Further clarification on “Christian Anarchism”…

There’s been a great deal of controversy (a lot of it manufactured by Christian fanatics) around my entry on the oxymoron of “Christian Anarchism.” My basic position is that Christianity and Anarchism are ideologies based on opposite premises. Anarchism is based on the concept that hierarchies are undesirable and unjustifiable, while Christianity sets God up as the supreme authority on morality and ethics. Anarchism is based on personal responsibility, while Christianity is based on the deliberate obliteration of responsibility.

The only sort of answer I’ve gotten by Christians and Christian sympathizers revolves around my definition of a Christian as being someone who believes in Jesus as his saviour, as revealed by the Bible. People have objected to this definition, saying that I am trying to define Christianity for them. They have claimed that their personal beliefs have nothing to do with this, and yet still call themselves Christians.

I must admit that I have little patience for such nitpicking. As far as I know, this definition of “Christianity” I have used is the most widely accepted. But even if this remain under contention, I am fine with using the terms Ethical Christian and CINO (Christian In Name Only). Someone who does not express his Christian belief into any actions whatsoever, I think, rightly deserves to be called CINO, since there is no discernable difference for us between someone who believes but doesn’t act on it and someone who does not believe.

Now, I want to make clear that my use of the term CINO is most definitely not an attack; in fact, I am entirely in favour of people who may have some Christian beliefs but live as if they were atheists. I have no qualms about them calling themselves Christians if they want. I have no qualms about them calling themselves Anarchists either. It’s the Ethical Christians I am arguing against.

If you accept the fundamental premise of Christianity, then you cannot be an Anarchist. I think I’ve proven that well enough. But for those people who do not accept it and yet call themselves Christians, I say to you that you are a CINO, and that I like you very much. Keep acting like an atheist and we’ll get along just fine.

But to those of you who are engaged in spiritual warfare against the world, and whose most ardent desire is to make every knee bend, know that you are not our friends, but our enemies. I will kill you before I bend the knee to any power but myself. That’s a promise.

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