Christianity and Democracy

Democracy is the clearest expression of Christian political ethics.  Why?

CHRISTIANITY IS ABOUT...

THE BODY OF CHRIST.  Considering Romans 12 and I Corinthians 12, Paul lifts up gifts of God.  These gifts are a smorgasbord of skills, with different people bringing unique gifts to the table, all for the purpose of creating a tasty banquet of love for all people.  The operative word is ALL.  ALL foods-gifts are to be utilized, tasted, appreciated, for the sake of the common good.  The banquet, the body, is for the good fellowship, the good life, of ALL.

FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT.  Galatians 5 speaks of the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, generosity, faithfulness, and self control.   There is no hint of repression, no hint of emergency laws stifling free and open elections, no hint of negating free speech, no hint of justifying greed.  Certainly, people can practice these fruits within an oppressive society.  Indeed, this is one of the great gifts of God, that even under the most oppressive of regimes, one can still be Christian in actions.  Yet, the political-social implications of the fruits can be best realized within the context of democracy.

THE PLACE FOR LAW.  Deuteronomy 30 says: "If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God...by loving the Lord your God, walking in [God's] ways, and observing [God's] commandments, decrees and ordinances...." Democracies respect the rule of law, irrespective of who is in power.  ALL elected officials, ALL citizens are equal under the law.  Laws give permission. Violations yield consequences.  The law holds ALL accountable.

LET JUSTICE ROLL. Amos speaks of letting "justice roll down like waters...."  Justice posits equal treatment under the law.  God gifts us with the call to fairness.  This means everyone is entitled to having "enough" for a sustainable living; that wealth is to be shared; that there be health care for all; that education be available for everyone; that there be work for ALL; that we take care of each other, so that life does not sink into the abyss of survival of the fittest, but is instead about nurturing the common good; that the earth be respected and loved.

THE PLACE FOR FORGIVENESS.  Jesus on the cross: "[God] forgive them for they know not what they do."  In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus speaks of mercy, a close kin of forgiveness.  Because of the equal rule of law, one can start over, reconciliation can occur.  Debts can be paid and we can move on.  Democracy is friendlier to forgiveness.

RENEWAL AND TRANSFORMATION. Romans 12 speaks of  "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, that you may discern what is the will of God - what is good and acceptable and perfect." We are to be open to change so our love can be more inclusive and fuller in expression.  We are called to get better at doing good.  New laws can be enacted for the good of ALL.  The Constitution can be interpreted to fit the causes of the historical moment.  The human requirements for life can be advocated anew.

WE ALL ARE ONE IN JESUS CHRIST.  Christianity includes ALL within the family of Christ.  Galatians 3 says: "There is no longer Jew nor Greek, no longer slave or free, there is no longer male or female, for ALL of you are one in Jesus Christ." Paul is talking about ALL, both in terms of those within the Christian belief family AND those citizens of the world: that Christ unites ALL of us, even those of different religious expressions.  Christ came for ALL people, ALL persuasions, ALL nationalities, ALL cultures.  Because we are ALL one, the democratic spirit can blossom.

PEACEMAKING. The Garden of Eden was a time and place of shalom: harmony and balance.  Jesus blesses the peacemakers in Matthew 5.  Jesus laments the lack of peace as he looks over Jerusalem on his way to the cross: "Would that you knew the things that make for peace".  God did not create us for making war upon each other, for killing each other, or for despoiling the earth.  We are created for harmony, to be members of God's orchestra, with each playing our instruments to create a musical delight. We are created to blend our gifts for the sake of ALL.

NONVIOLENCE.  We are created for love.  The fullest expression of love is nonviolence. Yes, all can love even within oppressive societies.  But love can be most fully realized within a society when the above characteristics are most full realized in practice.  Jesus never called upon his followers to kill.

I have always believed that implied with the grace of God in Jesus Christ is the ethic: the ethic of love and justice.  This ethic flourishes most fully within democracy.  I find it convincing that some of the greatest heroes of the faith have fostered strong elements of democracy: Luther and the reformation, insisting on freedom of theological expression, freedom of conscience; Martin Luther King, Jr. insisting on equal rights for African Americans; Desmond Tutu leading the movement against apartheid in South Africa; many of our Founding Fathers, although not all, adopting the Bill of Rights and a Constitution that serve as perhaps the most influential documents for universal democracy in today's world; Dietrich Bonhoeffer writing that "only those who stand with the Jews can sing Gregorian chants"; Jim Wallis and his constant calls for peace and justice; Harriet Tubman and Sojourner Truth working for freedom and equal rights.

The ethics of Christianity nurture democracy.  I would challenge those who believe we are a Christian nation to live like it.  And those who are Christian to give witness by our words and actions.  Democracy for ALL!

Peace!
Ron