So.... as posted in the title, I feel you know it's all too clear what this post is about. Touchy subjects, but ones in which I believe deserve to be discussed.... Where to begin....
I guess it all started when I had some deep conversations regarding these topics with a good friend of mine on here, @derekareith. (If you are not already aware of him and his amazingly astute sense of philosophy and strong opinions on all manners of topics, I highly recommend you check him out! He has opened my eyes on many different matters, this one being possibly the biggest and most relevant one to my life.)
So, I was on here surfing through different posts, as I often do because I'm always looking to learn something from those whom I hold in high esteem. Derek is a good coworker and a good friend so naturally I made the conscious decision to check out any recent posts I may have missed. And I came upon his posts regarding Anarchism. I was blown away by how similar the basic fundamentals of Anarchism were to my own lifestyle and the way I conduct myself in everyday life, mainly based around my non-traditional form of Christianity in which I practice.
Now, before this mental revelation, I never would have grouped Christianity and Anarchism into the same boat, but if the shoe fits....
Let me explain....
In the Bible, there are many examples in the New Testament, during Christ's life, about His different teachings, mostly of the "moral values" variety. If you read and look closely, you'll notice that His teachings base around the premise that the humans willing to listen were seeking a sense of living in true freedom as they pleased so long as they held onto a morally correct set of personal convictions, as Anarchism constantly teaches. Therefore, though it may not be 100% certain to conclude as of yet, it is entirely possible for one to believe that Jesus Himself may have been teaching moral values to be applied to life based on basic fundamentals of Anarchic views. Could it be possible that Jesus Christ was one of the first recorded Anarchists, at least in a more basic form? You be the judge. Again, I can't say for sure, as I am only speculating.... but it really does make so much sense to me from a logical standpoint.
Now, bear with me for referring to the Bible.... believe me, I am perfectly aware that it was written by man, and rewritten, and re-translated, and so on and so forth, for so long that there's no sure-fire way to tell what was originally in it, or what was added in or taken out, etc., but I think that there are still some valid and relevant moral values to be seen, had and applied to life that come from it, especially in the New Testament. Yes, I'm a Christian, but I do not associate myself with the "modern-day Christians" that you see everywhere.... you know, the ones who judge everyone and try to profess how others should live, when they themselves live self-righteous and hypocritical lives. That's why I have lately referred to myself as a "non-traditional Christian", so that a gateway may be open for me to explain where I stand. I do believe in the Christian God, and I do believe that Christ was the Son of God, the human incarnation of God, whatever you choose to call it, but I do not attend church, as I believe worship can and should take place anywhere and anyhow, so long as it's made to happen for you and you alone (I believe worship should be a private and intimate thing, not necessarily for the convenience of others, but more for the more intense experience for one's self). Also, again to reiterate, I do not always agree with or blindly accept EVERYTHING in the Bible, as it was written and also, unfortunately, manipulated, distorted and destroyed by humans who only sought to serve their own means to an end, and to justify their own selfish actions (especially in the Old Testament where there were many despicable things people did that were supposedly endorsed by God Himself, making Him out to seem like an evil God.... which I do not believe is the case. I believe shitty people of that time just did shitty things, then pinned God's name on it, or "did it in the name of God" simply to justify their actions or alleviate the responsibility of said actions).
But I digress....
My main point of all this is to show that there are in fact some connections between the basic and morally sound fundamentals of the Christian faith and those of the Anarchist's. So, as of mere days ago, I began identifying as a Christian Anarchist. I know it would potentially sound insane to someone who doesn't fully understand the real concept of Anarchism, as most don't because their minds have been distorted by our government into thinking it means disorder and chaos, when in the reality we are LIVING in such under the type of government we already are living in.... but to me, and I'm sure to many others, especially on here ( @derekareith and @dwinblood for example), it makes at least some sense. I respect those who disagree with me on this matter, as that is the main reason we are all on here, to offer our two cents, but in the grand scheme of things, the theory that these two seemingly different viewpoints are actually very similar is almost undeniable to me. So therefore, I'm rolling with it.... because I have to say, it has served me very well so far, and ultimately it has given me a much stronger sense of inner peace and a profound appreciation for this beautiful thing all humans have known as the mind. It allows us to explore and learn so many fascinating and new intellectual territories that can't quite be matched to our level by almost any other creature on earth. It's just such a refreshing breath of proverbial air.
