In the historic 2024 election, President Donald J. Trump not only won the electoral vote but also the popular vote.
This puts those accusing him of being a "threat to democracy" in an awkward position.
Since the majority of citizens voted for him, those organizing resistance are now the ones being a "threat to democracy," as they are resisting a democratically-elected President.
Elon Musk remarked on TCN on X, October 7, 2024:
“Those who are saying that Trump is a threat to democracy are themselves actually the threat to democracy.”
In Greek, the word "demos" means "people" and "cracy" means "to rule."
A "democracy" is where the citizens rule themselves. The people are king.
"Democracy" has two basic definitions.
One is a reference to "popular" government, where the population is involved in ruling itself.
This definition was popularized by President Roosevelt during World War Two, contrasting democracy with Germany's National Socialist Workers Party; and by President Truman during the Cold War, contrasting democracy with the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
Truman stated in his Inaugural Address, January 20, 1949:
"Communism is based on the belief that man is so weak and inadequate that he is unable to govern himself, and therefore requires the rule of strong masters. Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with reason and justice.”
The other definition of democracy is a reference to the specific political system, such as what existed in the Greek city-state of Athens.
Noah Webster's 1828 Dictionary has the definition:
"DEMOCRACY, noun [Greek. People, and to possess, to govern.] Government by the people; a form of government, in which the supreme power is lodged in the hands of the people collectively, or in which the people exercise the powers of legislation. Such was the government of Athens."
As a political system, democracy only worked on a small-scale.
It was very time consuming, as every citizen was required to be present at every meeting, every day to talk about every issue. Those refusing to get involved in politics were liable to penalties.
Logistically, it could not function in an area larger than a city, as citizens were not able to travel longer distances to be in attendance everyday.
The Greek word for "city" is "polis," as in the names Indianapolis, Minneapolis, Annapolis, and Metropolis.
"Politics" is simply the "business of the city."
Residents of the "polis" were called "polités," and the way they treated each other was called being "polite."
In Latin, "city" residents were called "citi-zens," and the way they treated each other was called being "civil."
Citizens not keeping up with what was being talked about everyday were called "idiotes."
Thomas Sowell wrote in “Degeneration of Democracy,” June, 2010:
"A democracy needs informed citizens if it is to thrive, or ultimately even survive."
Will and Ariel Durant wrote in The Lessons of History (Simon & Schuster, 1968):
"Democracy is the most difficult of all forms of government, since it requires the widest spread of intelligence ... Ignorance ... lends itself to manipulation by the forces that mold public opinion."
Public opinion in ancient Greece was molded by the speaking technique of rhetoric, using ethos, logos, and pathos to persuade citizens.
Public opinion was also molded by the Greek invention of theater, with comedies, tragedies and satires. Plays ridiculed certain points of view and honored others.
From that time till now, media and entertainment have always political in a country where it is the people who make the decisions.
"Polités," or "citizens," ruled themselves, governing as co-rulers, co-sovereigns, co-kings.
Webster's 1828 Dictionary defined "KING" as:
"KING, n. 1. The chief or SOVEREIGN of a nation; a man invested with supreme authority over a nation, tribe or country; a monarch. Kings are absolute."
Where kings have "subjects" who are subjected to the king's will, democracies and republics have "citizens" who rule themselves.
The Greek city-state of Athens had about 6,000 citizens, who were called out of their homes to gather in the market place, called "agora," to discuss city business.
The gathering of citizens was called "ekklesia" - "ek" means "out of" and "klesia" means "calling."
Jesus used this word when he said in Matthew 16:18, "upon this rock I will build my ekklesia."
William Tyndale's 1535 Bible translates the verse: "upon this rock I will build my congregation."
W.D. Ross wrote in Aristotle (London, Methuen, 1937, p. 247):
"Aristotle's ... citizen is not content to have a say in the choosing of his rulers; every citizen is actually to rule ... not merely in the sense of being a member of the executive, but in the sense ... of helping to make the laws of his state."
What is the difference between a democracy and a republic?
A democracy could only get as large as a city, as every citizen had to be present everyday. In contrast, a "republic" could grow larger, as citizens could take care of their families and farms, and send representatives in their place to the city market to talk politics everyday.
