Their Fire Has Gone Out of the Universe. (part 2)

I admit, there are times I am vexed by the behavior of my own people.

Yes, ‘vexed’ is a good word.

As a whole, are Christians what they should be? What they are supposed to be? What do you think of when you think of the term? Kindness, resolution, will, courage, compassion, peace? Well, if you aren’t a Christian odds are you think one of two things: ‘naïve goody-two-shoes’ or ‘hypocritical zealot’. If you are a Christian, you probably think ‘people like me’.

Are any of those things wrong?

We have a negative image in today’s media. We are slaves to our society and to its rules. Why? We bicker and squabble about interpretation and denomination instead of helping people. We let the big things in our world go, like liberating the oppressed or taking care of others, so we can have more time to argue about whether or not women should be preachers or Christians should have tattoos or listen to “non-Christian” music. The mote in your brother’s eye, as it was. It’s bullshit.

See? Just now, honestly, what ran through your mind? Was it “Christians shouldn’t cuss” or “maybe that’s true”?

How often do we blindly adhere to a set of moral guidelines and reject they that don’t (by our standards) and dismiss (consciously or otherwise) what they have to say because it appears to contradict what we’re told? Have you ever read a Buddhist text without the intent of trying to point out the “non-Christian” elements? Sat and talked with someone of the Muslim faith without the intent of changing what they think? What is the difference between Buddhist thinking and Christian thinking when it comes to morality?

How many Christians do you think would follow Christ if he came today and not thousands of years ago?

How many would still be Christians if there was no promise of Heaven, if the only “reward” was the knowledge that you were doing what was right?

I have no pretense about what I am. I’m not some ‘chosen one’ or ‘superhero’. I’m far from a ‘white knight’. I’m not sitting atop my self-righteous Olympus, casting down bolts of judgment. But if you count yourself a Christian, can you really tell me that you’re ok with how things are?

That is Why You Fail.

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.


- Dylan Thomas

Frustrated. In one word, that is how I am feeling presently. I'm struggling to find my feet. To know what the hell I am supposed to be doing. If I even have a personality, or if I am merely the sum of all the people I admire. This isn't really where I hoped to be at 22, but "we take what we are given" to quote master Kol Skywalker.

At what point does resolution turn into disassociation from reality? At what point is it worthless to pick yourself back up? I'm not sure I know, and I'm not sure I would believe you if you told me.

You Came in That Thing?

This is my car, The Beautiful Letdown.



She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts.

She may have become one with the Force last night. For a while I may be without transport. If you don't see me for a few days, that would be why.

We've been on many adventures together. We've outrun Imperial Starships. Not the local bulk cruisers, mind you. I'm talking about the big Corellian ships.

And now I've got a funny feeling, like I'm never gonna see her again.

Their Fire Has Gone Out of the Universe. (part 1)

Christian anarchism is the belief that the only source of authority to which Christians are ultimately answerable is God, embodied in the teachings of Jesus. Christian anarchists feel that government and sometimes even established churches do not, and should not, have power over them.

Anarchist Biblical literalists also suggest there is complete compatibility between the Bible and anarchism. They claim that one of the reasons Jesus was so unpopular with the Sanhedrin is that he was viewed as inspiring a rebellion and a threat to the status quo.

Adherents believe freedom is justified spiritually through the teachings of Jesus, some of whom are critical of the Church. They believe all individuals can directly communicate with God and will eventually unify in peace under Monotheism.

Many regard Leo Tolstoy's The Kingdom of God Is Within You to be a key text in Christian anarchism. Tolstoy called for a society based on compassion, nonviolent principles and freedom. Leo Tolstoy's work was one of the inspirations behind Mahatma Gandhi's use of nonviolent resistance during India's struggle for independence.

One challenge to the legitimacy of states and state control is found in Luke 4:5-8 which says, "For the second test he led him up and spread out all the kingdoms of the earth on display at once. Then the Devil said, 'They're yours in all their splendor to serve your pleasure. I'm in charge of them all and can turn them over to whomever I wish. Worship me and they're yours, the whole works.' Jesus refused, again backing his refusal with Deuteronomy: 'Worship the Lord your God and only the Lord your God. Serve him with absolute single-heartedness.'"

This passage does not directly refer to human rulers. However sometimes it may be necessary to disobey human rulers in order to obey God. As in Acts 4:19, "They called them back and warned them that they were on no account ever again to speak or teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John spoke right back, 'Whether it's right in God's eyes to listen to you rather than to God, you decide. As for us, there's no question—we can't keep quiet about what we've seen and heard.'"

The most common challenge for the ideology is integrating the passage in Romans 13 "Be a good citizen. All governments are under God. Insofar as there is peace and order, it's God's order. So live responsibly as a citizen. If you're irresponsible to the state, then you're irresponsible with God, and God will hold you responsible. Duly constituted authorities are only a threat if you're trying to get by with something. Decent citizens should have nothing to fear."

Christian anarchists who subscribe to Paul's teachings argue that this chapter is particularly worded to make it clear that organizations like the Roman Empire cannot qualify as duly constituted governing authorities. If it could, then, according to Paul, "they (Christians) would have praise from the authorities" for doing good. Instead the early Christians were persecuted by the Roman Empire for doing good, and became martyrs. Further, the "governing authorities" that are legitimate in the passage were never given the authority to make laws, merely to enforce the natural moral laws against "doing harm to a neighbor" in verses 8-10.





"Your damn laws! The good people don't need them and the bad people don't follow them."
-Ammon Hennacy; Christian anarchist, Vegetarian, and founding member of the Catholic Worker Movement.


"This is the kind of fast day I'm after: to break the chains of injustice, get rid of exploitation in the workplace, free the oppressed, cancel debts. What I'm interested in seeing you do is: sharing your food with the hungry, inviting the homeless poor into your homes, putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad, being available to your own families. Do this and the lights will turn on, and your lives will turn around at once. Your righteousness will pave your way. The God of glory will secure your passage. Then when you pray, God will answer. You'll call out for help and I'll say, 'Here I am.'"
-Isaiah 58:6-7

ps. All verses quoted are from the Message translation.