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Government of a Reluctant People Requires the Rule of Law, or the Rule of One: To which Must the Choice be Submitted

Reader comment on item: Islam and Democracy - Much Hard Work Needed
in response to reader comment: I disagree: the prophet Samuel and the will of the people, for instance

Submitted by M. Tovey (United States), Mar 25, 2011 at 17:10

So it is a continuation of the age-old argument, does man rule: or does Almighty God? Ask a fundamentalist Christian and he/she will say that the Biblical answer will always result in the rule of Almighty God. Now this has been argued and diluted over the centuries as denominations have found it necessary to provide humanist explanations for concepts that rebellious Christianesque followers are reluctant, if not in total abjection, to believe for truth. Most recently, we are made aware of a book that puts into prominent publication that long time issue of people finding it hard to believe that a loving God would send people to hell. But that is what this time on earth is supposed to show: that there are good choices; and bad ones.

Now, immediately, there is going to be the question/assertion, that: what does this have to do with democracy; and how might it apply, if at all, to democracies in Muslim held lands? One might wonder, until looking around to see the obstinance of the Muslim sensibilities in predominantly Islamic territories to follow the rule of law in democratically ruled societies.

To avoid anarchy, there must be the rule of law. Christianesque societies adopted the basis of Mosiac law; Islam could not and does not accept that out of hand. Enter the reasoning of those who would not care to follow either set of tenets; and we have the rule of man (the concept of free choice, misapplied). If democratic rule is to be applied, only one rule need be appled for success: it must be based on an absolute truth or it will fail-just as the Holy Bible says.

Now from a decidedly fundamentalist Christian view, the concepts of Mosaic law forms the original basis of the rule of law in America. This is the way it came down over the centuries after the fall of man (bad choices made way back then), after mankind lost its ability for rule of self-determination. To base a democracy on secular precepts is to lose the reason the original rule of law worked in America. We can see whow that is working for Americans today.

In the Holy Bible, we read "And God saith, 'Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness, and let them rule over fish of the sea, and over fowl of the heavens, and over cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that is creeping on the earth.'" When original sin entered into the circumstances of humanity, sin complicated human reason with the bad idea that man could function as a god. It has proved to be the main reason that many are not able to get along with one another.

Now returning to topic, do we not see that in the factiousness occurring in Muslim settings in Iraq where Sunni and Shiite cannot seem to get along? How about elsewhere, like in the latest instability manifesting itself in Yemen, Syria and elsewhere? Are they hankering for democracy; or is it that the Yemeni and Syrian governments are being hammered for not being Islamic enough? Maybe that is what Turkey has modeled.

Ultimately, the unrest that seems to be sweeping the Muslim world in the Middle East is a precursor to the ultimate model that the fundamental Muslim mindset wants for government. Democracy will have no part; for democracy as a model in a basic Muslim society is in direct conflict with fundamentalist Islam. We have a difficult time seeing free choice as a ultimate circumstance as a result in these situations.

Conversely, in the original Mosaic model, if we are to look at the premise that Samuel's warning went unheeded and the people chose their king; this occurred not in spite of the warning, but as a consequence of disobedience to the warning. Further, it is an error to say that Almighty God was increasing His distance; the people in their rebellion were the culprits in closing Almighty God out in their daily observance of life. And look where it got them. Were it not for the fact that Almighty God had planned for their rejection of His rule, they would have blithely went headlong into their own destruction at the hand of surrounding enemies of the sons of Israel until Almighty God provided His own choice for their King, the predecessor to the Messiah, King David.

That premise, still intact and functioning today, is what we see happening today as the world is realigning itself as they relate to Israel today. Everyone seems intent to seek their own course and cannot get a grip on how to bring a self-destructive world to make peace with Israel, let alone amongst the squabbling neighbors who are, by all appearances, striving to get aligned in a fundamentalist Islamic way.

And finally, to call Christianity a 'passive-resistant' approach to Roman rule seems to be a labeling process that does not understand how a true Christian is supposed to function in world that strives to shed itself of Christian precepts of relationship through faith in Jesus Christ in His love. Until humanity gets that one right, then the concept of freewill can never be understood in the humanist logic that seems so easily embraced in these days. In reality, there is only one free choice; all others have consequences. Getting that right is necessary before anyone can embrace democracy in the current frame of time.

Submitting....

