"... the declaration of independence of 1776. It says that to protect the rights to life, liberty, property, and the pursuit of happiness, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the unanimous consent of the governed."
This is the essence of Enlightenment-derived humanistic government, where the highest authority on earth is "We the people." In contrast to this, biblical government, given by God, derives its just powers from the consent of the people to enter into a suzereignty covenant with God (Yahweh), where the covenant of God is the constitution. "Consent of the governed" consists in accepting or rejecting the terms of the covenant. Ancient Israel is an example of a nation (not state) that accepted biblical government in which the superior party (God) gives the terms of the covenant. In contrast, "We the people" were governing when Moses was on Mt. Sinai receiving for the human party the obligations of "We the people" under the covenant of God.
The word "democracy" has, I have noticed, two different meanings nowadays. It can mean that people have a voice in how they are governed. In ancient Israel, local people chose their own local judges - people they knew and whose reputation was known among them. There was no legislative branch of government because that is a direct violation of the First Commandment; God is the law-giver. The constiution under God has 10 basic commandments in the executive summary of the covenant. The USA has over two million laws on the books. God gives no more than our fingers or toes that cover every area of law (once understood). The making of laws by legislatures eventually destroys the very foundation for law.
The second meaning of democracy is like that other Enlightenment social fantasy of Communism-Socialism; it is two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for lunch. In the second century, Justin Martyr said that "Opinions should be weighed, not counted." Asian cultures have understood this and in the 1980s for a while, Theory Z management was popular. Democracy divides people instead of uniting them to find the best solution to social problems. It is another bitter root of the Enlightenment.
Biblical government contains everything needed to address the problems of injustice. It is not being tried and found lacking but instead is not even tried. There is not a single state on earth that is under biblical government, though some (such as Belize and Panama) recognize in their constitutions that the highest authority over the country is God, not "We the people". The difference this makes can be seen in contrasting society in Belize with urban America.
There is quite a lot of interest in what is called "The Enlightenment" as if there were only one, and as if it had ever been the plan of Jesus and the Apostles to hide the truth of things from other people. Far from it.
Jesus is the truth, the life, and the way. Jesus told his disciples that everything hidden would be revealed, that what is whispered in an ear would be shouted from the rooftops. It is the decentralised technology of "transfer control protocol" and "internet protocol" that has made it impossible for the secrets of tyrants to be kept. Combined with open source software to prevent (microserf) malware from ratting out users, open source cryptography, certain kinds of indirection such as mixmaster virtual privacy networks, and location agnostic servers make it possible to have meaningful privacy for individuals.
These facts separate sovereignty from a limited number of aristocrats and bring it to the masses. Whether these things would have happened if God had stymied what the other side calls "the Enlightenment" isn't really pertinent. They exist, we are when we are.
What you say about Biblical governance, or the rule of God, is correct. I note with happiness you mention that it involves the consent of the governed. God is against coercion. God is against slavery. That is why the symbol of the slaves of the third servile insurrection, a man on a cross, is the symbol of God's chosen king, the one true king of all mankind, Jesus Christ.
Everyone must choose. Choose ye this day who ye will serve. Me and my family serve the Lord God. Amen.
"... the declaration of independence of 1776. It says that to protect the rights to life, liberty, property, and the pursuit of happiness, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the unanimous consent of the governed."
This is the essence of Enlightenment-derived humanistic government, where the highest authority on earth is "We the people." In contrast to this, biblical government, given by God, derives its just powers from the consent of the people to enter into a suzereignty covenant with God (Yahweh), where the covenant of God is the constitution. "Consent of the governed" consists in accepting or rejecting the terms of the covenant. Ancient Israel is an example of a nation (not state) that accepted biblical government in which the superior party (God) gives the terms of the covenant. In contrast, "We the people" were governing when Moses was on Mt. Sinai receiving for the human party the obligations of "We the people" under the covenant of God.
The word "democracy" has, I have noticed, two different meanings nowadays. It can mean that people have a voice in how they are governed. In ancient Israel, local people chose their own local judges - people they knew and whose reputation was known among them. There was no legislative branch of government because that is a direct violation of the First Commandment; God is the law-giver. The constiution under God has 10 basic commandments in the executive summary of the covenant. The USA has over two million laws on the books. God gives no more than our fingers or toes that cover every area of law (once understood). The making of laws by legislatures eventually destroys the very foundation for law.
The second meaning of democracy is like that other Enlightenment social fantasy of Communism-Socialism; it is two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for lunch. In the second century, Justin Martyr said that "Opinions should be weighed, not counted." Asian cultures have understood this and in the 1980s for a while, Theory Z management was popular. Democracy divides people instead of uniting them to find the best solution to social problems. It is another bitter root of the Enlightenment.
Biblical government contains everything needed to address the problems of injustice. It is not being tried and found lacking but instead is not even tried. There is not a single state on earth that is under biblical government, though some (such as Belize and Panama) recognize in their constitutions that the highest authority over the country is God, not "We the people". The difference this makes can be seen in contrasting society in Belize with urban America.
There is quite a lot of interest in what is called "The Enlightenment" as if there were only one, and as if it had ever been the plan of Jesus and the Apostles to hide the truth of things from other people. Far from it.
Jesus is the truth, the life, and the way. Jesus told his disciples that everything hidden would be revealed, that what is whispered in an ear would be shouted from the rooftops. It is the decentralised technology of "transfer control protocol" and "internet protocol" that has made it impossible for the secrets of tyrants to be kept. Combined with open source software to prevent (microserf) malware from ratting out users, open source cryptography, certain kinds of indirection such as mixmaster virtual privacy networks, and location agnostic servers make it possible to have meaningful privacy for individuals.
These facts separate sovereignty from a limited number of aristocrats and bring it to the masses. Whether these things would have happened if God had stymied what the other side calls "the Enlightenment" isn't really pertinent. They exist, we are when we are.
What you say about Biblical governance, or the rule of God, is correct. I note with happiness you mention that it involves the consent of the governed. God is against coercion. God is against slavery. That is why the symbol of the slaves of the third servile insurrection, a man on a cross, is the symbol of God's chosen king, the one true king of all mankind, Jesus Christ.
Everyone must choose. Choose ye this day who ye will serve. Me and my family serve the Lord God. Amen.
Amen! I am definitely on team Jesus!🙏🏻
Praise God. Amen.
I am 81. Imagine my disappointment! Brings murder most foul to mind.
A reckoning comes. God asks us to be patient a little longer. God also says "vengeance is mine."