Another article about democracy.

For centuries already we consider democracy as the most desirable form of government. However, more and more we discover that also democracy doesn’t escape the problems which plague other forms of government. We see that those who are in power, whether they are democratically elected or not, almost always get corrupted by power. After a while, also democratic leaders are so obsessed by either power, or money, or both, that they are not guided anymore by what is good for the people, but more by what is good for themselves.

Another form of corruption is what we recently see, and about which Margaret Helder writes an instructive article in ‘Reformed Perspective’. Scientists are claiming more and more that they have the wisdom and that their wisdom should prevail over the opinions of the common people. Where in a democracy the principle is that the people govern themselves, there more and more now the scientists claim that people are often to ‘stupid’ to be able to govern themselves. People who do not agree with them are often labeled as ‘idiots’ or ‘dissenters, doubters and right-wing jackals’.

It may be true that from time to time the people have opinions which are not based on the truth, or they let themselves be influenced by populists who care more about their goals than the truth. But isn’t that the principle of democracy: the people together determine what truth is?

In a previous article I already stated that democracy is not necessarily the best form of government, if it is not based on biblical principles. Here again, we should consider: who determines what is truth? Scientists often claim that they know it better and therefore should have more influence in policy decisions being made. But do they have the truth?  Or do economists have the whole truth?

This development is another example that democracy is under threat and that we are moving, again, into the direction of an oligarchy or aristocracy.

This article in Reformed Perspective is highly recommended. 

Dr. Margaret Helder is the author of No Christian Silence in Science, a book every Christian teen considering a career in Science should read before heading off to university.