Democracy

Democracy

Democracy is a system of government where power comes from the people, typically through voting and elections. While the Bible does not directly command a specific type of government, several principles from Scripture point to democratic systems being consistent with Christian teaching.1

How Does Human Nature Support Democracy?

God created all people equal, as we read in (Genesis 1:27): “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” This foundational truth means no family or individual has special rights to rule over others without their agreement. One writer explains it this way: “Far from endorsing anything like a ‘divine right of kings,’ this foundational principle taught in the first chapter of the Bible is one of equality of all human beings descended from Adam and Eve.”2

Why Are Elections Important?

Free elections help keep government leaders honest and accountable. When rulers become corrupt, they often try to stay in power by stopping elections, putting their opponents in jail, scaring voters, or cheating with vote counts and news reports. Recent examples of this have occurred in several countries where leaders manipulated election results to maintain control.3

What Is Government’s Purpose?

The purpose of government supports the idea of democracy. We see this in (Romans 13:4, ESV), which describes government as “God’s servant for your good.” This shows that government exists to help people, not to benefit those in power. As one author notes, “This means that the government does not exist ultimately for the good of the king or the emperor or the ruling council, but for the good of the people themselves.”4

References

  1. Wayne A. Grudem, Politics - According to the Bible: A Comprehensive Resource for Understanding Modern Political Issues in Light of Scripture (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2010), 105.

  2. Grudem, Politics - According to the Bible, 105-106.

  3. Grudem, Politics - According to the Bible, 106.

  4. Grudem, Politics - According to the Bible, 106-107.