An easy way to remember, is the word "republic" begins with the letters "r-e-p" and "representative" begins with the letters "r-e-p."
A "republican" form of government is a "representative" form of government.
In a "democracy," citizens rule themselves directly -- being physically present at every meeting. In contrast, in a "republic" citizens rule indirectly through representatives.
Webster's 1828 Dictionary defined "REPUBLIC" as:
"A state in which the exercise of the sovereign power is lodged in representatives elected by THE PEOPLE."
Democracies were unstable, as citizens could be stubborn or fickle, and easily susceptible to being swept up into emotional panic, irrational protests and frenzied riots -- a psychological phenomenon referred to as groupthink or mobocracy.
Fisher Ames warned the Massachusetts Convention, January 15, 1788:
"A democracy is a volcano which conceals the fiery materials of its own destruction."
In contrast, republics were slower to change, as decisions were made by representatives one-step-removed from the populace, allowing emotions to cool.
This is one of the criticisms of democratic state ballot initiatives, where people directly vote for constitutional amendments.
Billions of dollars can be spent on last minute deceptive commercials to sway the public, and secretaries of state can compose confusing ballot language, resulting in emotionally stirred up citizens voting for something they would otherwise oppose if they were educated and patiently worked through representatives.
Oswald Spengler wrote:
“Democracy has become a weapon of moneyed interests. It uses the media to create the illusion that there is consent from the governed ... Democracy is often ... a government by wealthy elites.”
The United States is a constitutional republic, with democratically-elected representatives.
Representatives are limited by rules set forth in the constitution.
Most importantly, the purpose of America's constitutional republic is to guarantee to each citizen their Creator-given rights, as acknowledged in the Declaration of Independence.
Jefferson wrote to the citizens of South Carolina, March 23, 1801:
“The will of the people is the only legitimate foundation of any government, and to protect its free expression should be our first object.”
Wisconsin Governor Robert M. La Follette, Sr., exclaimed: “The will of the people shall be the law of the land.”
Arkansas State Motto declares: “The People Rule.”
America's constitutional republic was an unprecedented experiment.
President Theodore Roosevelt stated in 1903:
"In NO other place and at NO other time has the experiment of government of the PEOPLE, by the PEOPLE, for the PEOPLE, been tried on so vast a scale as here in our own country."
Thomas Jefferson wrote in 1801 to Joseph Priestley (ME 10:229):
"We can no longer say there is nothing new under the sun. For this whole chapter in the history of man is new. The great extent of our republic is new. Its sparse habitation is new. The mighty wave of public opinion which has rolled over it is new."
Americans "pledge allegiance to the flag ... and to the republic for which it stands."
We are basically pledging allegiance to us being in charge of ourselves.
When someone protests the flag, what they are effectively saying is, "I don't want to be king anymore - I protest this system where I participate in ruling myself."
Should churches be involved in politics?
Well, in America, it was actually the churches that created the politics!
Nearly a century before Europe's "Age of Enlightenment," while most of the world was still ruled by kings, tsars, sultans, emperors, and chieftains, Pilgrims and Puritans fled from the King of England to settle New England.
They adapted the ancient Hebrew Republic's "covenant" government into the congregational church structure which was then adapted into their civil government structure.
In 1636, Congregational minister, Rev. Thomas Hooker, and his church, left Massachusetts to found Hartford, Connecticut.
His church members asked him to preach a sermon on how they should set up their government.
He began his sermon, May 31, 1638, citing the Bible verse:
"Deuteronomy 1:13
'CHOOSE YOU wise men and understanding and known among your tribes and I will make them heads over you captains over thousands, captains over hundreds, fifties, tens ...'"
Rev. Hooker continued:
"The choice of public magistrates belongs unto THE PEOPLE by Gods own allowance ...
The privilege of election ... belongs to THE PEOPLE ... according to the blessed will and law of God ...
They who have power to appoint officers and magistrates it is in their power also to set the bounds and limits of the power and places unto which they call them ...
The foundation of authority is laid firstly in the free consent of THE PEOPLE."
In Hartford's Travelers Square there is a bronze statue of Connecticut's first settlers with a plaque which reads:
"In June of 1635, about one hundred members of Thomas Hooker's congregation arrived safely in this vicinity with one hundred and sixty cattle. They followed old Indian trails from Massachusetts Bay Colony to the Connecticut River to build a community ...
