believe God has
"ordained" the State, and that God commands us to have a State,
and abolishing the State would be contrary to His will. This too is an
unBiblical view. It begins with an erroneous interpretation of Paul's Letter
to the Romans.
- Vine
& Fig Tree's Romans 13 Home Page
- The most disastrously misunderstood Biblical text in history!
Abolishing "The State"
Anarchism
"'Christian anarchism?' You must be joking!"
This webpage is no joke. The 21st century will be an
incomparable blood-bath if Christians do not repudiate the political
mythology of institutionalized vengeance. Christians brought liberty to the
Western world by questioning the universally-accepted belief in "the
divine right of kings." Now is the time for a "paradigm-shift"
of equal magnitude. Our concept of social order should depend on Godly
families, not institutionalized political violence.
Interrogatory in
Federal Court by Christian Anarchist
For
Further Study
|