Democracy hacked

WE need to be wary of a certain observable drift in world developments, especially in the area of politics, which show signs that things are taken out of their proper foundation.

            This refers to the general understanding, with its related way of living it, of the very concept of democracy. There are indications, each time getting clearer, that democracy is practically hacked and then defaced in the sense that it is detached from its proper life source.

            Democracy, as articulated by many of our political leaders today here and abroad, is openly being removed from God as its source and is slowly but steadily being propped up by mere human maneuverings with the more powerful and gifted in terms of talents, money, popularity if not in terms of guns and goons getting undue advantage of the others.

            Democracy has become a purely human game with hardly any relation to a law that ultimately comes from God. It has exaggerated and absolutized its principle, coined by the American President Lincoln of being a “government of the people, by the people and for the people.”

            It seems the general and common understanding of democracy now has practically forgotten that all authority comes from God and should be used in accordance to God’s laws that actually allow a certain autonomy given our human condition.

            This autonomy is supposed to accommodate the many different and legitimate options we can have in pursuing our temporal affairs, like our politics, but options that do not go against God’s laws. Otherwise, that autonomy is abused and would already be a distortion if not a negation of such freedom and autonomy.

            But these days, it would seem that any appeal to God in working out our politics and all other temporal affairs like our business, culture, education, etc.,  is taboo, is a no-no, is a contradiction to our very humanity, our rights and freedom, etc.

            And so, from this weak conception of democracy, graver errors start getting committed not only individually but also collectively. Now RH is ok with its open approval of contraception. Divorce is being mulled.

            In other countries, abortion is already legal, euthanasia is approved, and same-sex unions are promoted. All these coming as a result of a so-called democratic mentality where if there is a majority or a significant number of the people asking for anything regardless of its morality, then it should be given.

            In the States today, the push to legalize same-sex marriages by presenting it as a way to have a kind of marriage equality is a clear example of how democracy is defaced and has gone amok. It is not anymore inspired by God’s law, but rather by human preferences.

            We need to overcome this prejudice that, I imagine, comes from a certain mentality that at least sidelines God if not deny his existence and his providence altogether.

            We need to realize that especially in this crucial aspect of our life—our politics that affects all of us—a clear and strong reference to God is made as one of democracy’s fundamental principles.

            Otherwise, we would be left on our own, and with that, we can never have some universal, absolute basis for what is good and bad, what is fair and not fair.

            We should not be afraid that this attitude of putting God in our politics and democratic exercises might compromise the freedom of the non-believers, since if we truly believe in God then we would know how to treat those who don’t believe in God in charity.

            Christ himself said that we should love our enemies and he even died on the cross for the love of all, including those who did not and continue not to love him.

            Thus, in electing our public officials, we need to see how each one of them is regarding his understanding of democracy. Is God in it or not? Does he know how to put God in his political agenda? Does he realize that democracy is one important venue where our duty to give glory to God is expressed?

            This, of course, is not going to be an easy task. It’s a very sensitive and volatile issue that can easily provoke unnecessary conflicts and troubles, but it has to be done. We just have to pray and hope for the best, humble enough to learn from whatever mistake we may commit along the way.

            But, yes, we need to restore the true nature and character of democracy. Let’s keep it from being hacked.