Let me begin by saying I certainly don't think Jesus or the Bible instituted Democracy, necessarily support Democracy or, and this is most important, desired the creation of or bless the existence of the United States. I don't think that "Western Culture" is particularly good, especially where it isn't influenced by or doesn't follow Christ. Hell, I don't even think it was necessarily a good thing that the Greeks won the Greek-Persian war.
Side note: You know how we laud the Battle of Thermopylae? We watch "300" and cheer the Spartans and deride the Persians and put ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ ("Come and take them") on tattoos and bumper stickers? Why? If I'm correct, the battle was between 𐎧𐏁𐎹𐎠𐎼𐏁𐎠 (Xerxes the Great or Ahasuerus) from the Book of Esther, son of Darius, grandson of Cyrus, all kings who, at some point in their lives, came to worship the God of Israel. Right? On the other hand, we have the Spartans. Eugenicists who killed any child that wasn't perfect. (Weren't the early Christians the ones who rescued abandoned children to raised as their own?) Pederasts who took boys from their homes at an extremely young age and put them in horrendous environments to be trained as warriors. Who blooded themselves by killing helots. But we root for them because they're supporting "Western Civilization" and, I guess, they were badasses? Biblically speaking, on every point, why wouldn't we want the Persians to win?
So why might Democracy be the most Christlike form of government when, in the Bible, we see a Theocracy run by Elders (arguably something like Federalism and Representative Democracy ... but not really) followed by a Monarchy? Ok, here we go.
I've heard a lot of American Evangelicals say that God inspired the American Revolution and formation of the Constitution. No. Jesus says nothing about rights, for example, except giving them up. The only time Jesus talked about taxes was to say to pay them. The initial economic system used by the early Church was pure socialism. No, not socialism. Communism. There's definitely nothing that says we get to rebel against any authority that mistreats us. That happens in Maccabees, which Evangelicals reject. We're supposed to obey authority, even when it's evil, except when it asks us to do something evil. I'm not proof-reading Scripture, here, either. That's CLEARLY stated again and again both by Jesus and St. Paul.
Nevertheless, I think the American system of government is wise, not because it was informed by God or Scripture, but because it was realistic about men. Those bastards didn't trust each other at all, and they set up a government that reflected that. Central to the Constitution is the idea that power must not be held by one person or institution. It needs to be divided between multiple branches of government that each have ways to cancel out the other. It is, in a way, the governmental equivalent of Rock-Paper-Scissors. Furthermore, states are protected from each other and from the central government and individuals are protected from both. (Or they are now. Used to be that individuals weren't protected from the states and states are still mad that their rights to oppress individuals are being curtailed.)
While that may be wise, again, it's not particularly Christlike or Biblical. The Christlike and Biblical thing to do is just submit to whatever authority happens to be in authority over you. Even if it's King George III. Even if it's Biden. Even (shudder) if it's T****. Not because God ordained them, but because it's a chance for you to practice humility and obedience.
So, how is democracy Christlike?
In 2 Philippians 2:5-11, it talks about the mind of Christ that we need to have. In short, Jesus empties Himself of honor and power, in spite of being God, and makes Himself a slave. The Greek term for this is κένωσις (kenosis). You empty yourself of power, rights, etc. You put yourself in the hands of another. That, it seems to me, is kind of what Democracy is ... when it's done right. There's a lot of attempts to keep people from voting right now. But what if we could see it as a way to give away power to others ... to as many others as possible. Felons. People less educated than you. People more educated than you. Liberal elites. Bible Belt bumpkins. People younger or older than you. Other races. Other genders. People who question genders. We have the opportunity, if we will, to give away power to people that aren't like us.
I should note that I don't at all think that women will make better (or worse) choices than men or that Black or Brown people will make better (or worse) choices than Hwite people, etc. I don't trust them just as I don't trust myself and they shouldn't trust me, either. That is part of the reason, the same reason that inspired the Constitution. Recognize that we're all selfish assholes and should spread the power as much as possible in order to prevent a particular group of selfish assholes from making their particular brand of selfish assholery into law.
But, more than that, for Christians at least, the desire should be to empty yourself of power and Democracy seems like an effective way to do it.
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