Benevolent Dictatorship

[theoldwolf]

Caveat: Secular Humanists may want to skip this post.



Tonight's Schlock Mercenary brought me up short. One doesn't usually hear people extol the virtues of dictatorship in public, at least not if they're worried about their political future.

While the country could use people in office with the acumen and common sense that Howard Tayler displays, tragically he seems occupied with being a cartoonist and is thus subject to the scorn of nations on a regular basis. One more batch of scathing, vitriolic emails from disgruntled readers shouldn't make much difference.

Fortunately, to balance the equation, there are those whose understanding surpasses that of the unwashed masses:



But back to my thesis: It would be good to live under a just, enlightened and moral ruler who afforded his subjects their agency. This sounds only like a contradiction in terms because there have been so few examples of this kind of leadership in human history.

Monday's strip immediately put me in mind of the words of an ancient American prophet-king named Mosiah:

"Therefore, if it were possible that you could have just men to be your kings, who would establish the laws of God, and judge this people according to his commandments, yea, if ye could have men for your kings who would do even as my father Benjamin did for this people—I say unto you, if this could always be the case then it would be expedient that ye should always have kings to rule over you." (Book of Mormon, Mosiah 29:13)

In the secular environment, this model fails on all levels, because the concepts of justice and morality are relative, and impossible to pin down with any certainty. In the regular (i.e. the opposite of secular) environment, the most obvious parallel is the millennial rule of Christ as Theocrat/King. Outside of that, a just and moral dictator would have to be following an absolute standard of justice and morality, based on absolute fairness - which could only happen if the ruler were in regular contact with Divinity, hence, a prophet as well as a king. No ordinary mortal could pull it off.

From "Fiddler on the Roof"
What's wrong with being rich?
It's no reason to marry.
Money's the world's curse.
May the Lord smite me with it, and may I never recover!

I'm with that. May God smite the nations of the world with such rulers.

Comments

[secoh.livejournal.com]

I can't help it, "Ancient American" made me lol :-P But that's just me, not a reflection on Mormonism. When someone says Ancient American I think of Native Indians.


I think the difference between a dictator and a king or queen is succession and history. All royal families started with a dictator.

You can have good dictators and good kings and evil dictators and evil kings. The only reason in modern times we see anything differently is as far as I can tell all modern dictators have been right bastards. And most royal families don't get overthrown because they don't do anything except appear on stamps and collectable plates.


While ideally we would all have a fair and understanding Big Brother or father figure to guide us and tell us when we're doing it wrong, we do not find this person in kings and dictators and other leaders that have their own adjenda.

Ethics and morals are built from many things, including religious texts. We learn how to behave by those around us that guide us. This can be parents, friends, or indeed books.

Sadly though I have trouble when I think people are relying on waiting for advice from someone that is either too busy, chooses not to interact directly or worse still, may not be there at all.

This leaves the ehtics and morals on dangerously hollow foundations, which can lead to polar opposite thinking.

Things like "There is no God and no afterlife, therefore no difference in repercussions to me, so I will steal and kill and do whatever I want"

Or the opposite (and to my mind equally dangerous) "I'll just keep doing this until God tells me not to" or "God will fix this snake bite for me, I do not need any other intervention" or "I believe I will go to paradise when I die so I will do these otherwise terrible things in God's name".




The above is ill informed ramblings of someone that doesn't know when to STHqizU and should really be studying so just delete it if it seems offensive (it is in no way meant to be though! I hope I don't come across like that)

[ccdesan.livejournal.com]

Given that my own brand of ecumenism boils down to "Don't be a dick" - as so eloquently expressed by fragbert here (http://fragbert.livejournal.com/442522.html) - it would be hard to find fault with the philosophy of anyone who is focused on raising the human condition.

Some interesting thoughts here.

>Things like "There is no God and no afterlife, therefore no difference in repercussions to me, so I will steal and kill and do whatever I want"

An old rascal named Korihor tried this approach with the people, and became quite popular:



In other words, "Go ahead and be a dick, it doesn't matter as lont as you come out on top."

Fortunately, his brand of anarchy did not last long.

>"I believe I will go to paradise when I die so I will do these otherwise terrible things in God's name".



In other words, "Go ahead and be a dick... you're "saved", so it doesn't matter.

For what it's worth, these verses were penned on the American continent around 500 BC, so "Ancient American" fits the bill.

