Hmmmm
I take your point. In reality, though, it's not. Someone might swear on a Bible whilst being sworn in as a parking attendant, but it doesn't mean they derive their authority from God and the local council is thereby a theocracy.
The Queen is a special case because of all the 'Defender of the Faith' guff and being head of her own Church, of course, but still, I can't imagine her claiming her authority to rule 'derives directly from God'. Can't imagine anyone has tried that line with any seriousness since the Stuarts.
I did once know a man who claimed to believe in the Divine Right of Kings, but he was a nutcase. Think he later joined UKIP...
( , Tue 12 Feb 2013, 14:42, Share, Reply)
I take your point. In reality, though, it's not. Someone might swear on a Bible whilst being sworn in as a parking attendant, but it doesn't mean they derive their authority from God and the local council is thereby a theocracy.
The Queen is a special case because of all the 'Defender of the Faith' guff and being head of her own Church, of course, but still, I can't imagine her claiming her authority to rule 'derives directly from God'. Can't imagine anyone has tried that line with any seriousness since the Stuarts.
I did once know a man who claimed to believe in the Divine Right of Kings, but he was a nutcase. Think he later joined UKIP...
( , Tue 12 Feb 2013, 14:42, Share, Reply)
true, it's somewhat archaic,
although it was derived from a line in the Bible so a lot of Christians still believe it.
Oh we also have the Lords Spiritual (Church of England Bishops in the House of Lords) which makes us the only country other than Iran to explicitly include religious leaders in the legislative assembly. Or so I heard.
The "In God We Trust" thing in the states is an odd one though, because their State is very much more secular than ours, technically. They aren't even allowed religious observances in state run schools (a policy which is sometimes enforced with an absurd level of fervour). But the Federal Reserve isn't actually part of the government, but a sort of private company. Actually the way the whole outfit works is so odd that, frankly, God help them.
( , Tue 12 Feb 2013, 14:50, Share, Reply)
although it was derived from a line in the Bible so a lot of Christians still believe it.
Oh we also have the Lords Spiritual (Church of England Bishops in the House of Lords) which makes us the only country other than Iran to explicitly include religious leaders in the legislative assembly. Or so I heard.
The "In God We Trust" thing in the states is an odd one though, because their State is very much more secular than ours, technically. They aren't even allowed religious observances in state run schools (a policy which is sometimes enforced with an absurd level of fervour). But the Federal Reserve isn't actually part of the government, but a sort of private company. Actually the way the whole outfit works is so odd that, frankly, God help them.
( , Tue 12 Feb 2013, 14:50, Share, Reply)
The US is very interesting as a contrast
In the UK there's an enormous detritus of tradition and convention which is sometimes pretty benign (things like the Monarch being anointed before Coronation) and sometimes quite worrying (like the Bishops in the upper chamber). Most people don't worry about it most of the time.
In America, on the other hand, they had Founding Fathers who set up a secular state, and were pretty unequivocal about that (Treaty of Tripoli, for example), but a population many of whom are passionately fighting to make it less so.
( , Tue 12 Feb 2013, 15:04, Share, Reply)
In the UK there's an enormous detritus of tradition and convention which is sometimes pretty benign (things like the Monarch being anointed before Coronation) and sometimes quite worrying (like the Bishops in the upper chamber). Most people don't worry about it most of the time.
In America, on the other hand, they had Founding Fathers who set up a secular state, and were pretty unequivocal about that (Treaty of Tripoli, for example), but a population many of whom are passionately fighting to make it less so.
( , Tue 12 Feb 2013, 15:04, Share, Reply)