John Adams, our second president said "The Constitution is completely and wholly capable of governing a good and righteous people, and completely and wholly incapable of governing any other kind."
This says to me that the best way to maintain our constitutional republic is to stay righteous. It gives whole new meaning to "Every member a missionary", doesn't it?
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If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animated contest of freedom, go from us in peace. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen! - Samuel Adams
In a way yes, but I wouldn't call it missionary work, I'd call it a civic duty or something like that ... as ordinary decent citizens. Also we learn that those for the celestial kingdom are the "just." Thanks for the quote btw!
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Ye hear of wars in far countries, and you say that there will soon be great wars in far countries, but ye know not the hearts of men in your own land.
- D&C 38:29
This is true for practically every form of government, although much more so for a represenative form of government.
The Book of Mormon gives a perfect example of why represenative governments work when the people are righteous, and don't when the people are wicked (The book of Helaman)
I call it missionary work. We need to encourage righteous behaviors, whether they be converted to our church or not. IMNSHO, encouraging civics is like the empty and vacuous "Rock the Vote" crap... if people don't have a clue about what matters when you vote, it does you no good to vote.
--Ray
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I'm not slow; I'm special. (Don't take it personally, everyone finds me offensive. Yet somehow I manage to live with myself.)
rayb wrote: I call it missionary work. We need to encourage righteous behaviors, whether they be converted to our church or not. IMNSHO, encouraging civics is like the empty and vacuous "Rock the Vote" crap... if people don't have a clue about what matters when you vote, it does you no good to vote.
It's not MY fault the term 'civics' has become corrupted by vacuous bureaucrats pushing uninformed citizens to vote socialist!
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Ye hear of wars in far countries, and you say that there will soon be great wars in far countries, but ye know not the hearts of men in your own land.
- D&C 38:29
I think before voting at the voting booth a mandatory quick assessment quiz is handed out to voters based on the voter's knowledge of the candidates, issues, or ballot measures. That quiz is scored and the votes counted are prorated based how well the voter scored on the quiz. For instance, 100% on quiz, your vote fully counts. If you score 50%, your vote half counts. If you score 0% maybe a charitable 10% of the vote is given . I think the better educated the voter is, the more in-depth and honest campaigning will happen by politicans instead of campaigning to the lowest common demoninator. Just a thought.
