tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19465889.post115151470276296933..comments2023-03-21T08:18:49.648-07:00Comments on Trinitarian Don: DemocracyProfessor McConnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12555772215539761119noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19465889.post-49552509627202998622008-02-18T17:32:00.000-08:002008-02-18T17:32:00.000-08:00Although there are historical examples of democrat...Although there are historical examples of democratic governance such as that of Greece, you are correct that the Reformation and the notiion of the "priesthood of the believer" played an important role in the inception of the Enlightment and the modern notions of liberty, equality, and democracy.<BR/><BR/>The problem, as you correctly state is that the Enlightenment placed human fulfillment rather than a commitment to God and His law at the center.<BR/><BR/>When God is removed from the relationship of the individual and the state--both in terms of the accountabiity of the state to a higher law as well as a respect for God's governance in the lives of individuals--this will have a profound political outcome. The success or failure of government will be measured by its ability to satisfy the passions of the governed.<BR/><BR/>This is why Christianity had such an important impact on American Democracy. De Tocqueville expressed this as a major distinction between the French and the American Revolutions. Democratic governments thrive where the common sense understanding of morality derives from our equality before God because of the imprint of His image on us, as well as the fact that we are all sinners.<BR/><BR/>This is the difficulty with the Democracy project presented by the President in his Second Inaugral Address where he state a commitment to spreading Democracy everywhere and defeating tyrany wherever it might appear (even Wilson only committed to make the world safe for Democracy).<BR/><BR/>The problem is that the President always emphasizes our equality based on the endowment of our rights from God while ignoring human equality based on our status as sinners. <BR/><BR/>It is the confluence of the Christian recognition of sin with the Madisonian maxim that "that if men were angels there would be no need for government" that contributed to the success of the American experiment.<BR/><BR/>Although we should all pray and work for human rights, and the spread of freedom for those in other nations we should do so with the understanding that culture matters. When you have free elections in the West Bank and Gaza you may get Hamas. If you had free elections in Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood would come to power. Even though we should all be grateful for the decline in Iraqi violence the Christian minority is suffering great persecution there as both Shia and Sunni have greater religious freedom. The constitution of Iraq provides that Sharia law will be one of the foundations of Iraqi law <BR/><BR/>As Christians, we should be suspicious about political theory divorced from a proper understanding of human nature and the conditions necessary for Democracy. <BR/><BR/>Our commitment to human rights should be unyielding and we should promote freedom in other parts of the world. However, that is a very different notion than the Democracy project of the current Administration. Democracy is not an end in itself. As Christians the spread of freedom should be driven by our love of others and our desire to be able to bring them "<BR/>"true Truth" (to borrow from Francis Shaffer_. For only those who know that truth shall be truly free.<BR/><BR/>Kevin H.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19465889.post-1151783832658594262006-07-01T12:57:00.000-07:002006-07-01T12:57:00.000-07:00Very thought provoking. A great read.Very thought provoking. A great read.Neiswongerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03914307411251155143noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19465889.post-1151556468342507182006-06-28T21:47:00.000-07:002006-06-28T21:47:00.000-07:00Thank you for visiting my blog, Study.Quiet, and I...Thank you for visiting my blog, Study.Quiet, and I appreciate your thoughts. My father has written a response to your comment, and you might be interested in reading it. (He is looking forward to reading more about your approach to Christianity and the law.)<BR/><BR/>ElizabethElizabeth Pruetthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04240312449777501957noreply@blogger.com