which was right in his own eyes" because "there is nothing more humiliating and degrading for a person than being under the brute-force government". A British Orthodox rabbi, Yankev-Meyer Zalkind, was an anarcho-communist and active anti-militarist. Rabbi Zalkind was a close friend of Rudolf Rocker, a prolific Yiddish writer and a prominent Torah scholar. He argued that the ethics of the Talmud, if properly understood, are closely related to anarchism. One contemporary movement in Judaism with anarchist tendencies is Jewish Renewal. The movement is trans-denominational, including Orthodox, non-Orthodox, Judeo-Buddhists, and Judeo-Pagans, focusing on feminism, environmentalism, and pacifism. Contemporary Paganism Neopaganism, with its focus on the sanctity of nature and equality, and its often decentralized nature, has led to some neopagan-inspired anarchists. One of the most prominent is Starhawk, who writes extensively about neopaganism and activism. Taoism Many early Taoists, such as the influential Laozi and Zhuangzi, were critical of authority and advised rulers that the less controlling they were, the more stable and effective their rule would be. There is debate among contemporary anarchists about whether or not this counts as an anarchist view. It is known, however, that some less influential Taoists, such as Bao Jingyan, explicitly advocated anarchy. 20th and 21st-century anarchists such as Liu Shifu and Ursula K. le Guin have also identified as Taoists. References Sources . See also Freedom of religion Freethought Religion and politics Issues in anarchism Religion and politics fi:Anarkismi#Anarkismi ja uskonto