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When the average person thinks of the early anarchist movements in North America, an image of a female leader doesn’t come to mind. However, one of the most important characters of this movement was a woman.

Born on June 27, 1869, in Kovno (then part of the Russian Empire, now Kaunas, Lithuania), Emma Goldman immigrated to New York City in 1885. When she first arrived in the United States, Goldman was not a practicing anarchist. However, after the Haymarket Affair of 1886 (a rally for striking workers that turned deadly), Goldman became interested in the North American anarchist movement.

Although Goldman is known for her role in supporting and spreading the anarchist philosophy through speeches and writing, she is also known for her activism in women’s rights and support of birth control.

Goldman was a nurse, so she was very much aware of the importance of educating women about contraception. She viewed abortion as a negative consequence of poor social conditions and believed birth control was a better alternative and could prevent abortions. In addition to birth control, Goldman believed in the idea of “free love” and was strongly against marriage.

As a tactic for change, Goldman believed in the use of targeted violence and saw it as a way to encourage the masses to revolt. She was imprisoned several times throughout her life, usually for inciting riots and distributing information about birth control. In 1917, Goldman and her lover, Alexander Berkman, were sentenced to two years in prison for conspiring to “induce persons not to register” for the draft. After their release, they were immediately arrested again and deported to Russia. During the Spanish Civil War, Goldman traveled to Spain to take part in the anarchist movement there.

In addition to anarchism and women’s rights, Goldman also believed that capitalism was detrimental to freedom, that the criminal justice system was un-just and that homosexual love was OK. She had many admirers and gave several speeches and lectures to audiences in the thousands. Goldman was also an atheist.

After deportation, Emma Goldman returned to Russia. However, she did not remain there. Moving from England to France to Canada, Goldman died in Toronto, Ontario, on May 14, 1940, from a stroke.

It is amazing to know that Emma Goldman lived the life she lived and proclaimed the beliefs she had without harm. During this time, many people were killed by governments for being outspoken about their different opinions. Although I do not share the exact philosophy as Goldman, I still deeply respect her courage and objective to prove that freedom can never be whole with overbearing government.

More information about Emma Goldman can be read in the following books:

-“Red Emma Speaks: Selected Writings and Speeches.” New York: Random House, 1972.

-“Emma Goldman: A Documentary History of the American Years; Volumes 1 and 2.” Berkeley: University of California Press, 2003 and 2004.

About the Author: Allison Lane owns the website MPA Programs and enjoys writing guest blog posts on various topics of interest.

Christians follow the teachings of Jesus Christ, who they believe to be the Messiah sent by God. By dying and rising from the dead three days later, Jesus redeemed the human race by giving them salvation from their sins. Christians consider the Bible to be the inspired Word of God.

Anarchists generally believe that governmental authority is immoral and should be replaced by free associations among individuals.

Christian anarchists, therefore, reject earthly authority of man while accepting the heavenly authority of God through Jesus’ teachings. Here are some of the virtues of Christian anarchism.

1. Christian anarchists are pacifists.

Christian anarchists believe that God should be the center of their lives, and that He represents love and all things good. Since love is a tenant of non-aggression, anarchists Christians follow Jesus’ greatest commandment in loving their neighbors as themselves. Similarly, Jesus taught his followers to “turn the other cheek” when someone strikes them (Matt. 5:39). This provides the basis for their belief in non-violence.

2. Christian anarchists are critical of Church dogma and its rituals.

Most Christian anarchists believe that Christians should be primarily concerned with following Jesus’ teachings and practices rather than performing rituals and preaching theology. Jesus never claimed to the founder of an institutional religion and actively opposed legalistic religious leaders such as the Pharisees. Christian anarchists also oppose hierarchy within the Church, instead considering God as the one true authority. There are a few exceptions, such as the Catholic Worker Movement.

3. Christian anarchists advocate voluntary poverty.

Christian anarchists often follow Jesus’ teaching of voluntary poverty as practiced by the early Church in the book of Acts. They may also do this in order to reduce taxable income and give the government as little as possible.

4. Christian anarchists do not pay taxes.

Some Christian anarchists refuse to pay taxes altogether, citing many examples from the Bible in which Jesus calls tax collectors sinful and unrighteous. They do not want to support government corruption or fund activities that they believe to be immoral, such as war.

Challenges 

The most commonly cited passage from the Bible used to challenge Christian anarchism is Romans 13:1, which states, “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.” Many Christian anarchists interpret this verse as a call for non-violence in the same bent as “turning the other cheek.” As a result, they refuse to support or participate in the state. Others simply ignore the teaching because it was written by the apostle Paul, who they claim was a part of the Church’s deviation from Jesus’ true teachings.

Another challenge is that a stateless society is simply impossible, due to the sinful nature of man. However, Christian anarchists cite the nation Israel in the Old Testament. For about 450 years, the Israelites did not have kings or rulers, but rather leaders or judges who would make decisions when necessary. For example, Judges 4 tells the story of Deborah, a prophetess who acted as an arbitrator of disputes when people came to her for guidance. Such judges sought wisdom from God, believing that He was the only ruler over the people.

Writings 

For further information on Christian anarchism, you may wish to consult the following books:

Christoyannopoulos, Alexandre. Christian Anarchism: A Political Commentary on the Gospel. (2010)

Ellul, Jacques. Anarchy and Christianity. (1988)

Lipscomb, David. On Civil Government. (1866)

Tolstoy, Leo. The Kingdom of God is Within You. (1894)

Marcia Colgar owns the site<a href=http://www.onlinechristiancolleges.com>Online Christian Colleges</a>. She writes articles about Christian education.