The True Face of Democracy is Unknown

The virtually impossible task I face is to summarize several hundred pages of my books in such a way that one understands what I am talking about. I must omit many facts, perhaps even those necessary for understanding, in order to get to the heart of my argument. I am dealing with the subject of postmillennialism as the basis of the anti-Christian civil religion of the West. In order to explain this, I must first address subtopics. The first question that arises is: Which of the two varieties of democracy is applicable today? There is republican democracy (Locke) and romantic democracy (Rousseau), named after the Romantic period. Both emerged from, and remain indebted to, mystical liberalism based on human autonomy, although they have evolved in two different directions. To cut to the chase, I'll give you the answer right away: it's romantic democracy. This type of democracy has been introduced in all Western nations at different times, but it appears in the national character of each country, so that, at least on the surface, there are certain differences. The Swiss system of so-called direct democracy differs from that of Germany, but this only means that the Swiss have implemented the ideas of Geneva-born Jean-Jacques Rousseau more consistently. This is reflected, among other things, in the emphasis on the role of the citizen as the sovereign of the state. President Andrew Jackson introduced romantic democracy to the United States during his administration from 1829 to 1837. The basic features of this democracy can be applied almost identically to all other systems of government in Western nations.

Of course, it is fair to object that it seems a bit odd to claim that this topic is of great importance when hardly anyone knows anything about it. The explanation is further down in the quoted text, but I reveal it in the following sentence: "Most Americans were unaware of the radical change in the system of government, or only to a limited extent, because nothing changed in the outward manifestations of a republican form of government, such as the party system, presidential elections, and the House of Representatives."

1 Kings 18:17-21: ¹⁷ When he saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is that you, you troubler of Israel?” ¹⁸ “I have not made trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied. “But you and your father’s family have. You have abandoned the Lord’s commands and have followed the Baals. ¹⁹ Now summon the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel. And bring the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.” ²⁰ So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel. ²¹ Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.”

NASB 1995

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Excerpt from the six-volume book Siegeszug des Fortschrittsglaubens (the English translation of the abridged edition is The Triumph of Progressivism):

President Andrew Jackson (1767-1845), who was a temporary Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Tennessee, introduced a new form of democracy after his election victory in 1829. It was characterized by even more internal contradictions than the republic under the previous presidents. The ruling Democratic Party placed the average American, the "man in the street," at the center of political events.

Since the 1830s, Americans have had two distinct but related understandings of democracy: a republican and a romantic one. Republican democracy consists of hard-fought campaigns, ideological clashes between parties, and regular trips to the ballot box. In the grand scheme of things, it is always a question of which of the various candidates for political office can win the support of the majority of voters. [...] Romantic democracy consists of an ideology that has acquired the authority of a state religion, even if in most cases it has not been recognized as such. Some of its ideas are as old as classical Greece, others as new as the American nation. Nevertheless, the combination of all these ideas is something new in the American political landscape. The mixture of conflicting ideals, based on different philosophies, is still the peculiarity of American democracy.

In order to understand the historical and religious significance of romantic democracy, which emerged in a dominant position alongside republican democracy, it is necessary to realize that it is based on Rousseau's philosophy of equality. On the surface, the Swiss political scientist seemed to have in mind the way of life of the "noble savage" as a model for a perfect society. The actual meaning, however, was quite different. Over the course of the 19^th century, Rousseau's principle of volonté générale produced a society that directly contradicted the political structure of the original American republic. Most Americans were unaware of the radical change in the functional system of government, which could hardly have been more consequential, since nothing changed in the outward forms of a republican form of government, such as the party system, presidential elections, and the House of Representatives.

In 1840, Harper & Brothers published a book called Democracy by an unknown author named George Sidney Camp. It so accurately described the atmosphere of the time that the publisher republished it a year after its initial publication as one of its most important publications. Harper & Brothers eagerly arranged for its wide distribution. One striking statement summed up the book's entire message: "Faith is as necessary to the Republican as to the Christian, and it is a fundamental characteristic of both." The key to understanding the Jackson era, as Camp correctly recognized, is the religion of romantic democracy. Since the mid-19^th century, this belief has become increasingly widespread in the United States. [...] It must be emphasized, however, that President Jackson gave romantic democracy a paramount status as a core belief of the American people. During the Progressive Era (1896-1921), it finally achieved unchallenged supremacy in all important areas of society, which it continues to hold today in ever more comprehensive and profound forms. Modern democracy is first and foremost a humanistic religion of immense power and influence, precisely because it usually presents itself as religiously neutral. Thus, under the apparent ideal of secularization, it succeeds in spreading religious values that are, at their core, the exact opposite of biblical teachings.

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