Here they established the form of government upon which the present Constitution of the United States is modeled."
President Calvin Coolidge stated in July of 1926, at the 150th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence:
“Nonconformist clergy ... later made up the Congregational Church …
The great apostle of this movement was the Rev. John Wise of Massachusetts. He was one of the leaders of the revolt against the Royal Governor Andros in 1687, for which he suffered imprisonment ...
His works were reprinted in 1772 and have been declared to have been nothing less than a textbook of liberty for our Revolutionary father ...
It can scarcely be imagined that Jefferson was unacquainted … when he took up the task of drafting the Declaration of Independence …
... Rev. John Wise was writing in 1710 ... ‘Every man must be acknowledged equal to every man.’
Again, ‘The end of all good government is to cultivate humanity and promote the happiness of all and the good of every man in all his rights, his life, liberty, estate, honor, and so forth ...’
And again, ‘For as they have a power every man in his natural state, so upon combination they can and do bequeath this power to others and settle it according as their united discretion shall determine.’
And still again, ‘Democracy is Christ's government in church and state.’
Here was the doctrine of equality, popular sovereignty, and the substance of the theory of inalienable rights clearly asserted by Rev, Wise at the opening of the eighteenth century, just as we have the principle of the consent of the governed stated by Rev. Hooker as early as 1638."
Coolidge continued:
"The principles of human relationship which went into the Declaration of Independence … are found in the texts, the sermons, and the writings of the early colonial clergy who were earnestly undertaking to instruct their congregations in the great mystery of how to live.
They preached equality because they believed in the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man. They justified freedom by the text that we are all created in the divine image, all partakers of the divine spirit ...
Placing every man on a plane where he acknowledged no superiors, where no one possessed any right to rule over him, he must inevitably choose his own rulers through a system of self-government ..."
Coolidge concluded:
"This was their theory of democracy. In those days such doctrines would scarcely have been permitted to flourish and spread in any other country …
In order that they might have freedom to express these thoughts and opportunity to put them into action, whole congregations with their pastors had migrated to the colonies.”
President James K. Polk stated December 7, 1847:
"The PEOPLE are the only SOVEREIGNS recognized by our Constitution ...
The success of our admirable system is a conclusive refutation of the theories of those in other countries who maintain that a 'favored few' are born to rule and that the mass of mankind must be governed by force."
Signer of the Constitution Gouverneur Morris stated:
"This magistrate is not the king. The PEOPLE are the KING."
John Jay, the First Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, wrote in Chisholm v. Georgia, 1793:
"The PEOPLE are the SOVEREIGN of this country."
Signer of Constitution James Wilson stated at the Pennsylvania Convention to ratify the U.S. Constitution:
"SOVEREIGNTY resides in THE PEOPLE; they have not parted with it."
John Adams wrote:
"Thirteen (state) governments thus founded on the natural authority of THE PEOPLE alone."
Thomas Jefferson wrote to William Johnson, 1823:
"But the Chief Justice says, 'There must be an ULTIMATE ARBITER somewhere.' True, there must ... The ULTIMATE ARBITER is THE PEOPLE."
James Madison wrote in Federalist No. 46, 1788:
"The ULTIMATE AUTHORITY ... resides in THE PEOPLE ALONE."
Chief Justice John Marshall wrote in the case of Cohens v. Virginia, 1821:
"THE PEOPLE made the Constitution, and THE PEOPLE can unmake it. It is the creature of their own will, and lives only by their will."
Abraham Lincoln stated in a debate with Stephen Douglas:
"THE PEOPLE of these United States are the rightful MASTERS of both congresses and courts."
President Andrew Jackson wrote to William B. Lewis, August 19, 1841:
"THE PEOPLE are the government, administering it by their agents; they are the government, the SOVEREIGN POWER."
Instead of Europe's "divine right of kings," President Grover Cleveland stated of the United States, July 13, 1887:
"The SOVEREIGNTY of SIXTY MILLIONS of FREE PEOPLE, is ... the working out ... of the divine right of man to govern himself and a manifestation of God's plan concerning the human race."
