Three Stages of Un-Archy

I'd like to think that mankind is entering the third stage of progress from archism to non-archism, a path of progress that began with the Advent of the Prince of Peace, whose coming was announced by the angels to be the inauguration of "Peace on Earth."

Stage One: The Divine Right of Kings

In our day billions of human beings live out their lives in relative peace. Western Civilization is the product of global Christian evangelism and service. In the pre-Christian world, staggering rates of people died violent deaths, either in tribal violence, or at the hands of empires whose Pharaohs and Ceasars were considered divine. At the time of the first Christmas, there wasn't even the concept of "liberty" as we know it today, as John Lofton has pointed out. The State was Divine. It was only the maturing of Christianity that began to call the Divine State a species of "idolatry." It was Christianity, not atheism, that questioned the Divine Right of Kings, and resulted in the American Revolution (even though Jesus would not celebrate Independence Day).

The 20th century was the first universally secular century. It was a century of unparalleled statist violence. The triumph of atheism is the triumph of democide.

Stage Two: Political "Apathy"

The mainstream media won't tell you about the resurgence of Christianity in the late 20th/early 21st century. More people stay home from polls than vote. Atheists (including practicing atheists who attend church on Sundays) are worried about the rise of electoral apathy and lack of "confidence" in government. But loss of confidence in government is a good thing, something to be encouraged.

It is interesting to note that the rise of political "apathy" is not accompanied by a rise in crime, as though political apathy was a morally inferior outlook which we would expect to be accompanied by a rise in other morally inferior behavior. Crime is down as political "apathy" is up.

The good news (or at least the hoped-for news) is that people are no longer true believers in the Messianic State.

Stage Three: The State Reviled

The final stage of progress comes when people realize that being a politician is immoral and unethical, because everything the State does is immoral and unethical, including theft, kidnapping, and murder.

People must understand that the compulsory redistribution of wealth does not raise one's standard of living as  effectively as working under a Free Market system: the State always takes more from you than it gives back in "benefits" and "entitlements."

When people make this realization, they stop voting, they transcend mere "apathy," and they forcefully (but non-violently) say to their "elected representatives," "Your policies are immoral. Stop it. Go home."