A Treatise on Understanding Democracy

A TREATISE ON

UNDERSTANDING DEMOCRACY

So many believers seem to be misinformed as to how democracy works. They rant and rave about the condition of the culture and about the laws which pave the way for a continuing erosion of any sense of morality. But do you not see that this is exactly how democracy works. The majority rule. And even the minority can be protected through the court system. This is not a theocracy, and the “founding fathers” did not establish a certain religion. They were very clear about that very thing placing it as the 1^st amendment.

So everyone gets a vote. So when you wail and complain about the government, which in and if itself is unchristian, you must realize you are wailing and complaining about democracy. Unless the President and his cabinet seized control of the country through violence, then democracy has worked. And therein lies the diabolical deception. Believers by the millions are convinced that God’s chosen form of government is democracy. But what they fail to evaluate is this. Would God set up a system of government that when it works correctly it creates an atmosphere that legalizes immoral behavior and infanticide? Would that same form of government come from the One True God and allow all kinds of gods to be worshiped along side of Him?

Do you see how ridiculous that kind of thinking is? Democracy may be better than other more totalitarian forms of government, but it did not come from God. In fact God allowed the Jews to choose their own king but it was not His will. That wazs the first excercise of democracy. They chose Saul and the rest is history. God’s will was for Him to appoint spiritual judges, but the Jews wanted what the heathen had. And to suggest that God desires for saint and heathen to govern themselves together is unbiblical and ludicrous.

In order not to be a stumbling block to the gospel we are supposed to obey the laws and pray for the leaders, but always with an awareness that Christ is our only King and Lord. But somehow the church became attached to this nation and its form of government, and many now suggest a divine element in it all. “Democracy must be spread all over the earth” is their cry. But since when do followers of Jesus become interested in the affairs of this world? The Spirit through Paul exhorts us to remain untangled with the affairs of this world. Let the dead bury the dead but let us rise up and preach the gospel to every creature.

It is most confounding how people who say they believe the Bible are blind to the many prophetic warnings that things will continue to get worse. And in the face of those clear revelations professing believers still suggest that with another election or another president things can turn around. But things on this earth are cyclical and sometimes things seem to be better and sometimes things seem to be worse. But it is all a mirage. And when people say things are better they mean financially.

But when democracy works, and when there are more unbelievers than believers, it is no mystery what usually will happen. But we are still called to be content. Contentment is now a Scriptural exhortation which is universally ignored in the church or usually only practiced when the environment dictates it. So in essence the church behaves like the world. When things seem good we exhibit some level of contentment and happiness, but when things are not so good we take license to complain and strive to change things so we can be happy again. That is the spirit of this world and surely not the Spirit of Christ, if that makes a difference anymore.

Of course America is a representative democracy, but a democracy nonetheless. In general it is a form of government which allows fallen man to rule himself. And it is quite baffling to comprehend just how God’s Bride fell in love with it. How could believers not see right through the paper thin allurement of such a system? It’s probably because democracy makes the individual feel a sense of importance and worth. The church also felt that through such a system they could collectively leverage some moral changes and by using the power of a voting block even protect their personal wealth. Democracy does have some earthly attractions, especially when compared to the different autocracies.

But the church failed to see the spiritual liabilities in democracy, even beside the basic principle that man is his own king collectively. When you submit yourself to majority rule it can have consequences that are very unpleasant to you and even go against your moral and spiritual principles. Let us assume that Iran became a real democracy, and they placed a referendum on the ballot that made Christianity illegal and punishable by death. It passed. See, democracy would have worked but not in the way we might have desired. Let say a country duly elects its representatives, and that country also elects a president. That president nominates several Supreme Court justices as some resign or die.

Well a woman brings a lawsuit before the Supreme Court concerning the legality of having an abortion. The Supreme Court makes abortion legal. Democracy has worked. This was not done in a basement or behind closed doors. The decision and the dissent were published and it became the law of the land. How do you like democracy now? But clearly the democracy that has been so touted by the western church had worked, it just did not decide in a Biblical way. And like a calf looking at a new gate, the church seemed surprised and upset. How naïve.

