Democracy in Crisis

https://theworld.org/segments/2024/09/18/democracy-is-under-strain-across-the-globe

Advocates for democracy are concerned. The once seemingly inevitable and unstoppable 'progress' of their system seems to be struggling. Some would say it's under strain, others would put in more stringent terms and simply say that democracy is in a state of crisis. They would point not just to the rise of authoritarian regimes but the strain on democracy within Europe and the evident fragility of the American system - supposedly the very nexus of modern democracy, the nation upon which the narrative depends.

Listening to this story I was taken back to the triumphalist 1990's and all the talk of the 'end of history' as Fukuyama argued. Liberal Democracy had won the day and I can remember all the assumptions regarding nations like Russia, China, and Iran. They took would soon transition to liberalism. It was clearly the winner in the great history and struggle for political and societal structures.

Others of us knew better. The conditions do not exist in these nations. They do not have the philosophical, cultural, or political background that would lend to this. Those who think it just automatically works have not read enough history or explored the issues. Thirty years later this has become all too evident. Even in nations like the United States the liberal reservoir while broad and wide has been exposed as being somewhat shallow.

In a world of growing instability, security triumphs over democracy every time. Stability is always preferred over chaos and we've all seen that democracy is easily manipulated, subject to gridlock, and every bit as corruptible as authoritarian systems. For some the devil they know is a better option than democratic chaos. That was certainly true in Russia. By the end of the 1990's the Russian people had their fill of free markets and democracy. It generated bedlam and corruption which resulted in fear and poverty.

Democracy is an ideal that does not always prove successful in the context of the real world. Contrary to some, it does not flow from Christianity but the Enlightenment - which itself is fatally flawed.

Whether it's the 'worst form of government except for all the others that have been tried' is debatable. On a practical level it may prove more comfortable but that's not always better. Comfort can also result in the lowering of vigilance and confusion and that has certainly been the story for Christians in a place like the United States. Getting rich should not be a Christian goal. A more restrictive state may not allow us to pursue our worldly dreams but it also eliminates many distractions (or more rightly temptations) and creates conditions in which we are ever mindful of the true spiritual struggle and our separate antithetical identity. And rather than find comfort in the pursuit of happiness via the road of wealth and material goods, we instead root our joy in Christian fellowship and Kingdom life. But this is not a message that sells or can be marketed. You're not going to fill churches with such teachings even if they are faithful to the New Testament. Even a huckster like Joel Osteen could not make this package seem glitzy or attractive. It's foolishness in the eyes of the world. How sad and tragic that the Church tends to track more with the world than with the eschatological viewpoint of Christ and the apostles as revealed in the sacred writings.

Democracy is in crisis. It's noteworthy and bears watching. It's also noteworthy because so many Christians have hitched their wagons to this diseased horse. And this is especially true in the developing world where many have (thanks to American Christianity) confused liberal society, democracy, and market economics with Christianity. What will the response be when they find out that it is failing, often doesn't work, and is frequently destructive?

Of course man-rooted authoritarianism is not Christian either and with democracies failing many are turning down that road. Without a monarchy in the United States, the only real option is a kind of fascistic model that can create a mystical marriage between the power of the state and religion. This is what we're seeing and it is also concerning. Should these false agents of Zion win the day, the faithful will be pushed to the margins and become an underground opposition. That may not be a bad thing for the cause of truth but it will be painful to watch the apostasy - even more painful than it is right now.