What can we learn from the Bible about choosing leaders?

[The Barbarian]

"Great men are rarely good men." -Lord Acton.

Nevertheless, as Trump demonstrates, petty little men can also be venial.

 

[FireDragon76]

So a slave owner could never be a good president, could he?

Since slavery isn't legal in the US, it's moot.

 

[mcarans]

Every Christian I know consistently gives money & time to help others who are less fortunate. However, Scripture teaches us that we have a primary responsibility to our own family. As parents we not only provide money for the daily necessities, but we also provide guidance & protection. We do not have that same level of responsibility towards "strangers".

Here in Denmark, most of the population pay a voluntary 1.5% church tax even though many only go to church at Easter and Christmas.

Let's say hypothetically that the level of spending in Denmark transposed to the US would be enough to ensure that noone is left struggling to survive in the US. In order to support that level of spending, income tax rates are in the 40-50% range here. I don't know what US overall income tax rates are but let's say they are 20%. Do people give a further 20% of their income to church to help the struggling? Do they even give more than the 1.5% that non churchgoing Danes give?

As for protection which you've mentioned alot, the US is a far more dangerous place than here where people leave prams outside cafes with babies sleeping in them. Because it's safer here, people are more trusting (whether they are Christian or not). My hypothesis is that inequality fuels crime and inequality is much less here than in the US not least because of the high taxation/high welfare spending.

 

[Yarddog]

So God picked Hitler and Stalin?

No, God gave man free will to either follow him or follow the world. Weak people picked Hitler and Stalin.

 

[mcarans]

No, God gave man free will to either follow him or follow the world. Weak people picked Hitler and Stalin.

I agree.