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Reader comments (96) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
1Democracy is obligatory and not optional [125 words]PrashantApr 17, 2017 21:14238583
1Really ? [167 words]TimeConceptorJul 16, 2011 20:58187464
Noorse overheid zeker als politieke aanvoerder van de islamisering [827 words]isaakAug 5, 2011 05:22187464
TURKIJE STEUNT MOSLIMTERRORISTEN IN IRAK, ISRAËL, ZUID KAUKASUS, BALKAN LANDEN, LIBANON EN SYRIË [4155 words]isaakJul 7, 2011 07:33187083
Met terreurnetwerk Al-Qaida verbonden strijdgroepen werven steeds intensiever onder West-Europese moslimjongeren. [1215 words]sanneMay 7, 2014 08:56187083
Democracy... [42 words]gmsFeb 23, 2011 15:21182909
1incomplete list [194 words]the Grand Infidel of KaffiristanFeb 24, 2011 20:13182909
5A religion of law [282 words]Malcolm SmithFeb 19, 2011 02:12182818
Like turtle clamming up! [81 words]moon lightFeb 18, 2011 02:56182793
1One man, one vote, one time [11 words]Hari IyerFeb 16, 2011 18:54182755
one man, one vote, , The world will end sooner than to see democracy in Muslim world. [379 words]moonlightFeb 18, 2011 04:36182755
1El islam no admite interpretar textos. [173 words]doneloysFeb 15, 2011 19:34182720
1Religion and Democracy [214 words]Peter HerzFeb 11, 2011 19:26182553
1demurral about religion and democracy [725 words]Kepha HorFeb 11, 2011 19:16182552
democracy and the national identity [77 words]mythFeb 11, 2011 16:22182548
3Perhaps we should have waited for the reformation of the Third Reich [106 words]meyse kapeyerFeb 8, 2011 18:58182464
If only political correctness had come to the scene, we would still be waiting for reformation of the Third Reich!!1 [82 words]JaladhiFeb 10, 2011 12:17182464
1Agree with Dr. Pipes [259 words]Imad Al-SukkariFeb 8, 2011 15:49182455
4The real clash is two types of (Sunni) Islam [390 words]There is NO Santa ClausFeb 9, 2011 10:59182455
4"uniquely incompatible" - Indeed! [1663 words]Ron ThompsonFeb 8, 2011 14:38182450
ALL RELGIONS [165 words]ALANFeb 15, 2011 19:39182450
The Brotherhood's BFF [435 words]Arlinda DeAngelisFeb 8, 2011 11:38182439
Islam and democracy in Egypt [167 words]Abraham46Feb 8, 2011 10:35182436
Moderate MB? [42 words]Kepha HorFeb 11, 2011 19:32182436
Not so hopeful [132 words]Joe Six-PackFeb 8, 2011 10:17182435
Schari'a and Democracy [498 words]Gabriel AngeFeb 8, 2011 08:49182431
MUHAMMED AND JESUS !!!!!!!! [202 words]FarheenFeb 13, 2011 15:01182431
Another Wrong Idea About Trying to Make Jesus Christ a Muslim-Islam Does NOT Reveal Who Jesus Christ Really IS! [770 words]M. ToveyFeb 23, 2011 19:18182431
1MUHAMMAD IS NOT THE PROMISED COMFORTER [1083 words]Nur el Masih Ben HaqFeb 24, 2011 11:35182431
democracy [82 words]gmsFeb 25, 2011 14:59182431
1There Will Be NO Democracy in Heaven: Isaiah 9:6 [915 words]M. ToveyFeb 28, 2011 12:01182431
Democracy [39 words]gmsMar 17, 2011 15:52182431
1Original Mathematics Provided by Almighty God - Rule of One Versus the Rule of Many [173 words]M. ToveyMar 21, 2011 11:30182431
democracy [120 words]gmsApr 26, 2011 15:33182431
Belief is All One Has When Facing the Truth of Almighty God - No Democratic Politics in Heaven [194 words]M. ToveyApr 27, 2011 18:18182431
1islam and democracy never [400 words]rodney allsworthFeb 8, 2011 05:54182427
Islam and Democracy [188 words]Ghulam MuhammedFeb 8, 2011 00:44182416
3why not Eskimo law? [424 words]the Grand Infidel of KaffiristanFeb 14, 2011 07:20182416
Islam [42 words]GretFeb 7, 2011 22:20182411
1I Disagree - This Is Just Wishful Thinking [148 words]CAFeb 7, 2011 21:55182409
democracy [37 words]gmsFeb 25, 2011 15:15182409
hypocrisy and democracy [196 words]the Grand Infidel of KaffiristanFeb 27, 2011 19:17182409
democracy [80 words]gmsMar 17, 2011 15:37182409
3"Post hoc, ergo propter hoc" is not always a fallacy. [242 words]Peter ForsytheFeb 7, 2011 21:48182408
