Although Christianity and freedom are under attack from some quarters, a new year is a perfect time to reflect on the nature of Christianity and democracy through the sweep of history.  By tracing the development of Christianity and democracy, one important fact firmly stands out.  On some issues these two philosophical systems have been adversarial, yet they share interwoven threads that have endured the test of time.
 
European societies borrowed rudimentary Greek and Roman ideas regarding earlier forms of pluralist governance.  Democratic principles were further promoted after the Magna Carta (1215), and English Bill of Rights (1689).  Eventually, individuals gained a greater voice in charting their lives, although democratic evolution was hampered by fits and starts during a feudal period.

Gradually, democratic aspirations fanned out across Europe, and pioneers who sought greater freedom from "benevolent" churches and monarchies traveled to New Worlds.  Democratic ideals helped to forge American Independence (1776), and these ideas were further refined in the visionary Constitution and Bill of Rights of our young republic.  Today, representative democracy continues to unfold, as it protects folks from abusive government, as well as from domestic and foreign enemies.  Since the American experiment liberty has spread around the earth, providing a positive alternative to autocratic rule. 

Likewise, Christianity wasn't born in a vacuum; rather, it emerged in an environment ripe for change.  Those who yearned for the Messiah believed that Jesus fulfilled Old Testament prophecies.  Longsuffering, powerless people were ready for a departure from fatalism toward a new liberation in a region reeling under the iron fist of Rome.  Jesus ushered in a revolutionary way of life that modeled the essence of individual empowerment.

Through the ebb and flow of human events, the Christian gospels and democracy became more complementary because freedom generated the creative impulses and values of ordinary people.  However, after Martin Luther's Protestant Reformation and the printing press, this pattern of individual autonomy accelerated.  It paved the way for flourishing endeavors in the arts, sciences, technical inventions, and voyages of discovery.  Individuals no longer had to depend on intermediaries associated with Catholicism; rather, they were free to seek a direct link to the Divine.

As Europeans explored the globe, clashes of civilization did occur with indigenous cultures, but democratic contributions were also undertaken by these explorers.  For example, modern advances and the rule of law progressed to forge checks and balances that improved the lot of native peoples.  The transformative power of free enterprise and redemption constantly appears to assist victims of diseases, natural disasters, poverty, and war.  Nowadays, Pastor Rick Warren is one of many individuals that freely strive to help the powerless to attain dignity.

Free people are compassionate not because they must, but because they have been blessed.  It is joyful to assist the less fortunate, and the beauty of freedom allows each individual to experience the motifs of faith and reason in a unique way.  Sometimes democracy can be messy in an imperfect world, but faith and freedom are preferable to cynicism and fascism.
 
Through experience and observation, we notice that the most successful societies incorporate the ethics of Christianity and/or democracy into engines of progress. These societies protect freedom of expression, religion, and property rights.  They offer men and women the greatest opportunity for self-fulfillment in order to build better societies. 

Moreover, most Nobel Prizes have been awarded to individuals that function in free or partially free nations.  This phenomenon is no accident.  Unlike coercive political or religious systems, Christian and democratic principles endow us with time to freely think, speak, question, and pursue limitless opportunities.  While authoritarian systems stifle natural human quests, free societies normally encourage human potential and human talents. 

Although adherents of Christianity and democracy are often persecuted and repressed within autocratic states, their enduring ideals are constantly renewed and strengthened.  In many parts of Africa and Asia, Christianity is growing like wildfire despite efforts to stamp it out.  It is spreading due to its humanitarian spirit, universal appeal, and practical idealism. 

Finally, Christianity seeks out democracy just as democracy seeks out Christianity, yet both can patiently develop and thrive in hostile environments.  Indeed, the Judeo-Christian heritage and democracy are great forces for good in a turbulent world.  Christianity and democracy succeed because their ideals speak to the best instincts of humanity.  With God's grace, this seamless relationship of faith, reason, and good works will journey forward forever.

Christian P. Milord lives in Fullerton, California.  He is an educator, a veteran, and a writer.