What do Martin Luther King, Barack Obama, and The Berean Gadfly have in common? We share a favorite theologian: Reinhold Niebuhr. More on Niebuhr's life and thought in the days to come, but chew on this quote in the meantime.
"Man's capacity for justice makes democracy possible, but man's inclination to injustice makes democracy necessary."
~From "The Children of Light and The Children of Darkness" (1944)
"Man's capacity for justice makes democracy possible, but man's inclination to injustice makes democracy necessary."
~From "The Children of Light and The Children of Darkness" (1944)
2 comments:
ok, I have to call shenanigans here. You know my position on democracy. Democracy is naught more than the tyranny of the majority, 51% telling 49% how to live their lives or how much they should earn or what not.
Now if he means democracy to be the rule of law based on certain accepted precepts, then I agree. But tell me, do you really want the masses telling you how to live. I mean really. Spinnin rims? High school musical 1,2 and 3? Carrot Top.
I believe I have won that argument
Correction: Reinhold Niebuhr IS the ubermensch.
Here's the reality: like it or not, democracy is the only system of government that has ever gotten rid of its rulers without bloodshed. And that's why it's the best thing we have.It's messy, but it's more just than fascism.
And if it's any concellation: we both know that the High School Musical Crowd doesn't vote. Too icky, too much thinking involved, too much time that could be spent at Hollister.
I think you'll enjoy my next Niebuhr quote in a couple of days. To be continued...
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