Democracy: The false god

Here is a challenging critique to all who hold up our modern version of Democracy here in the United States of America. Notice, this isn't about a Representative (and biblical) Republic. This is specifically about the democratic rule of the majority.

"People who profess to be believers in democracy also have their own brand of authoritarianism. They claim that the democracy is the true way of life and the true form of civil government because it rests on the true foundation, the people. The ancient faith in democracy is summed up in the Latin phrase, vox populi, vox Dei, the voice of the people is the voice of God. The people are thus the god of democracy. No law, no constitution, no religious faith can be permitted to stand in the way of the will of the people. The will of the people incarnates itself in a governing elite who express this general will infallibly. There is a direct connection between the democratic thinking of Rousseau and Karl Marx' dictatorship of the proletariat." (R.J. Rushdoony, Law & Liberty, p. 40)

Think about this...and do so carefully. How often do we hear, in our day, appeals of those who rule over us to "the will of the people," even if not couched in those exact terms? Just yesterday in the 3rd party debates on CSPAN, Rocky Anderson said that if he could have one amendment to the Constitution, it would be for equal rights for everyone, regardless of sexual preference or identity. His point was to legalize homosexual marriage. How did he support this position? He did so by appealing, first, to the (supposed) will of the masses (he believes that most people support this, which is false, but that's a separate matter). Second, he then went on to say that even if the masses didn't support this, he would basically want to impose it upon us anyway, and eventually, the tide would turn, and the people would be behind him.

His faith is in democracy -- the rule of the will of the people -- first, and then in those in power (so long as they agree with him, anyway), if the people haven't been convinced yet, not in God's Law, which brings us to the important issue of God's Law in today's society.

Unfortunately, far too many Christians are so ignorant when it comes to the proper understanding and application of God's Law today, that they too fall into this same Satanic trap. Why do I call it a Satanic trap? Because God's Law is the only just and perfect Law. For a Christian to say anything other than that is antithetical to the very faith they profess. Of course, we live in a day and time when we have abominations such as Open Theology (basically, that God "learns" over time), and antinomianism, which lead professing Christians to such foolishness.

Look at what Paul has to say about the Law in 1 Timothy 1:8-11:

"[8] Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, [9] understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, [10] the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, [11] in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted."

Now, pair that with Romans 13:1-4:

"[1] Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. [2] Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. [3] For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, [4] for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer."

Notice that last verse. God's minister of justice, the "governing authorities," avenges God's wrath on wrongdoers. Who are wrongdoers? -- those who break God's Law. Man's laws do not provoke God's wrath! I'll state that again: Man's laws do not provoke God's wrath. For man's law is only true law when it lines up with God's Law. Otherwise, man's law is always either too harsh or too lenient. In neither case is God's wrath provoked, because both cases are unjust. Only those laws that line up with God's perfect Law incur His wrath.

So in the end, an appeal to the will of the people, as in the false god of democracy, is an appeal to autonomous law, which sets itself against the Law of God. Man becomes the god. As Rushdoony says on more than one occasion, "To find the god in any system, locate the source of law in that system." (Law & Liberty, p. 41)

In our current culture, the source of our law is no longer God. Some view the source as the judicial system, some view it as the legislative branch, some view it as the Executive branch (especially Obama and his administration), some view it as nature, and some view it as the will of the people (i.e, the mass of man). In any case, the source of the law is naturalistic and/or humanistic. Neither of these can be agreeable to a serious Christian. The fact that so many have bought into this lie is a sad testament to the lack of knowledge, understanding, and wisdom within Christianity at large today.

Since the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, understanding, and wisdom, this leads me to think that there are far too many Christians who don't actually fear the Lord. Of course, this shouldn't surprise us, since such teachings are far from many pulpits in our day. What a sad testimony this is for those who have been called to lead flocks; what a sad testimony it is for the lack of discernment those in the flocks have, as well!