为什么民主制只有在英美、北欧这些新教国家长期稳定存在，其他国家都出现各种问题？（中英文版）

今天我们在讨论美国社会时，再也听不到兄弟之爱这几个字，当问到什么是美国人时？大多数人认为能够信奉、信仰美国宪法就是美国人，所有的美国人都应该团结在宪法之下，这些也是公民常识教育中所传授的内容，美国入籍的宣誓词也是支持与捍卫美国宪法。许多人移民美国，就是冲着它的民主、自由、平等以及能带来财富、事业的美国梦，我想现在没有人移民美国是为了兄弟之爱这四个字了，也没人知道温斯罗普这个国父，更没人知道他前往北美建立山巅之城，建立未来美国的目的是为了兄弟之爱。可没有了兄弟之爱，真的有民主、自由、平等？真的有美国梦吗？ 

我们可以发现，民主选举除了在新教国家可以稳定地维持几百年，在其他社会都很难长期存在，为什么会这样？因为新教国家大家共同信仰上帝，信奉同一本圣经，相信上帝之下人人平等，大家充满着兄弟之爱，在处理如何产生自己的管理人员，解决矛盾、争端等重大事务时，因为坚信每个人都是完全平等的兄弟，任何人都没有凌驾于别人之上的权利，所以一定会以大多数同意的民主原则，决定这些重大事务。所以这里包含着三个至关重要的内容：其一由于民主选举与宗教信仰紧密关联的。而宗教信仰总是永生、永恒，终极世界联系在一起，人们必然会神圣虔诚地对待手中的选票，不可能出现贿选、赂选，更不可能出现其他更严重的败坏选举的行为，因为这些行为必然定会被认为是亵渎上帝、忤逆上帝的，是败坏堕落的，将使人们失去进入天堂的机会。其二是，民主选举是与人人平等联系一起。因为只有信仰人人平等才可能坚持多数决定的原则，否则，将是另外一回事。例如在没有信仰的世俗社会里，呈现在每个人眼前的事实就是，人与人之间明显是不平等的，作为强者根本就不可能认为民主选举有何用？他们打心眼里瞧不起弱者，更不可能让自己的命运由他们决定？在这样的社会里即使实行民主选举，这些强者必然会使用贿选、赂选等各种手段去破坏控制选举，最后赢得选举自然是他们。他们认为这是理所应当的事，人有三六九等，高低上下之分，最后掌控社会必须是强者，否则整个社会必将乱套，必将陷于混乱无序中。这种现象，我们可以在除了新教国家外的大多数所谓的民主国家中发现，东南亚、非洲、拉丁美洲，甚至欧洲的一些天主教国家也是如此。可以这么说即使与新教一样同为基督教的一部分，但没有一个天主教国家可以逃脱，由民主选举堕入强者独裁的命运，法国的拿破仑、德国的希特勒、意大利的墨索米尼、西班牙的佛朗哥等等，因为天主教不相信上帝之下人人平等，他们信奉等级制的教阶，信奉教皇、红衣主教、大主教、主教等，依次而下的等级秩序，欧洲的天主教国家尚且如此，就更不要说其他社会了。其三是，民主选举与兄弟之爱是密切相关的。在一个充满着兄弟之爱的社会里进行选举，由于大家长期以来互相关心、互相关爱，有着兄弟般的情谊，所以胜固可喜，败也欣然，大家互相尊重，绝不会有任何败坏选举的行为。

When we talk about American society today, we no longer hear the words “brotherly love”. When asked what is American? Most people think whoever believes in and trusts in the United States constitution is an American, and all Americans should unite under the constitution. These are also the contents taught in citizenship education. The oath of Naturalization is also about supporting and defending the Constitution of the United States. Many immigrate to the United States just for its democracy, freedom, equality, and the American dream of bringing wealth and career. I guess no one will immigrate to the United States now for the “brotherly love”. And no one knows that Winthrop is the Founding Father of the country, and no one knows the destination he went to North America is for the love of brothers, to build a city on the hill, the coming United States. If without brotherly love, do democracy, freedom, and equality exist in the United States? Is there really an American dream?

We can find that democratic elections have been kept for hundreds of years in Protestant countries, but it is difficult to uphold for a long time in other societies. Why? In Protestant countries, people all believe in God and the same Bible; all believe that everyone is equal under God and full of brotherly love. When selecting their own managers, resolving conflicts, disputes, and other important matters, they firmly believe that everyone is brother and utterly equal; no one has the right above the others. Therefore, those significant matters will be decided on the basis of the democratic principle agreed by the majority. And it had three critical contents: first, democratic elections are closely related to religious belief, and religious belief is related to immortality and eternality linking with the ultimate world. People will treat the votes in their hands with the most holiness and piety. Election fraud is impossible, let alone election corrupt, because these actions will be considered blasphemous, sacrilegious, and profane, blocking people from going to heaven. Second, democratic elections are based on equality for all. Only by believing in equality for all can we strick to the principle of majority decision. Otherwise, it will be another matter. For example, in a secular society without belief, there is apparent inequality between people before everyone’s eyes. As big men, they don’t think that democratic elections are effective. They look down on the small people from their hearts, let alone let the small people decide important things. Even if democratic elections are carried out in such a society, these big men will inevitably use bribery, corruption, and other tricks to influence and control the election. It is natural they will win the election in the end. They think doing that is right as rain. People have various grades and ranks, higher or lower. In the end, it must be the big men to control society. Otherwise, the whole society will be in chaos. This phenomenon can be seen in most so-called democratic countries except Protestant countries, all countries in Southeast Asia, Africa, Latin America, and even some Catholic countries in Europe. It can be said that even though Catholicism is part of Christianity like Protestantism, no Catholic country can escape from the ruin of democracy and fall into a dictatorship by the big men. Napoleon of France, Hitler of Germany, Mussolini of Italy, Franco of Spain, etc., because Catholicism does not believe that all people are equal under God. They believe in hierarchy and religious hierarchy. The Catholic countries in Europe still trust the hierarchical order of the pope, cardinal, archbishop, bishop, etc., let alone other societies. Thirdly, democratic elections are closely linked to brotherly love. It can only be held In a community full of brotherly love; everyone is happy to win or lose, respects each other, and never corrupts the election.

However, once the society loses the love of brothers, which is the basis of a democratic election, even if the community still believes in the alleged equality between people, there will be no real democratic election. I want to talk about such a society, today’s American society after it loses brotherly love. As a traditional Protestant country with nearly 400 years of tradition, the idea of equality for all has profound deposits, and it is impossible to clear up at once. Therefore, although American society is becoming more and more secular, the idea of equality for all is still accepted by most people. However, It turns into equality for all without faith and brotherly love, the alleged rational equality for all. American society differs from the standard non–Protestant countries in which people don’t have the concept of equality at all. But without faith and brotherly love, will everyone be equal? After losing faith, each of us becomes an individual who purely pursues his own desires. We know that human desires are endless, and human desires without the restriction of faith are even more unscrupulous. We will no longer feel other people’s feelings and pain, never take any rules or conscience into account, let alone brotherly love. At this time, these individuals are bound to interfere and manipulate the election by any means to satisfy their own best interests. Therefore, the election is constantly interfered with and destroyed by various means. The more dare to break the rules, the more vice to violate their conscience, the more likely they to win the election, and the whole society will become a society of bad money driving out good money. Ultimately, the higher the rank in society is, the eviler they are. Therefore, in the end,the so-called rational equality for all cannot be maintained. The final result is a dictatorship because it is obvious how these evil and nasty people can believe in equality for all? And why will they support equality for all?