In this post, we will look at another religious group that had Communist leanings before Communism was fully articulated. This group is familiar to man and is called the Anabaptist.

There are various sects within the Anabaptist movement. The voluntary sect is the one with which many are familiar today, and this sect includes the Amish and the Mennonites. The voluntary sect, as its name implies, supports people in making their own choices about religion.

The sect of this post is the Theocratic sect. The Theocratic sect believed in seeing power from the state and forcing people to become Anabaptists. Since they had a utopian focus, the Theocratics also were focused on compelling the world to uphold specific views of what heaven on earth would look like. The view they had in mind was of a communal society style, where everything was shared.

Theocratics

The Theocratic sect was originally led by a man named Thomas Muntzer. Muntzer was a disciple of Martin Luther but would later become a convert to Taborism. The Taborites believed in destroying the non-elect and taking their property for the religio-state. Muntzer was convinced he was a prophet and called on the German princes to kill the godless. When he is ignored, Muntzer tries to lead this slaughter himself, and he is executed.

Eventually, the leadership of the Theocratic sect of the Anabaptists falls to Jan Mathys. As the leader, Mathys takes the Theocratics to Munster, Germany. While trapped inside this city, Mathys is convinced that the rest of the world is doomed. Therefore, all property of non-Anabaptists inside the town of Munster was seized, and the non-believers were killed or expelled from the city.

Once the means of production and wealth were taken, Mathys began to implement the policies of his religious utopia. Money is outlawed, which forces everyone to be dependent on the government. Food was taken from homes and rationed (shared) with people being forced to eat in communal halls. It was also illegal to lock or even close your doors since everyone was family.

Siege of Munster

While all this was going on, Munster was under siege by the German princes, who did not appreciate Protestant sectarians seizing a town. During this siege, Mathys, is killed, and a man named Bockelson takes over. Bockelson’s adds to the oppression by implementing polygamy. The women initially rebelled against this, but after many were executed, they quickly got used to the idea.

However, the ladies did not give up without a fight. Since the women could not stop themselves from being married off to someone, they could give their new husbands hell. When the men began to suffer from the relentless behavior of their wives, divorce was allowed. Marriage was essentially abolished, but people being people still found ways to enjoy the rapturous experience of marriage outside the boundaries of marriage. Therefore, in a matter of a few months, the Theocrats have gone from puritans to fornicators with a destruction of the family.

Bockelson would eventually proclaim himself king. However, his reign was short-lived, and the German princes broke into the city, and Bockelsno was killed.

Conclusion

The Theocratics were inspired to bring about the Millennium on earth through the use of force and the implementation of various ideas linked to Communism in the future. They seized all property, money, and controlled the means of production. The Theocritics were also against the family by removing marriage and allowing promiscuity. In addition, as things began to fall, a tyrant arose to control the people. This suggests that paradise is never truly reached. Still, people will often use the promise of a utopia to seize power for themselves, even if it was not their original intention.