General Omar Bradley stated in 1948:
"In the United States it is the PEOPLE who are SOVEREIGN ... The Government is theirs to speak their voice and to voice their will."
President Gerald Ford stated at Southern Methodist University, September 13, 1975:
"Never forget that in America our SOVEREIGN is the CITIZEN ... The State is a servant of the individual. It must never become an anonymous monstrosity that masters everyone."
President Calvin Coolidge stated in 1924:
"The history of government on this earth has been almost entirely ... rule of force held in the HANDS OF A FEW.
Under our Constitution, America committed itself to power in the HANDS OF THE PEOPLE."
Ronald Reagan opened the John Ashbrook Center in 1983, stating of America's founders:
"The Founding Fathers understood that only by making government the servant, not the master, only by positing SOVEREIGNTY in THE PEOPLE and not the state can we hope to protect freedom."
Another question to be asked is, if the PEOPLE are KING, who are the COUNSELORS to the KING?
In 374 AD, the Christian Roman Emperor Theodosius the First went to church in Milan, Italy, where the pastor was Bishop Saint Ambrose.
Imagine what it must have been like to be Saint Ambrose with the Emperor sitting in your church pew.
Yet that is exactly what is the case in America.
At the time of America's founding, about 98 percent of the population was Protestant, one percent Catholic, and one-tenth of a percent Jewish.
In 1965, 93 percent of the country was Christian, being 69 percent Protestant and 24 percent Catholic, with three percent of the country Jewish.
In 2015, 70 percent of Americas identified themselves as Christian.
A a more recent Pew poll reported only 65 percent Christian.
Though trending down, it is still a majority.
In America, the people are the king, and the majority of the people are Christian, which means they listen to pastors.
Pastors are essentially counselors to the KING, as Saint Ambrose was to Emperor Theodosius.
A scene from the movie The Lord of the Rings provides an allegory.
King
Théoden let his kingdom be overrun as he had been asleep - under a spell.
A wicked counselor to the King named Wormtongue had been whispering in the King's ear to stay asleep.
Another counselor to the King was Gandalf, who broke the evil spell and woke up the king up.
King
Théoden dramatically came to his senses and took authority.
This scene demonstrates two different kinds of pastors:
one kind of pastor, like Wormtongue, are those who whisper in the ear of the "KING-PEOPLE" to stay asleep, do not get involved in politics, even though their country faces destruction;
the other kind of pastor, like Gandalf, are those who want the "KING-PEOPLE" to wake up and take responsibility - a responsibility for which they will be held accountable before God.
"To him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin." - James 4:17
It is the pastors' job to wake up the King!
If pastors claim to be spiritual, only "preaching the Gospel," but are not involved with preserving the freedom to preach the Gospel, especially to school children, their actions reveal they do not think the Gospel is all that important?
If they did, they would be like Peter before the Sanhedrin, resisting the overreaching government mandate to "not teach in this name." They would push back against attempts to shut down churches with unconstitutional mandates.
At the very least, they would object to government schools teaching children that God does not exist and to experiment sexually.
For if sex outside of marriage is not sin, arguably there are no sins, and if there are no sins, you certainly do not need for a Savior to save you from your sins! Matthew 1:21
Government schools are undermining the entire Gospel, teaching there is no God, no sin, and no need for a Savior.
You have to admit it is a pretty clever trick the devil has pulled - to get Christians who believe the Gospel of Christ let their children be taught the gospel of anti-christ.
How can some be so spiritual as to not care that they are leaving an unspiritual country to their children.
Proverbs 13:22 "A good man leaves an inheritance to his children 's children."
The MOST important thing is to bring people to Christ, yet the SECOND MOST important thing is to preserve the freedom to do the most important thing!
In America, each citizen, in a sense, gets to be the king, with a lowercase "k," over his or her own life, and together, citizens are co-kings over the country.
Citizens have the opportunity of willingly surrendering their lives to Jesus - the King of Kings!
Psalm 110:3 "Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power."
Just as Jesus saves through believers preaching the Gospel;
and His love is displayed through believers caring for the needy;
would it not follow that Jesus being King is manifested through believers taking responsibility for what happens in their communities!
