Religion is a unique system that affects all spheres of human activity, including governing. At the first stages of society’s evolution, religious beliefs were used as the basis for states, and beliefs and rituals were considered laws affecting the communities’ rise. The emergence of Christianity with its set of values altered the approach to governing states. The Bible became a unique source of knowledge, offering basic principles of law that should be followed to create a fair and safe society. Following these principles, government plays a key role in the life of people.
Key Biblical Concepts
The Bible offers several concepts that can be linked to the inalienable rights of human beings. For instance, it recognizes the equality of all human beings are equal and their right to birth (New International Version Bible, 1978/2011, Psalms 19:1). Moreover, the Bible has the idea of natural law as the representation of the divine image in all people (Herrero, 2017). Moreover, Christianity introduces a strict differentiation between the power of church and state, which can be found in Jesus’ idea that some things belong to Caesar, while others to God (New International Version Bible, 1978/2011, Matthew 22:21). It means that there are different spheres of influence that should not be confused. The Bible also introduces the idea of covenants, or an agreement between God and people, presupposing that if they observe all rules, God will provide them with his blessing (New International Version Bible, 1978/2011, Psalms 105: 8-11). Finally, the Bible gives a strict definition of sin as an immoral act violating God’s will (New International Version Bible, 1978/2011, Psalms 19:1). It can be equaled to the idea of crime, which should be provided with an appropriate punishment. In such a way, the Bible offers concepts needed to govern people and their actions.
At the same time, all these concepts are vital for explaining the role of government. People should be guided in their attempts to find peace and observe God’s will. This idea can be applied to civil society, meaning that observance of a specific piece of legislation aimed at maintaining order should be executed by the government (Monsma, 2008). In such a way, the Bible explains the government’s role and introduces ideas explaining its necessity through references to biblical motifs and religious conceptions.
Applicable Federal Policy
The Biblical concepts mentioned above can also be applied to a certain federal policy to explain its nature. For instance, federal policies on discrimination in the USA aim to eliminate the causes of biased attitudes and unfair treatment. The concept of inalienable rights is applicable to this law. It states that all people are equal and are born to be happy (Monsma, 2008). For this reason, it is impossible to deprive them of some opportunities because of their race or gender. At the same time, treating people in ways that hurt them, deteriorate the quality of their lives, and cause suffering is viewed as a crime or is linked to the Biblical concept of sin (Fisher, 2020). It is unacceptable and should be provided with the appropriate punishment, and the existing federal policy is focused on monitoring the situation and ensuring that all cases of misbehavior are detected and eliminated. In such a way, both ideas offered in the Bible can be found in the federal law on discrimination and explain its nature.
Governments and their Roles
The functioning of a state depends on government and its effectiveness. Traditionally, there are three branches, such as legislative, executive, and judicial. Their existence guarantees the distribution of authorities to avoid the abuse of power and its concentration in one hands. The first branch has the power to make laws as it consists of people’s representatives (Kraft & Furlong, 2017). The executive body is responsible for carrying out laws offered by the legislative bodies (Kraft & Furlong, 2017). Finally, the judicial branch evaluates legislations and considers whether their violation was observed. The cooperation between these branches is vital for the work of the state as they can change acts of each other if necessary (Kraft & Furlong, 2017). This system ensures the preservation of democracy and transparency at all levels.
Three Basic Worldviews
The role of the government in society has always been disputed. Any law presupposes limitation of freedom, and people might suffer from it. Thus, the Biblical, modern, and post-modern worldviews have specific ideas about the government and its major function. According to the Bible, the government should punish all evildoers, provide earthly justice, protection, and act a God’s agent (Fisher, 2020). From this perspective, it is a fundamental institution vital for the survival of society. The modern worldview recognizes government as the guarantor of justice, protection, and democracy available to all people (Kraft & Furlong, 2017). However, postmodern philosophy states that people resist the ideas of power because of their repressive nature and the desire to preserve their unique identity (Feldman et al., 2020). At the same time, there is still a need for limits to manage human society. In such a way, the Bible introduced the basic idea of government altered by following ideas to meet modern demands.
References
Kraft, M., & Furlong, S. (2017). Public policy: Politics, analysis, and alternatives (6th ed.). CQ Press.
Feldman, S., Huddy, L., Wronski, J., & Lown, P. (2020). The interplay of empathy and individualism in support for social welfare policies. Political Psychology, 41(2), 343-362.
Fisher, K. (2020). Biblical principles of government and criminal justice. Liberty University Journal of Statesmanship & Public Policy, 1(1), 1-12.
Herrero, M. (2017). The “philosophical Bible” and the secular State. The European Legacy, 22(1), 31-48.
Monsma, S. (2008). Healing for a broken world: Christian perspectives on public policy. Corssway.
New International Version Bible. (2011). Zondervan. (Original work published 1978).