Social anarchism and religious teachings: A comperative study

Anarchism, which means opposing all kinds of hierarchical organization, unnatural and irrational authority or state, branches into social and individualist anarchism. While individualistic anarchism holds the interests and freedom of the individual above all, social anachism reasons that society and the individual are mutually resonsible for the existence of one another and because of that considering one superior to and more priviledged than the other is not the right train of thought. Although, in general, social anarchism shares the same point of view with individual anarchism on social life issues such as equality, the drive for justice and freedom, opposing hierarchical and state organization, on the process and functioning of economical, political, and social organisation they get seperated into anti-statist, communist, syndicalist, collectivist strains. All in all, as there are atheist thinkers among the social anarchists who deem the individualist anarchists selfish and bourgeois, there are also religious anarchists. While most of the atheists anarchists state that they are against a religion which is institutionalized, for both the religious anarchists and the atheist anarchists there is no clash or opposition between an uninstitutionalized religion, that is not siding with the state, and anarchism. In this regard, lots of opinions, experiences, and historical events in religions such as Taoism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam supports the connection between religions and anarchist thinking. As there are deductions made toward opposing the government and institutions commentated in paralled to the ideas of Taoism, especially those commentated about nature, the universe, and human nature demonstrate the relation between anarchism and Taoism; various paths of Buddhism such as the enlightenment, self-control and self-governance advice and principles, a life secluded from the want of property and the ambition to govern, opposition to the caste system, the drive for independence and freedom are nothing but the natural goals of anarchism, as well. On the other hand, the Kingdom of Heaven (or the Sovereignty of God) belief of Christianity which invalidates the idealness and legitimacy of temporal worldly governments, global peace which emerges as a natural result of the teaching of Love, harmony, the ideals of equality, justice and freedom rising in parallel to anti-militarist thought converges with the ideals of Anarchism. Also, by having qualities of mutual aid, solidarity, unity, fundamental thoughts and encouragements in relation to social justice and equality, ?anti-authority? that was introduced and improved on by the belief of oneness and by standing firm against all kinds of exploitation and racism Islam and the Moslem indviduals, communities, orders, or factions that have exemplified these qualities historically with their lives are significant in setting forth the connection and affinity between anarchism and the Islamic thought and teachings.