Theocracy

Theocracy is a form of government ruled by divine means or by leaders considered to be divinely guided.

Examples of Theocracies

• Pagan kingdoms and empires under god-kings and pharaohs and shamans in ancient times before 1000 B.C. and up into the 19th century, in the Far East, India, Africa, Pre-colonial Americas and Pacific islands.

• Israel was a theocracy before King Saul was anointed c. 1040 B.C. as God's representative, subject to the prophet Samuel.

• The United Monarchy of Judah and Israel under the anointed kings David and Solomon, and then Judah under the anointed kings in the line of David, from Rehoboam to Zedekiah (Siege of Jerusalem 587 B.C.)

• Plato's ideal Republic (c. 350 B.C.).

• After the Maccabean Revolt, Judea was a theocracy 152 B.C. to 63 B.C. under the Hasmonean dynasty of the high priests.

• The Christian Roman Empire after Constantine (c. A.D. 363).

• The Byzantine Empire and Christian Europe under the Holy Roman Emperors, 4th through 15th centuries. Eastern Orthodoxy holds that a true emperor is God's anointed representative on earth.

• Arabia and the Middle East under Mohammed and Islamic caliphs and sultans

• The legendary (fictional) kingdom of Prester John beginning the 12th century.

• The Papal States under the Catholic popes, until 1870.

• The Russias under the Czar as emperor, obedient to the Russian Orthodox Church up to the abdication of Nicholas II (1917).

• Utopian communities founded in the United States and Europe 16th through 20th centuries, such as the Amish. See especially Religious socialism.

• Geneva, Switzerland during the Genevan Reform under John Calvin.

• The several hundred year old Buddhist theocracy, established in Tibet with the assumption of power by the Dalai Lamas in 1642, inaugurating the era of "harmonious blend of religion and politics", and headed by the current Dalai Lama, before atheist Communist China invaded in 1950 in order to "liberate" it from religion.

• Salt Lake City and Utah under the prophets and Council of Elders of the Latter-day Saints in the 19th century in the United States.

• The Islamic Republic of Iran is a modern-day theocracy, as many commentators believe that the real power in its government lies not in allegedly "democratically-elected" leaders like Mahmoud Ahmadinejad but in clerics within the government since Iranian law requires Presidential candidates to be approved by the Guardian Council and some Iranian laws on homosexuality and adultery come from the Sharia .

• The Vatican of the Roman Catholic Church is a formal Christian theocracy, with the Pope as head of both church and state. By technicality, Vatican City is a theocracy, as it is ruled by the Pope, placed by a divine election.
• Only two democracies reserve places in their legislature specifically for representatives of the state religion, these are the aforementioned Islamic Republic of Iran and the United Kingdom where Bishops of the Church of England sit in the upper chamber, the House of Lords under the designation of Lords Spiritual.

Theocracy as tyranny

C.S. Lewis wrote:

Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience. [5]

Theocracy may also describe any government which seeks to impose religious principles or law, such as the Sharia, or the Hindu laws of Manu Smriti on its population, even if the government is formally secular.

One well known example of such a state is Saudi Arabia where the legal system is based on Sharia (Islamic law as interpreted by state authorities), Saudi Arabia also has a religious police

In Israel, civil cases under the Halakhah (traditional Jewish law based on the Torah) are allowed.

Theocracy and the Kingdom of Heaven

In a society where most people are centered on God, and really in touch with His love and His will, the formal system of laws and courts will probably be less necessary. Rev. Moon said, "Eventually we will not need elections. If people go back to their hometowns and serve they will be asked to take public offices, become a king or queen, whoever becomes the center of their hometown does not need to be elected." (unofficial sermon notes, Nov. 23, 2010)

This idea is in contrast to the a forcible theocracy, in which theocratic law is imposed with penalties.

Arguments against theocracy

• Stifling of free speech and freedom of religion. In a theocracy, it would be counterlogical to allow the citizens to know, or accept other religions or ideologies. Presumably, some mechanism will be placed to prevent dangerous speech, or make the ideas within artificially unwanted.
• Thought is severely engineered, to prevent "dangerous" thoughts (Atheism, etc).
• Unaccountable government. Because the government is supposedly an extension of a deity, they cannot be held accountable.

See also

• Islamic republic
• Big government Welfare state leads to Nanny state, leads to Police state
• Jewish philosophy
• Oligarchy
• Aristocracy
• Corporatocracy - Crony capitalism
• Dictatorship
• Kleptocracy
• Meritocracy
• Military junta
• Oligopoly
• Plutocracy
• Technocracy