Everywhere I look, people are fighting one another about empirically unverifiable trivialities.

• "I'm going to heaven because I believe the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father, and you're going to Hell because you believe the Holy Ghost proceeds from both the Father and the Son!"
  
• "I'm saved because I happen to be a pre-tribulation millenniallist, and you're damned because you're preterist scum!"
  
• "I'm going to heaven because I beleive in the Trinity, and you're going to Hell because you think God has a body!"
  
• "I'm going to heaven because I have confessed Christ, and the rest of the world is going to Hell because they're unwashed heathens!"

This kind of hqiz (Love your acronym, BTW) is what prompted me to post this (http://ccdesan.livejournal.com/66263.html).

My own theology makes sense to me, it gives me purpose, guidance and comfort. I enjoy sharing it, and I've seen the good it does in the lives of those who live it. And, I can work side-by-side with anyone whose philosophy centers on raising the human condition, regardless of what flavor of metaphyics - or lack thereof - they happen to espouse.

Rabbi Hillel, who lived around the time of Christ, was reputed to have said: "That which is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor. This is the whole Torah; the rest is the commentary. Go and study." It is amazing to me how many varieties of this thought appear in the teachings of various faiths (http://www.religioustolerance.org/reciproc.htm) throughout history. Many secularists like to justify their own position by pointing to the evils perpetrated upon mankind by organized religion throughout history, but I maintain that said atrocities have been committed by those who professed in word, believed not in their hearts, and failed in deed. In other words, dicks.

One of the most powerful books I've ever read is this one (http://anatomyofpeace.com/). It cuts to the heart of why people do what they do, why they categorize and classify and emotionally subjugate one another, from individuals to entire nations. A powerful treatment of why it makes no sense to be a dick.

See, rambling's a good thing...

[secoh.livejournal.com]

I believe a good moral or solid ethic should never be discounted regardless of the source, so I will not belittle any faith for producing something that makes perfect sense in that area. The quote about the Torah is just brilliant, and if it was applied to every belief structure the world would be a much happier place.

I am a bit confused about non Indians living in North America 2500 years ago though, archaeology doesn't seem to support anything along those lines. The ethics on how to treat fellow man taught by Mormonism is generally quite good I feel, but the church itself and many of the morals I have difficulty with (okay, that is a massive understatement lol) But that is an aside, I am enjoying the discussion with you as I always do!

I summed up my own pragmaticism to a door-knocker some time ago and got no argument, which was that I would much rather trust a man that has stepped back and thought hard about his choices and decisions and decided he had a satisfactory moral and ethical model than a man that only does "good" for fear of a reprisal.

I hate being categorised, and when people ask I usually respond that I am a "Non-practicing Athiest" but after re-reading Mark Stanley's Freefall, I like the sound of "Radical Agnostic" haha

DBAD is definately one of the better things to have come from the global dribble that is the internet.


I was going to post the link to "skub" haha but I see I put it in that thread also!!



Also, this thread needs more ballards

http://listen.grooveshark.com/#/song/Memories_and_Dust/462583

[secoh.livejournal.com]

Sorry I haven't done a reponse that this topic truly deserves, but I haven't had much sleep lately and am having trouble focusing....lol

[deckardcanine.livejournal.com]

There are times I think we could use a monarch, but then I remember that the danger of tyranny isn't the only problem. One person cannot handle all the decisionmaking responsibilities of the United States; some would go ignored until another person claimed them. There's also the danger that one assassination or fatal accident would leave the nation paralyzed, effectively anarchic until a whole new regime arose. Large entities were not made for rapid changes.

I do believe that heaven has a hierarchy. Anything approaching democracy is a concession to Earth. C.S. Lewis opposed slavery not because no one deserved to be a slave, but because no one deserved to be a master. With an obvious exception.

[daemionfox.livejournal.com]

which could only happen if the ruler were in regular contact with Divinity, hence, a prophet as well as a king. No ordinary mortal could pull it off.

Well, I knew there was a reason I was around after all. Point me to my throne boys.

As for the contact with the Divine? It doesn't say much except to occasionaly complain about the room service. Oh, and tacos. Also, it sounds like Gir from Invader Zim...

[ccdesan.livejournal.com]

If there's no tacos in heaven, I want other options!

[secoh.livejournal.com]

Too many tacos will put you on the throne for sure!!!