Living in a Kakistocracy

Ever heard of a kakistocracy?  It’s government by the least qualified or most unprincipled citizens.   

If there were such an organization in our country, who do you suppose would be a member?   

Don’t make the mistake of thinking the answer depends on what your individual political preferences are.  Keep in mind that truth is truth no matter who is involved, no matter what year it is, and no matter what the prevailing whims of the general population may be.  Truth, in fact, is timeless.

It doesn’t matter how well the person communicates the idea, if it’s a bad idea.  It doesn’t matter how white their smile, because a smile can’t make something true.  If the messenger is wrong, he’s wrong.   

Here’s a piece of truth for ya:  Some people should not be allowed to govern because, 1) they are not qualified and, 2) they don’t have principles.  

Those who approach everything in life from a Christian worldview have an easier time understanding the implications inherent in embracing right and rejecting wrong.  Without these firm convictions, we bob and weave our way through life hoping for the best, grasping at half-truths, and arriving at good decisions by a process of hit and miss.  The manifestations are apparent in people who refuse to take responsibility for their own mistakes, who delight in the misfortune of their opponents, and who participate in cheating the electoral system.   

This stuff about principle matters, folks, and it doesn’t matter only in certain areas of our lives.  Principle is important at church, at work, and in relationships.  Our principles guide decisions about whether we can afford a certain car.  They help us to decide how much to pay for our clothing.  The same mental processes are used in deciding whom to befriend and why. Principles of truth must also be used when deciding whom we should vote for.   

If we don’t want to be ruled by a kakistocracy, each of us needs to habitually make principled decisions, even in the area of politics.  We should ask ourselves:  Do I side with the person who makes a stand for innocent lives, or do I follow the other person?  Do I stand with the person who has served his country well, or do I stand with the person who shows distain for it?  Do I stand with the person who talks about principles, or the person who lives them?  This isn’t rocket science, you know.   

A Christian worldview sees actions through the lens of timeless truths.  It recognizes that politicians are mortal, and they cannot bring us lasting world peace no matter what they say or do.  They will either bring temporary peace through strength, or they will bring war by appeasing the enemy.  

This worldview knows that mankind is not inherently good, only God is good.  Christianity shows us our real nature (which is sinful) and guides us to the right way of living (by turning our selfish desires over to Christ and allowing him to turn us into creatures that are acceptable to God).  Within these parameters, then, what we know must matter more than what we feel.  Guided by historical facts and not hysteria, the mature Christian can move through life confidently because he knows that no matter what the outcome, he has committed himself to God’s hands, and God will always make things right for those who believe in Him.

Fear not, unprincipled reader.  When you make wrong choices based on false hopes and dreams, you just might get your way.  

For awhile. 

But you will always pay a price.  The price may turn out to be living under the thumb of a kakistocracy.