I disagree: the prophet Samuel and the will of the people, for instance [71 words]Abu NudnikFeb 7, 2011 18:47182405
Government of a Reluctant People Requires the Rule of Law, or the Rule of One: To which Must the Choice be Submitted [908 words]M. ToveyMar 25, 2011 17:10182405
7Imago Dei [139 words]Prof. Paul EidelbergFeb 7, 2011 18:40182403
a further point [60 words]rwFeb 8, 2011 04:24182403
The image of God [18 words]Abu NudnikFeb 8, 2011 11:26182403
1A Clue to the ABSENCE of Conscience in Islam? [674 words]Ron ThompsonFeb 17, 2011 15:30182403
Islam & Democracy [215 words]John W. Beason, DDSFeb 7, 2011 17:06182402
RE: John W. Beason's comments [110 words]Ghulam MuhammedFeb 8, 2011 00:57182402
2Oil and Water [64 words]Francis ThorntonFeb 7, 2011 15:02182398
172 virgins [44 words]ALAN MASARFeb 8, 2011 16:42182398
perversion of the term "martyr" [41 words]Abu NudnikFeb 14, 2011 22:37182398
Perversion of the term Martyr- my thoughts exactly! [177 words]saraFeb 15, 2011 17:35182398
Islam and Democracy - would take a long time to fuse. [48 words]KamathFeb 7, 2011 14:56182397
Well argued [8 words]Lloyd KleinFeb 7, 2011 14:41182396
Honored [139 words]Barry BlackFeb 7, 2011 14:25182395
3Islam and democracy [12 words]JImFeb 7, 2011 13:54182394
3ISLAM IS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH DEMOCRACY [294 words]JACQUES HADIDAFeb 7, 2011 13:10182392
1Agree that Islam can never be democratic [344 words]Charlie M.Feb 7, 2011 22:48182392
1Kemal Attaturk [172 words]Amin RiazFeb 8, 2011 03:09182392
bible and israel [72 words]alanFeb 15, 2011 19:08182392
- - = - [115 words]Amin RiazFeb 17, 2011 04:31182392
Amin refers to a a "man-made book" [19 words]TedFeb 17, 2011 23:42182392
What Book? [53 words]Robert BensonFeb 18, 2011 02:51182392
The Bible Obviously. [20 words]Amin RiazFeb 19, 2011 13:46182392
Ataturk [38 words]burhanFeb 26, 2011 11:38182392
1A dictators whims [16 words]Amin RiazFeb 27, 2011 22:40182392
The Race for Democracy [292 words]M. ToveyApr 14, 2011 17:57182392
huh? [132 words]Amin RiazApr 18, 2011 21:39182392
Secular Views Not Explaining Biblical View - Explained - Biblical Understanding 101 Explained by Others [386 words]M. ToveyApr 19, 2011 17:15182392
1Why The Jews as a Race Still Exist - and Exists as a Nation Today [369 words]M. ToveyApr 19, 2011 17:51182392
4More islamic hypocrisy and ignorance [491 words]dhimmi no moreApr 20, 2011 17:43182392
Boring, Boring, Boring [34 words]Amin RiazApr 27, 2011 21:54182392
3Our dear Amin says that he is smart! Oh the Muslim ego! [175 words]dhimmi no moreApr 28, 2011 19:19182392
Prove You Right [35 words]Amin RiazApr 30, 2011 02:27182392
2Islamic hypocrisy [96 words]dhimmi no moreMay 1, 2011 06:09182392
2What Islamic Hypocrisy? [40 words]PrashantMay 3, 2011 03:12182392
1Re the ancient fallacy [169 words]Benjamin Lee HegemanFeb 7, 2011 13:10182391
I don't understand [13 words]Abu NudnikFeb 8, 2011 14:11182391
defence [25 words]Benjamin Lee HegemanFeb 8, 2011 19:43182391
9...Western history? [417 words]TL WinslowFeb 7, 2011 13:00182390
Next page in Bernard Lewis's Clash of Civilization [201 words]Ghulam MuhammedFeb 9, 2011 00:09182390
A simpler way [317 words]Danny BoydFeb 10, 2011 17:13182390
Nice Observations [70 words]Amin RiazApr 27, 2011 22:05182390
3Educated Muslims? [172 words]dhimmi no moreApr 28, 2011 19:36182390
A winning argument. [108 words]Amin RiazApr 30, 2011 02:42182390
Go right ahead. [8 words]Amin RiazApr 30, 2011 02:44182390
2Educated muslims? A real oxymoron [172 words]dhimmi no moreMay 1, 2011 06:03182390
I take it as a compliment [61 words]Amin RiazMay 2, 2011 22:10182390
1Democracy and Islam - Incompatible by definition!!! [163 words]JaladhiFeb 7, 2011 12:40182389
Re:Jalladhi's Jihad [207 words]Ghulam MuhammedFeb 8, 2011 23:47182389
Hope for the Best, But Keep Both Eyes Open [60 words]Barry BlackFeb 7, 2011 12:09182384
right on! [104 words]phyllisFeb 7, 2011 12:00182383

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