Is democracy biblical?

[Xeno.of.athens]

No one votes to fill the role of "god".
No one voted for the role of saviour.
Truth seems to be true regardless of voter preferences.
In the Old Testament God chose Judges for Israel and when Israel wanted a King things went badly.

Western nations favour democracy, but Christianity is not western.

Is the idea of voting and elections biblical, or are the democratic nations walking in the footsteps of someone other than the Lord?

 

[BobRyan]

No one votes to fill the role of "god".
No one voted for the role of saviour.

The Bible does not claim that Hitler, or dictators, or atheists, or democracies created the Gospel .

Apples and oranges.

 

[Jonaitis]

No one votes to fill the role of "god".
No one voted for the role of saviour.
Truth seems to be true regardless of voter preferences.
In the Old Testament God chose Judges for Israel and when Israel wanted a King things went badly.

Western nations favour democracy, but Christianity is not western.

Is the idea of voting and elections biblical, or are the democratic nations walking in the footsteps of someone other than the Lord?

It boils down to the competency of the leadership and the people, and it always depends upon the present circumstances of the times. If the people cannot master themselves, then they need masters to control them. If the leaders cannot master themselves, then they need to be controlled by the people. Our forefathers in America recognized this. There will always be an attempt to balance the powers, and if the pendulum swings in one direction, the times will force it to swing the other direction. The abuse of power and freedom requires a balance, and the voting system is an attempt to take hold of that.

 

[Friedrich Rubinstein]

The Bible doesn't require or demand any specific political system. The Jews at Jesus' time lived under the rule of the Romans, and Jesus never opposed it.
A democracy makes it of course easier for Christians to influence the politics of their country into the right direction, but in the end "there is no authority except that which God has established". (Romans 13:1)

 

[public hermit]

No one votes to fill the role of "god".
No one voted for the role of saviour.
Truth seems to be true regardless of voter preferences.
In the Old Testament God chose Judges for Israel and when Israel wanted a King things went badly.

Western nations favour democracy, but Christianity is not western.

Is the idea of voting and elections biblical, or are the democratic nations walking in the footsteps of someone other than the Lord?

I think you have intimations of it at the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15. There is certainly plenty of discussion and debate where all of the relevant voices are heard. There is consent and choosing of representatives. Certainly, James makes the final decision but the seeds are there, I think. In hindsight, it's not pure democracy, but it's very Presbyterian in terms of polity and decision making.

 

[Xeno.of.athens]

I think you have intimations of it at the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15. There is certainly plenty of discussion and debate where all of the relevant voices are heard. There is consent and choosing of representatives. Certainly, James makes the final decision but the seeds are there, I think. In hindsight, it's not pure democracy, but it's very Presbyterian in terms of polity and decision making.

One hopes it wasn't too Presbyterian

There's no mention of election and selection of the council representatives who took part in the discussions. Perhaps the congregations did have some role in selecting them or perhaps not. The rest of the book of the Acts of the Apostles suggests that apostles and bishops chose leaders for the congregations.

 

[Kettriken]

Is the idea of voting and elections biblical, or are the democratic nations walking in the footsteps of someone other than the Lord?

Jesus did not ride into Jerusalem on a warhorse, demanding fealty. He rode in on a donkey, offering hope.
Limited as we are in this world by time and space and circumstance, we still have to make a choice to accept.
Democracy gives people choice. You are still limited by time, and space, and circumstance, but you have a say in the matter. Based on the precedent of Christ's new covenant with us, this is in keeping with biblical principle.

 

[Maria Billingsley]

No one votes to fill the role of "god".
No one voted for the role of saviour.
Truth seems to be true regardless of voter preferences.
In the Old Testament God chose Judges for Israel and when Israel wanted a King things went badly.

Western nations favour democracy, but Christianity is not western.

Is the idea of voting and elections biblical, or are the democratic nations walking in the footsteps of someone other than the Lord?

The Kingdom of God is not of this world so no earthly government is biblical that being said, nothing is to say that more righteous types of governments are not more in keeping with God's will.
Blessings.

 

[Xeno.of.athens]

Is the idea of voting and elections biblical, or are the democratic nations walking in the footsteps of someone other than the Lord?

The Kingdom of God is not of this world so no earthly government is biblical that being said, nothing is to say that more righteous types of governments are not more in keeping with God's will.

You make a good point; Christians seek a kingdom - the kingdom of God - which implies voting isn't really much of an issue as far as the governance of the kingdom is concerned.

 

[BobRyan]

I think you have intimations of it at the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15. There is certainly plenty of discussion and debate where all of the relevant voices are heard. There is consent and choosing of representatives. Certainly, James makes the final decision but the seeds are there, I think. In hindsight, it's not pure democracy, but it's very Presbyterian in terms of polity and decision making.

No doubt "Church organization" is in the Bible in the same way you mention. But not a single example in the NT of the church organizing government or taking over the civil government. They are separate in the NT.

The U.S. found principles for its democracy in the Bible and applied them. But the Bible was not given as a roadmap for civil government. God initially stated that Israel was to have no king at all-- God alone was to be the king. A theocracy.

Not happening any more.

 

[Clare73]

No one votes to fill the role of "god".
No one voted for the role of saviour.
Truth seems to be true regardless of voter preferences.
In the Old Testament God chose Judges for Israel and when Israel wanted a King things went badly.

Western nations favour democracy, but Christianity is not western.

Is the idea of voting and elections biblical, or are the democratic nations walking in the footsteps of someone other than the Lord?

Christianity is not democratic. It is also not civic nor material.
Render unto Ceasar. . .