Introduction to anarchist communism - Anarchist Federation

Is there really a need for that last clause? Just a throwaway line on religion without justification. I feel like I could get behind everything in the document except that last clause. Implicitly, doesn't it give a Eurocentric bias to the document, also? Lack of religious belief among people is massively disproportionally skewed towards Europe. It seems disingenuous to posit a mass movement that is not only open to worldwide solidarity but depends on it, and then throw in a stance towards religion that is highly culturally contingent. It is one thing to critique the church or other systems of power, and quite another to mandate a specific attitude toward religion, that precludes inclusion of such a vast swathe of humanity.

This point reads a little as if it has been abbreviated too far. I take it to mean that the AF opposes organised religion and any organised religious beliefs.
In my opinion if the members of the AF are materialists, it is only honest to state their opposition to beliefs and practices which are based on supernatural phenomena. However the form of how that opposition is expressed should be explained. I am sure the last thing they have in mind is driving religion ‘underground’ as in present day China.

Last week James Wood had an interesting piece in the Guardian where he examined ‘The New Atheism’ and religious practices and beliefs.

From the Saturday Guardian 27.08.11 – God Interrupted by James Wood.

This is a disconcerting notion for anyone who thinks of themselves as a materialist though on reflection it is surely not inaccurate. I have known old Stalinists, who while reluctantly acknowledging that Stalin had committed innumerable crimes, still faintly hoped it was all a lie.

It's been changed to this:

10. We oppose organised religion and cults and hold to a materialist analysis of capitalist society. We, the working class, can change society through our own efforts. Worshipping an unprovable spiritual realm, or believing in a religious unity between classes, mystifies or suppresses such self-emancipation / liberation. We reject any notion that people can be liberated through some kind of supernatural force. We work towards a society where religion is no longer relevant.

The current wording of our 10th A&P runs as follows: "We oppose organised religion and cults and hold to a materialist analysis of capitalist society. We, the working class, can change society through our own efforts. Worshipping an unprovable spiritual realm, or believing in a religious unity between classes, mystifies or suppresses such self-emancipation / liberation. We reject any notion that people can be liberated through some kind of supernatural force. We work towards a society where religion is no longer relevant."

I'm not sure it's true that 'lack of religious belief' is "Eurocentric". According to wikipedia, 59% of people in China identify as non-religious, whereas 80% of people in Japan describe themselves as "atheist, agnostic or non-religious". South Korea and Vietnam also have a high percentage of atheists according to research.

But even if Europe did have the most materialists, this wouldn't make materialism wrong. The majority of people alive today are not anarchists either (and most of those that are are in Europe!) so should we abandon our position on the abolition of the state as well, as this 'precludes the inclusion of such a vast swathe of humanity' i.e. all the non-anarchists?

~J.

Excellent! The amended version is brief and to the point, and says all that need be said (in the context of an introduction).

Just for clarification, the above post by 'Uncreative' is by me. He'd left his account logged in on my laptop and I didn't notice.

~J.

ha! I would love to see how they collated that evidence! Just to throw a spanner in the works, it is probably a bit 'eurocentric' to ask people of non-abrahamic background (Jew, Christian and Muslim) whether or not they hold 'religious' beliefs. Shinto, Confucianism, Buddhism, Hinduism etc, etc, etc, all of these 'philosophies' would not be called 'religions'...

Hi all, first of all to say, I'm new here. I've been following LibCom already for a couple of years and feel its time to introduce myself and to contribute a little as well. My name is Tommy Ryan (yeah right) and am an organized anarchist from the Netherlands.

As a response to this discussion and about this pamflet: it would be good if with the changes (that I applaud), also the uploaded pamflet here on LibCom would be changed into the revised version.

further more some of my overthinkings with the topic in the debate: I do not know about Religion in general what my opinion is. I'm also a materialist and humanist / atheïst. But there have been anarchists practicing religion on a personal level, see christian-anarchists for instance (which luckilly is more a historical branch then a contemprary).

Now with the new wave of anarchist-ideas spreading in North-Afrika en the Middle-Eest I also wonder which kind of brands will develop. On the otherhand seeing people as comrades would not have to mean ofcourse you also have to be pro their ideas... same goes for philosophical/tactical ideas as the insurrectionalist anarchists. Comradeship is broader than being the same.

Updated version (April 2013 issue) is now online on AF website:
http://www.afed.org.uk/publications/pamphlets-booklets/163-introduction-to-anarchist-communism.html

Is there a PDF of the updated version? The PDF version on the libcom website so nice looking and readable, while the version on the AFED website makes my eyes look for tiny little ropes to hang themselves with.

http://afed.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/intro_to_anarchist_communism.pdf

For some reason the links only show up on the publication index pages.

http://afed.org.uk/publications/pamphlets/

Thank you