STATEMANSHIP AND GOVERNMENT
Introduction
In the past, the Bible has been used to guide the formulation of principles in different entities. In most cases, the government uses biblical principles to inform legislation. The Bible has strong ethical principles applied in the past and in today’s way of life. Public policy is an essential element in our nation. It is basic for all levels of governments to fabricate reasonable approaches towards the assurance of its people. During the arrangement of basic administrations, the most fundamental viewpoint is coordination between both political and social associations. Further, it is basic to have composed endeavors between all government levels. Nonetheless, the coordination between various institutions involved in public policy relies on statesmanship and constitutionalism. Therefore, this paper discusses government, constitutionalism, and statesmanship. The discussion is based on statesmanship and government as detailed in a Biblical Model. The Model is then applied in today’s public policy context. Further, this article discusses the role played by religion in the formulation of American policies together with other government roles.
Biblical Model of statesmanship and government
According to the Bible (Matthew 20:20-28), Jesus told His disciples that, “whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (NIV, 2016).” Jesus was using his own situation as an example that He came to earth and offered His life to save others. In so doing, Jesus was the perfect example that leaders must offer to sacrifice their position for the sake of others. As one accepts to serve others, he/she becomes a leader whom others can rely upon. The Bible, therefore, teaches that true power comes from serving others with humility and selflessness. To this end, the Biblical Model of statesmanship and government is based on the acknowledgment of the sovereignty of God. The Model is founded on four principles. Each principle is imperative since it helps individuals working in the public sector to act selflessly.
The first principle calls for accepting God as the source of authority, truth, and power. Christians believe that God is the source of all power since He is the Creator. As such, government officials should acknowledge that their power and authority come from God. As the ruler, God has control over all people and things, including the government. Principles, policies, and laws formulated by the government should be guided by Biblical teachings. Public agencies should reiterate the truth that good governance is based on authority from God. The Bible is the most important book for governance since it provides a framework from God. In essence, this principle preempts the importance of following God’s commandments in the rule of law or government principles.
The Model’s second principle outlines the purpose and importance of humility in governance. Individuals who acknowledge the sovereignty of God have the virtue of humility. The government should focus on serving its citizens with humility and kindness. A good government is founded on humility since man was created without wisdom and with foolish pride. Any individual whose ideology of governance contradicts the Bible should be dismissed. A government must be established and maintained through principles set forth by the Bible. Humility helps people acknowledge that a good government can only be created by first acknowledging God as a sovereign power. Humility is an imperative element in realizing the truth. Without humility a statesman may not feel the obligation to serve others selflessly. Further, lack of humility is accompanied by demotivation to fulfill people’s needs, work withing set laws or full submission to truth. Humility creates room for submission to selflessness as guided by spiritual guidelines. Lack of humility fosters a rebellious pride that guides people away from creating or maintaining a good government.
Government and statesmanship are run due to the existence of hierarchy and authority. Without the two components, governments will move from good governance to anarchy. The Bible recognizes the importance of acting under the constraints of authority. God is the dominion of power, meaning that his authority is unlimited. As such, government officials of state machinery should not act in a manner to indicate the presence of unlimited power. It is vital for the government to understand the difference between power and authority. God has power (ability to do anything) while man has authority (permission to do something). The government must realize that having power do something does not guarantee that they have the authority to do it. Such permission must be guided by God’s principles. Romans 13 gives a limit within which a government can exercise its power. The Bible outlines that any government’s action should be under the authority of God. Secondly, the Bible stipulates that rulers should prevent evil. The government draws authority from God to protect His people from evil and harm. The world will fall apart if its rulers fail to act in God’s exousia. The government is only accountable to God but not people. Therefore, both the government and statesmen must act under the authority, thus show submission to God’s will.
Further, the Biblical Model empties on the importance of governments and statesmen being responsible to the truth. Accountability to the truth helps governments and their officials from deviating from God’s will. Further, accountability prevents horrible atrocities, as seen in history by rulers such as Hitler and Stalin. Governments have vast power channeled from God. Their responsibility and authority give them the capacity to commit terrible sins. Accountability calls for leaders to fully understand Biblical principles and act in accordance with their guidelines. What’s more, good leaders are guided by logic. Logical arguments prevent governments from misusing the Bible. Logic is an element in accountability to the truth. Before making decisions that show the use of extreme power, government officials should correctly interpret the Bible. Logic prevents premature judgments, thus creating time for accountability to the truth. Therefore, the four principles make up the Biblical Model of statesman and government.