Consider an illustration:
Imagine traveling through a kingdom to visit a KING, and on the way, you witness crime and corruption.
As you enter the KING's chamber, he reluctantly looks up at you and asks, "Did you see all the crime and corruption as you came in here ... I wish someone would fix this mess."
You reach over and tap the KING on the shoulder, and tell him, excuse me, but YOU are the KING, this is YOUR kingdom -- YOU are the one accountable to God to fix this mess!
That is like citizens in America watching television, seeing crime and corruption, and saying "I wish someone would fix this mess."
Hello -- a finger should reach through the TV screen and tap you on the shoulder saying "YOU are the KING. YOU are the one accountable to God to fix this mess."
Someone may say, yes, but I need someone to tell me what to do.
Since when does the King sit on his throne and ask, "Can someone tell me what to do? Hey butler, cook, can someone tell me what I suppose to do?"
No -- in America, it is each citizen's job to get educated on the issues, seek God's will, vote in your representatives, and then tell them what is supposed to happen. YOU are the King!
Voting is not just a privilege, but a responsibility.
Pastors need to warn their church members, --
"You do not just have the right to vote in America, you will be held accountable to God for what happens!"
James Wilson wrote in his Lectures on Law, 1790-91:
"In a free country, EVERY CITIZEN forms a part of the SOVEREIGN POWER: he possesses a vote."
Not to VOTE is to abdicate the throne!
Some apathetically say, "Don't vote, just pray and trust God!"
The Founding Fathers considered this attitude "tempting God."
During the Revolution, Connecticut Governor Jonathan Trumbull wrote:
"To trust altogether to the justice of our cause, without our utmost exertion, would be tempting Providence."
Billy Graham stated:
"Bad politicians are elected by good people who don't vote."
Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., criticized silent pastors:
"The church is the conscience of the state."
Ronald Reagan stated in 1961:
"In this country of ours took place the GREATEST REVOLUTION that has ever taken place IN THE WORLD'S HISTORY ... Every other revolution simply exchanged one set of rulers for another ...
Here for the first time in all the THOUSANDS OF YEARS of man's relation to man ... the founding fathers established the idea that YOU and I had WITHIN OURSELVES the GOD-GIVEN RIGHT and ABILITY to DETERMINE OUR OWN DESTINY."
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We all know most of this if we were not allowed to sleep through class in school. Of course I went thru before no child left behind was implemented. Our education system has to change before we can be free again. Our educators get paid by the government how can they be expected to teach anything other than big government? Their lively hood depends on the government getting bigger. I am a southerner the greatest black man to live in my lifetime is Martin Luther King. The X 2 time president of the United States is not quilified by carry Dr. Kings suit case anywhere! Dr. King did not ask for anything free! All that he asked for was to give his people an equal chance. Other so called leaders have rode his back to stardom and riches. Dr. King paid the price for all of them. If he was still leading the black community the entire county would be better off today. Someone or group of someone’s got stupid and greedy then things got worse. I never thought DT would be elected although I am glad he did. I pray that he survives trying to help us. If you look at the last assains since JFK they were socialist and liberals.
William J. Federer, your command of history and governments, is absolutely astounding. Thoroughly edified by your insights, that the Lord our God, positioned you for such a time as this! The awesome responsibility we the citizens of the United States of America have, in being in possession of good government. Praise God we repented as a nation for God now to do a great work, by reason of His faithful servant, Donald J. Trump and to continue in prayer for all whom he appoints in this colossal task. That they all be determined steadfast men and women of God, recognizing that their performance will be held accountable by the Almighty, in the mighty name of our Lord, JESUS of Nazareth!!!
What a WONDERFUL HISTORY & BIBLE LESSON! Thank you! I will save it !
THIS IS THE PURE GOSPEL NEEDED IN OUR PULPITS AND OUR HOMES FOR OUR ETERNITY!…..TEACH YOUR CHILDREN AS YOU SIT…..AS YOU RISE….AS YOU WALK ALONG THE WAY…..AND AS YOU LIE DOWM……”THE SHEMA”..Deut. 6:…….Then it will be in our Homes, Churches, Schools, and Government!!…..PRAY FOR A GREAT REVIVAL… AN OUTPOURING OF HIS HOLY SPIRIT REVIVAL!!