But here is the incredulous and unimaginable part of this entire scenario. Even though democracy had worked nicely but in opposition to God’s will, the church still could not see and understand what had happened. We still thought that we could reverse things through the strength of the ballot box. We still could not see that it was democracy itself that was the root cause. And instead of rushing to the prayer closet in repentance and crying out to God to purify us, we set out to enlist more people to participate in this democracy. Blind fools we are.

Democracy in its very principle is antithetical to everything the New Testament teaches. Men have taken Romans 13 and turned into allegiance, rather than a limited obedience when it does not countermand God’s Word. Romans 13 is designed to help us be smart as a serpent and harmless as a dove within a fallen culture in order to pave a way for the spreading of the gospel. Just because democracy is not totalitarian in definition does not mean it came from heaven. Democracy is totalitarian with the majority as the ruler. Listen to these words:
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven. Just a reminder - heaven is not and never will be a democracy, and when Jesus comes back and sets up His kingdom it surely will not be a democracy.

But it still remains a great mystery as to how the church can believe we can accomplish anything for God’s Kingdom through the systems of fallen man. Even if abortion was made illegal it would be nice but would not forward the Kingdom of God. And when we add the lie that America is a Christian nation, well now you have a perfect storm that washes away the power of the Spirit and creates an undertow which pulls the church into an antichrist system. Antichrist, you ask. What would you call a governmental system that is pluralistic in its very foundation? You actually believe God helped draft a system that places him along side of idols?

But every election year Christian by the millions become incensed and all worked up because they still believe God endorses a candidate, and if only more believers would vote we could turn this thing around. But something very interesting has also happened along the way. If you embrace and participate in a fallen system, before long instead of you influencing it, it influences you. A recent poll suggests that most Americans do not vote with abortion a primary concern. Allow me to let you in on a dirty little secret. In 1980. 1984, 1988, 2000, and 2004 believers voted in their pro-life choice. Abortion remains free and legal. And sill our eyes remained fixated on a fallen system in hopes to change something, anything.

On the Day of Pentecost when the Spirit fell on the church, did they run to get crucifixion outlawed? When Paul went to Corinth, did he rant against homosexuality and register to vote? Did they stay in Jerusalem in order to escape persecution? No, they turned the world upside down by the power of the Holy Spirit and the message of the gospel. We have turned our backs on the Spirit and have turned to earthly powers. And this is no small issue that can be corrected quickly. No, the church is descending in a quicksand of culture, self righteousness, and narcissism. And we have been descending for a long time. Only an authentic revival can extricate us from this diabolical situation, which the western church now embraces.

Democracy continues to work beautifully and most effectively. The country was formed with a pluralistic view of religion. In 1797 a Treaty of Peace and Friendship between the United States of America and the Bey and Subjects of Tripoli of Barbary became the law of the land by a unanimous vote in the senate. It was signed by President John Adams. It included in it article 11 which read -

As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion,—as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquility, of Mussulmen [Muslims],—and as the said States never entered into any war or act of hostility against any Mahometan [Muslim] nation, it is declared by the parties that no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.

Wow! Two birds with one stone. It embraces Islam as a legitimate religion and it denies any Christian basis for America. And by the way, John Adams was a signer of the Declaration of Independence. You see, democracy had worked once again. Little did the founding fathers realize that the church would set up this nation as an idol and bend its knee to democracy which in effect diminishes Christ and His Lordship.

Do not be deceived. Democracy and pluralism is the spirit of antichrist and all of us who embrace it elicit nothing but spiritual trouble when we face Him from whose face the nations fled. The world needs the light of the gospel but they cannot see a light which is hidden underneath the bushel of the two party system. In the Kingdom of God there is only one Lord and one faith, and he will not share it with another. Come back all you followers of Jesus. Reject the shackles of democracy and step into the freedom of truth and the exclusive authority of Christ.

But if this election cannot be used by God to lead you away from earthly futility, perhaps nothing will. If God is leading men to support a man who supports infanticide then that is not God. If God is leading men to support a man who worships a demon then that is not God. If God is calling His church to repentance and to seek His face, then that is our God.

Which God do you hear?