God Bless the Lawgivers

Article V Blog ^ | April 3rd 2017 | Rodney Dodsworth

[Jacquerie]

The extraordinary longevity of Sparta fascinated 17th and 18th century political writers and philosophers. From Algernon Sidney, to Walter Moyle, John Trenchard and Thomas Gordon of Cato’s Letters fame, the idealized lessons drawn from the Spartan experience in government had enormous impact on our Founding generation. Spanning some six hundred years, until the Roman conquest of 146 BC, the Spartan republic remains the longest lived in history.

Legend holds that Lycurgus, (circa 800 BC) traveled the eastern Mediterranean to observe various governments. He visited Egypt, Crete, and city-states around the Aegean Sea. Sensing that he could design a better governing form suitable for his home country, he visited the Oracle of Delphi for confirmation. The Oracle agreed that his plans would set Sparta above all other cities and history would forever honor him as the greatest lawgiver. Emboldened, he returned to find a poor and miserable Sparta under the rule of his young nephew, King Charilaus. In this tiny city-state with hardly fifteen thousand free males, what passed for government alternated between democracy and monarchy, anarchy and tyranny.

Through Lycurgus’ personal appeal and leadership, the wealthy and poor alike acceded to his plan. First, he brought about an equitable distribution of land. Second, he divided political power among the one, the few, and the many. The king’s power was limited; he executed the law of the land proposed by the few, the Gerousia, or Senate of twenty-eight elders over sixty years old. Similar to the duty of the Vice President in the American Senate, the king presided over the Gerousia. Bills proposed by the Gerousia were affirmed or rejected by the free warrior males of Sparta. The Gerousia also served as the highest court, a duty echoed in the English King-in-Parliament and, for certain matters, the US Senate.

[knarf]

For the first time ever that I can remember as a born again Christian (since Aug 15, 1981), and I understood the purpose and necessity of prayer in a politician's life, do I feel that they will actually hear and perceive the presence of Godly prayer and that they might now act attempting to do the Godly thing as a legislator.

Say what you will ...

It is Trump affect all over the nation.

[Jacquerie]

I hope you are right. DJT and Melania took a lot of media grief just for saying the Lord’s Prayer at a rally last month.

[knarf]

Well, that's the command given to the Christian for the entire world ...

Be ready with an answer for the hope that lieth within you.

I've been more of an observer in the last twenty years than an activist and being pretty god at telling other people what to do and where to go .... /8^) ..... all of my observation is north poling to the Trump affect.

He seems to be be playing everyone like a maestro and we who love Trump can only sit back like a proud child and say, "That's my daddy" ... because as children, we don't see through daddy's eyes.

For the first time in my later years, I don't want to die and get it over with ... I REALLY want to be part of this.