So anyway....
I want to thank those who chose to read this, and I want to personally thank @derekareith for helping me to open up my perception a bit more and explore some new mental territory. It has made me grow in my appreciation for my life and the natural beauty that surrounds it. Thanks again for reading! I am now tired, delirious and beat from today's double shift, so on that note.... I take my leave to bed.
Good night, Steemit community.
Stay metal. \m/
Damian you and I have had a few lengthy discussions on this and you've seen my too blogs that were related to religion. I identify myself as an atheist/deist but, I do not have a single problem with people pursuing ANY religion they want until they force it upon others or make RULES based upon it and apply it to others who are not of their faith. If they don't do that then i consider it a voluntary choice of beliefs just like anything else.
I did say that the Christ in the bible seemed to be an anarchist, and it was a shame his followers were not.
Yet people are easily manipulated. They so easily will give up responsibility to other people. That's the first rock of a rockslide.
Exactly. Nail on the head man. Precisely why I do not bother to associate with their community. Because while I did used to be a bit of a church-goer, I guess you could say, I began to see some faulty cracks within the very foundation.... I just didn't know exactly how to proceed with this new information nor did I know what to do beyond what I only knew (or THOUGHT I knew) at the time. It took all this time to find answers and put pieces together. I was just finally so sick of the clear manipulation going on, so I decided to do something about it. I truly did and truly do still have my faith, but I simply refuse to accept the "modern" or "traditional" aspects, for I could never believe my God would represent such poor fundamentals. Simply put, I damn those hypocritical humans for manipulating the foundation of Christianity and call it "God's word".... such a disgraceful misuse of the very spiritual values I hold dear to my heart.... it hits me like an all-too-real blow to the chest, so I just had to depart from those sheeple and go my own way, so I could reestablish my connection with my God.
Not only was Jesus an anarchist, but he was simply reminding everyone how the decentralized, anarchic style governments of Abraham and Moses were setup. Bastard's Summary of the Bible is a good place to start clearing away the mystical brainwashing taught by state corporations known as churches and to get down to the very practical stuff the ancient people were writing about.
A very astute point and notion, I appreciate the input! :) I am still a believer, and I do still practice my faith, just in a not-so-traditional fashion. The minute I began to shape this faith into my own, I began to feel that God had something much simpler and purer in mind than what it has become (Christianity, that is), and it disgusts me that humans are so quick to manipulate an innocent practice simply to serve their own selfish endeavors (mainly to control other humans). I have disconnected myself from those types of people and have gone my own way with the Christian faith. I practice and worship my own way, and rather than using it to justify my own shitty actions/words, I only use it to serve as a catalyst for furthering and deepening my relationship with Christ. For me, it's all about spirituality and closeness, and an additional way to remind myself every day to be the best person I can be in this life.... not to use it as a reason or excuse in hopes of pardoning myself from the fact that I'm being a shitty person. I assume ALL responsibility for my poor choices/actions/words/etc, I don't pin it all on my God or claim it to be "in the name of God". That would only tarnish the very fundamentals I stand for.
1 Samuel 8 is a great Biblical reference to Anarchy. The Jews wanted a King like their neighbors. God warned against it and even outlined just what would happen when they did...not unlike every other government on the face of the Earth in the present and throughout history.
This is such an amazing example! I was just reminiscing on this very story the other day, and it got me thinking, "Wait a minute.... God Himself was warning them and encouraging them to keep at bay from the concept of monarchy, and even to this day, we fucking do it anyway! Is it any wonder as to why the world is so fucked???? When humans try to control, manage or dictate other humans, and attempt to sustain control or sway over them, it can ONLY end badly.... maybe not right away, but it is still inevitable and will eventually happen. Why don't we fucking listen to any voices of reason?" Yeah.... it really baffles me just how stubborn and so sure of having situations under control we can really be.