The proper exercise of statesmanship
Application of the Biblical Model to today’s public policy context
The idea and ideal of statesmanship have been passed on to us from antiquated to present day times, yet it has an incomprehensible relationship with the cutting edge state. While phrasing recommends that diplomacy surmises the state, in certainty, it shows up fairly incongruent with current (i.e., established, law-based, and bureaucratic) statehood. Regardless, statesmanship keeps on being advanced, and new understandings, for example, legal and regulatory diplomacy, have been proposed. Some hope, besides, that statesmanship turns out to be more attainable again as we move from state government to multilevel administration. There are issues, nonetheless, with thinking about statesmanship, either in its unique or in its more up to date implications, under these new conditions. Regardless of the suffering intrigue of statesmanship, the changing job of the state in present-day administration doesn’t imply that this ideal can be easily adopted.
Statesmanship can be defined as leadership that is excellent and guided by morality. Historically, statesmanship is used to define individuals whose achievements have brought victory in times of crisis. Examples of such men include Churchill and Lincoln. Actions of such men led to positive advancements in the polity. Nonetheless, this Model of statesmanship has faded away and is being replaced by a biblical model of diplomacy. Modern governments protect to show democracy in policies. Further, most governments seek to become more democratic by including people in decision making. However, the government has failed due to the existence of selfish officials. The government applies a legal perspective of statesmanship that makes it elitist. Justice and fairness are clearly absent in government’s doings. However, incorporation of the Biblical Model in today’s context would result in increased wisdom and virtue.
The biblical Model calls for the incorporation of accountability to truth, authority, and humility. The Bible teaches about leadership according to the teachings of Jesus Christ. According to the Bible, the prerequisite for being a good ruler loves other people as oneself. The love for others is a result of humility. The government should be humble in making policies in such a way that the policies seek to help others. For example, In formulating a new taxation policy, government officials should consider its effects on the citizens rather than its benefits to the state. Humility in practice should be guided by an acceptance that policies are established and run through God’s guidance. Humility helps in preventing oppression since government actions seek to satisfy people’s needs. Today, the government’s anti-immigration laws are oppressive to certain individuals in society. The government has vowed to close its borders and deport all immigrants. Such a policy is legal but immoral. It is imperative for the government to act with humility and consider immigrants as human beings. The government should provide alternative policies that protect all people, whether legal citizens or not.
United States government has deployed inhumane policies towards its foreign policy and borders. Military contractors and detention facilities have been used to profit certain individuals while the majority suffer. Prison profiteering was fueled by black communities, but due to a reduction in racism, the vacant has been filled by immigration detention. The President has continuously threatened to attack “bad hombre” located in Mexico. Using the biblical Model of statesmanship and government indicates that the American government lacks accountability and authority. The government has antagonized its citizens by creating policies that increase profits to the elite. In so doing, the government protects its interests instead of people’s needs. The government should, therefore, reduce prison profiteering by employing alternative correctional methods.
Furthermore, the government has antagonized the world by using its vast resources. The American government has violated United Nations treaties, World Health Organization recommendations, and other global frameworks. The American government has proudly violated the Paris Climate Deal, notwithstanding its importance to the world. The government acts as a global superpower that is not accountable to anyone. Government officials should understand the importance of acting within the authority of the Lord. International frameworks are set to prevent evil and preserve life. Such authority given to global institutions is from God. The American government should drop its egoistic approach to protect policies that promote public health. Such policies include continued help to world bodies such as WHO and the UN.
Religion, American government, and Politics
Religion is the ethical establishment of human advancement, and it gives importance, worth, and assurance. The rise of the Religious Right movement or doctrine in America changed the scope and the overall functions and role of the Church in society. Growth of Religious Right in the USA can be attributed to the fundamentalist pastor and Rev Jerry Falwell, who called for massive aggressiveness and resistance of oppression and bad governance. Religious Right is the foundation of the Christian rights and Judeo-Christian faith that changed the aspects and the aspects of beliefs and the norms of the Church. The rise of the religious Right affected the social-political aspects of the society as each group within the community had their rights and freedoms that, at times, contradicted the norms and beliefs of the Church. The relationship between religion, politics, and the government has continued to the present date.
The rise of religion and their practices and doctrines changed the political aspects of the nation. The influence on the political elements includes the Supreme Court’s ruling on prayers and the effects of the religious movements on the elections in the USA (Lambert, 2020). The Falwell group supported the various radical changes in the political arena, and the democrats were opposed to religious rights. The republicans, however, supported the religious right movements and their ideas, and thus, the religious Right affected the political aspects in the USA. The goal of the religious right changes in the USA, for example, was to ensure everybody was accommodated in the religion concerning human rights and freedoms.