David Hegg | Foundations of Democracy

David Hegg
David Hegg is senior pastor of Grace Baptist Church and a Santa Clarita resident. "Ethically Speaking" runs Saturdays in The Signal.
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By David Hegg

I continue to be stunned at how rapidly moral fractures occur in our precious democracy. In the past few years, we have seen wholesale redefinitions of marriage, sexuality, gender and the extent of governmental power. We went to sleep for a few months and awoke to a new kind of democracy presided over by those with no historical, moral, or ethical moorings. Somehow, a cadre of rebellious children have taken control of our country and are running around breaking things.  

For example, in the past year, we have seen judges and members of the executive branch mandate monumental changes that have brought down a cascade of expensive requirements for businesses, schools and citizens alike. Add to that the chaos of the present political season with its inane drivel, inflammatory accusations, and enough duplicity to fill Lake Erie, and you have every right to question whether someone snuck in and stole our national brain. Unfortunately, if we brainstormed together for a few minutes, we could list many more examples that were equally horrendous in their absurdity. 

All this got me thinking about what our founding fathers would advise if they could speak from the grave. But since they remain silent, I will take a shot at suggesting what it takes to maintain a properly functioning democracy. Here are my five top suggestions. For a democracy to flourish, you must have: 

An educated citizenry: If laws are made and ruling positions are filled via the people’s votes, it is only reasonable that those people have sufficient intellectual ability and enough general education to make their choices coherent. Further, they must be discerning enough to sift through the tsunami of political spin and outright lies aimed at shaping their decisions. If most voters cannot understand the issues, discern truth from error, or recognize the long-term consequences of their votes, all is lost.  

A shared morality: Our second president – John Adams – put it simply: “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” Power in the hands of the citizenry will only be suitable for all when there remains some moral curbing of the natural desires of the human heart to obliterate all restraint. 

An undergirding unity: One of the significant fractures in our democracy is the rise of radical tribalism. In almost every area, opposing “tribes” refuse to grant any credibility to one another lest their tribe’s power be lessened. Whether it is a political party or a moral ideology, what we are losing is a resolute understanding that we are all neighbors whose shared loyalty to life, liberty and the greatness of America must remain stronger than any of our differences.  

A societal humility: Pride often leads to an abuse of power and an authoritarian mode of operation. We are seeing a kind of super arrogance today that gives birth to a mean-spirited, vitriolic hatred for those with whom we disagree. This arrogance is fueling a harsh, oppressive and even tyrannical way of governing. For America to be great, we must remain a humble people. 

A conversational civility: It all comes down to the ability to listen well to those with whom we disagree, to seek first to understand and only then to oppose. Opposition must be civil. We must understand that problems are only genuinely solved through collaboration rather than competition. 

Indeed, we all agree that our democracy would be a terrible thing to waste. After fighting so hard and enduring so much to have come this far, we dare not allow the great hope of our American experiment to be overwhelmed by a cacophony of partisan arrogance and outrage. We must work to regain the foundation stones on which our union was built lest we end up proving what so many have predicted: that a government of the people, by the people, and for the people must ultimately wither from within.  

Local resident David Hegg is senior pastor of Grace Baptist Church. “Ethically Speaking” appears Sundays. 

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