If there is a top 8 idols in the American church, democracy is on the board. This is a struggle in the western church as enfranchisement upholds a specific premise of government as a virtue above all other forms, even the ones found in Scripture. Owen Strahan calls democracy God’s gift to humanity.
Until Jesus returns, democracy is a common-grace gift. No political system is perfect, but democracy proceeds from and centers in liberty–liberty of conscience, liberty of religion, liberty of speech, liberty of ideas, liberty of markets, liberty of the soul before God.
Democracy as a system of government has arisen in western cultures during a time when the capacity for war was first democratized. Thus, it is no coincidence it existed during the times of hoplite phalanxes and muskets. The Athenians were far from free, despite being the origin of democratic rule. The trial of Socrates is a famous example of the injustices of democracy for petty offenses.
America was founded as a Republic; however, the Continental Congress fought against Parliament and its claim of jurisdiction over the colonies. “No taxation without representation” is a rhyme against Parliament, not the Crown. The Crown sided with Parliament, and the rest is history. The Founding Fathers themselves hated democracy and oft wrote on it. So they created a republic, one ruled by land-owning elites, instead. George Washington, a true republican, was also from the major gentry class.
Fast forward 200 years and most of the world has adopted the Parliamentary system that America declared independence from. Canada is ruled by Marxists. The British are ruled by foreigners. All of the west is seemingly hopeless but the United States. And our decadent state was brought upon by means of abandoning the republic of our founding and embracing democracy.
The Progressive Amendments (16-19) shredded the republic by disempowering the states and expanding the franchise to women who would historically value murdering their children above the interest of the nation. Around the world, democracy has eroded the freedoms enjoyed under monarchy. Governments expanded beyond their means. Taxation increased to record levels far above the 10% warning in Scripture.
1 Samuel 8 is not a screed against monarchy, as Samuel was the de facto king, but Samuel’s sons became undesirable and undeserving heirs, becoming the stumbling block by which the people rejected the lordship of God.
The Bible has instances of “democracy” in action. The most famous example is the release of Barabbas, who was guilty of the charges they sought against Christ. The cultural elites manipulated the mob to reject Christ. This is a perfect example of democracy played out.
The republic can succeed in America, but democracy, especially British democracy, has failed to uphold the liberties of man everywhere it’s been tried. Thus, the system of government should be specific to a people without idolizing one system above the others.
2 Responses
One can argue whether or not the war for independence was justified, but it seems that many of the spokesmen had wrong motives. Samuel Adams was a bad worker, and couldn’t provide for his family, so he wanted a place where no one was rich and all men were equal. Many old families in Virginia not like Patrick Henry because he didn’t like them, he also wanted to encourage white women to marry American Indian men to civilized them, many, if not most, people believed it was sinful then, whether it is or not I don’t know, but I think it would always be unwise as a program.
The Bible is not really for any particular form of government. Judges is a propaganda in favor of kings. Samuel King and Chronicles is a propaganda against kings. Yet the sanhedrin shows democrasy ain’t great either. So the point of the Bible as a whole on politics may be human governments suck so ttust in God.
There is some democrasy in the NT besides the sanhedrin and release of Barabbas. Ordaining bishops is by hand vote of the congregation as the word for ordain in Greek actually means to vote on by raising hands.