Is democracy a Christian form of government?

Answer

Every election cycle raises the question of religion and its role in government. This leads many to wonder about the relationship between Christianity and democracy. Is democracy a Christian form of government? Is democracy religiously neutral? Or is it contradictory to the Bible? There is a difference between whether ideas can coexist and whether they are inseparable.

In short, democracy and Christianity are compatible. This means that these are not contradictory ideas. In fact, it has been argued that democracy functions most effectively in a Christian culture. At the same time, democracy is not necessarily a Christian form of government. There is no necessary aspect of democracy that absolutely requires a Christian worldview. Christianity itself does not mandate democracy or any other form of earthly government.

Democracy can be a Christian form of government, and it is probably best supported by a Christian culture, but it is not the only valid form of Christian government, and democracy can exist apart from a Christian worldview.

Politics and religion share overlapping interests. Every law is based on some moral principle. “Politics” in general is a discussion about how much control, freedom, and power individual people should have and to what extent they should be forced to act alike. This is an important detail: religion and politics partially overlap, but they are not the same thing. Just as some senses overlap, such as smell and taste or hearing and touch, politics and religion inevitably cross paths. But they are not the same. A notable exception would be a religion such as Islam, which explicitly erases any distinction between earthly government and religious belief.

Despite what some modern atheists think, the principle of separation of church and state does not mean that religious reasoning has no place in politics. A person’s spiritual standpoint is important in shaping their values and worldview, which naturally influences their political decisions.

One’s faith can not only influence his politics—it will. Removing religious elements from public policy amounts to state-enforced atheism. This is essentially no different from a theocracy, where governance is reserved for those with a specific metaphysical perspective.

The separation of church and state is primarily intended to prevent both institutions from formally controlling each other. In the United States, the original purpose of the First Amendment was more about preventing government interference in churches rather than excluding religious concepts from governance.

As mentioned, the Bible does not advocate for any particular governmental system, whether democratic or otherwise. The governmental structure outlined in the Old Testament was specifically for the nation of Israel. Christians are encouraged to respect the governing authorities (Romans 13:1-7), regardless of the form of government. However, believers are also instructed to prioritize obedience to God over human laws that contradict the Bible “Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.”, (Acts 5:29). This does not necessarily imply advocating for armed rebellion, but it underscores Christianity’s view of government and personal spirituality as distinct realms.

Democracy and Christianity share several foundational beliefs that naturally align them as allies. The roots of what we now recognize as “modern democracy” in the 18th century were within a predominantly Christian society. Therefore, it is reasonable to expect political principles to reflect religious beliefs.

An illustrative instance of Christianity’s impact on U.S. politics is evident in the Declaration of Independence. This historic document aimed to justify the Colonies’ revolt against the English monarch. It references concepts such as objective truth, a “Creator,” human dignity, and the right to pursue happiness.

Equality, intrinsic value, and personal responsibility are all encapsulated in a single sentence from the Declaration:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”

This statement fundamentally contradicts most worldviews other than theism. Atheism denies a Creator and lacks a basis to assert “inalienable rights” or intrinsic value. Hinduism’s caste system and karma challenge human equality. The concept of self-evident truth opposes all forms of relativism. The notion of government free from overt religious influence is alien to Islam.

The intention is not to argue that the United States or other democracies are explicitly and permanently Christian. Nor is it impossible, in practice, for individuals of non-Christian beliefs to engage as citizens in a democracy. Nevertheless, an examination of Christian theology and political democracy reveals numerous similarities. This is not the case for most other belief systems, as many religious doctrines directly clash with various aspects of democracy.

History confirms the logical connection between a society’s religious convictions and its political position. In reality, nations with a Christian background are considered the “gold standard” for freedom and human rights. When anti-democratic forces aim for control, the Christian faith is often one of their primary targets.

Christianity also helps reinforce democracy’s main vulnerability: its reliance on the moral values of the society. Unlike dictatorships or monarchies, where an individual’s moral compass dictates the nation’s laws and policies, a democracy reflects the prevailing culture. This is generally positive, as it makes it challenging for one malevolent individual to cause widespread harm. However, it also means that as the culture moves away from sound moral principles.

As a result, it has no defense against “capsizing,” so to speak. A nation that uses democratic power for selfish or irresponsible purposes will cannibalize its own freedom.

As U.S. Founding Father Benjamin Franklin said, “Man will ultimately be governed by God or by tyrants.” When a culture abuses its democratic power, the result is chaos and ruin. Either a democracy, guided by self-control and morality, keeps itself in check, or it crashes. When the crash happens, control falls to a non-democratic system, either willingly or by force. Cultures that drift from Christianity tend to drift from “true” democracy into other, democracy-flavored political schemes and, eventually, into subjection to tyranny.

This decline away from democracy makes sense from a logical standpoint. Modern democracy grew out of a culture steeped in a Judeo-Christian worldview. It stands to reason that the further a culture moves from that worldview, the less compatible that culture is with that form of government.

Democracy, in its various forms, presumes that the people, as a whole, are worthy of making choices for themselves. It assumes that the people are willing and able to make morally sensible decisions and will abide by those decisions in a spirit of mutual respect. Democracy presumes the value of human beings and a definition of right and wrong that supersedes the laws of the land. Christianity teaches the same basic principles, making it the most natural cultural fit for democracy.

Other worldviews can cooperate with democracy; however, they don’t have the same fundamental connection as Christianity. Democracy is a naturally Christian form of government, but it is not a necessarily Christian political scheme.