However, despite all the good times and happy moments, I had to return early this morning to the town where I live. But there was something quite significant that caught my attention, something that is a reality we live with every day but don't always notice.
All this comes to mind because, while at the terminal, I had a somewhat deep conversation with some people who are religious, specifically Christian, and after talking for a while, I realized that sometimes it is very difficult to understand or accept that many people are simply tied to their beliefs and do not expand their thinking beyond what someone has already told them.
We know that Venezuela is a tough country and that there are many of us who resist being part of a governmental or political system. Personally, I try to stay as far away from this as possible. But we know how their mentality works. I will put it in context using the word anarchism, as it is the most appropriate term for this situation in which many of us resist.
And if you allow me to compare anarchist thinking and Christian thinking, it is a very, very complex relationship. And this is not new; it has a long history of both conflict and mutual influence in certain contexts.
I will be a little theoretical, since anarchism as a political theory defends the abolition of all forms of authority and hierarchy, whether those of the state, the church, or capitalism. It is very easy to see all these established institutions as representations of authority that must be questioned and subsequently eliminated.
However, there are currents within anarchism that have attempted to reconcile its principles with Christianity, taking the term "anarchist Christianity" to mean a current that seeks to interpret the teachings of Jesus in the sense of equality, love, and voluntary cooperation. There are several important figures, such as Leo Tolstoy, who was a great proponent of arguments explaining that the true principles of Christianity are inherently anarchist, promoting peace and reject violence.
This is where the idea practically collapses, as I personally never imagined that these two words could be used together in the same sentence, because we know that traditional Christianity is seen as hierarchical due to its structures and dogmas, while many of its interpretations emphasize simplicity and equal community. This is where some Christian anarchists highlight passages from the New Testament that suggest forms of community life and the rejection of excessive private property, which resonates with the ideas of libertarian communism.
Now that I am familiar with this new term of anarchist Christianity, but with its focus on avoiding violence, making a common ground with peaceful anarchism, I know that all these relationships and opinions vary according to individual interpretation and, above all, their historical context, and that is where I can conclude that anarchists and Christians can find points of conflict and also points of cooperation according to their perspectives and personal experiences.
Images on;
