Democracies thrive when their citizens hold democratic virtues. These virtues overlap a great deal with the fruit of the spirit.
Democracies need more than formal rules and institutions. They need informal guideposts to function. When citizens fail to uphold these mores, democracies can falter. Here is a partial list of democratic virtues that experts have identified as necessary for a well-functioning democracy:
Accept defeat when your preferred candidates lose.
Treat opponents as legitimate.
Reject political violence.
Defend the rights of those you disagree with.
Hold your preferred candidates to the same standards you hold the opposing candidates.
These virtues map well onto the fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23. For instance:
Joy, Gentleness: Accept defeat when your preferred candidates lose.
Love, Kindness: Treat opponents as legitimate.
Peace: Reject political violence.
Love, Faithfulness: Defend the rights of those you disagree with.
Patience, Self-control: Hold your preferred candidates to the same standards you hold the opposing candidates.
On the flip side, the works of the flesh in Galatians 5:19-21 contain many vices that harm democracy, such as licentiousness, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, and envy.
Let’s keep this in mind as we celebrate another election next week. Beyond how you’ll vote, think about how you’ll be a good citizen and demonstrate democratic virtues in your daily life. This year we celebrated 250 years since the Declaration of Independence. Let’s keep the experiment going!
What Else We’re Reading
NPR: “Websites pretending to be local news are boosting Democratic candidates”
Ahead of the midterms, some voters are turning to ChatGPT to help them decide who to vote for. When asked for information about candidates in some highly competitive races, NPR found that OpenAI’s AI chatbot cited a set of websites that are thinly veiled political ads made to look like reporting from local news outlets.
NYT: “The New Worst-Case Scenario for Election Officials: Federal Interference”
Much of the preparations for Nov. 3 can be distilled into one overarching concern — that the Trump administration will somehow attempt to meddle with the voting process or the results. The tricky part, officials said, is predicting what shape that interference might take while also recognizing that it might not materialize at all.
The Hill: “FBI, ICE won’t contribute to poll monitoring: Justice Department”
The Justice Department said Wednesday that agents and employees from the FBI and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will not serve as poll monitors in the upcoming midterm elections.
The department said in a court filing that employees from the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will serve as poll monitors, but none from the FBI or ICE, according to a declaration filed Wednesday.
NYT: “U.S. to Send Dozens Back to Afghanistan, Despite Risk of Persecution”
The Trump administration has detained dozens of Afghan immigrants in Louisiana and plans to deport them to Afghanistan, according to three U.S. officials. The group includes people who could face discrimination or persecution under the Taliban, including relatives of people who helped the U.S. military and at least one gay man.