The freedom has a different meanings and directions and may be in the same as what inside the democracy and also may be integrated with each other to perform a one integrated meaning, but the different ways that every society deal with the meaning of freedom through make it sound difficult to detect an ideal definition for the freedom that can agree with all principles and origins thinking for the individual societies You may find for example at USA the meaning of freedom completely differ with other countries such as China or North Korea . More over the fact that a lot of countries have a believes and a way of thinking may not matching with the another countries
And may be the conflicts and wars was a result to that variation
For example the coeval conflicts in the middle east may act also as a result for that variation and a main element of its outputs
But there are a lot of asks enjoin itself now a days
Is there a relationship between that variation and the deference of religions
Is the freedom and democracy are a believable of religions
Is the freedom and democracy are a pure social thinking or a political manners
Is it allowed to force the freedom upon a certain society
What does freedom mean for you
Is there are a differences between that concepts (freedom and democracy) in Christianity and other religions like Islam
Waiting for your comments and opinions

I have heard some of my knowledgeable friends and some Islamic leaders say that Islam by it's own rules cannot be democratic. So the idea of forming a democratic society in the new Iraq may last for a while but in the end the Islamic authorities will seize control.

This is the situation in Iran, where outwardly it is a democracy, but inwardly it is run 99% by the Islamic clerical authorities, and they decide the freedoms not the people. Their idea of freedom is probably first bound by the laws of the Koran and after that by the rules set forth by the clerics. The people don't have much say.

Very interesting subject.
I will come back to elaborate the subject after work.
Thanks Mr. Thinker for giving us the chance to discuss such important issues.
TheDove

Most religions, including Christianity are far from "democratic".

Take the Church of Rome.... the authority of the priesthood is presented as absolute and unquestionable. History shows an organisation which was prepared to torture and murder in its quest for powr and to maintain its standing and authority in society - the Inquisition and burning of heretics were facts. The Church of Rome still has an office of the inquisition and still reserves the right to excommunicate members who do not tow-the-line.
The Protestants are not much better and the Pilgrim fathers sailed for the Americas to escape christian religious intolerance.
Today supposed "Christian" Pro-life fundamentalists claim the right to murder abortion clinic staff and doctors.
Pastors and church elders of some "christian religious sects" demand absolute obedience from their flock. They preach (*)(*)(*)(*)ation for those who waver and enforce their collective will by expulsion of those who question the authority of these supposed "Christian" religious leaders. I think it is the 7th Day adventists who own a substantial food processing factory here in Australia and who employ the bretheren in the factory.. Those people are dictated to and have their lives, income and personal security entwined wholly with their religion... and thus have few options to disagree with the church elders who pay their wages.

None of that is in the spirit of Jesus.

None of that is in the spirit of democracy.

I know little of other religions. I have known christian "individuals" but I am convinced "democratic christian religions" is an Oxymoron.

I consider myself as someone whoo believes in a "Christian" God.. but please do not confuse me with small minded "church going despots".

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Free Speech measures the idiot by what he says
Censorship measures the idiot as equal with the Sage.

Rouge, your view only describes about 5% of Christianity, or really the hardcore christian right. Christianity is obviously tied to democracy and free market economy, as we only have to look at "Christian nations" and see what systems they have in place. Christianity has proven to be one of the most flexible religions, particularly in the last 200 years.

read this quote from a book to a famous islamic writer


According to Islam, governments in this world are actually representatives (khulafa') of the Creator of the universe, and this responsibility is not entrusted to any individual or family or a particular class or group of people but to the entire Muslim nation. The Holy Quran says: "God has promised to appoint those of you who believe and do good deeds as (His) representatives on earth" (24:55). This clearly indicates that khilafah is a collective gift of God in which the right of every individual Muslim is neither more nor less than the right of any other person. The correct method recommended by the Holy Quran for running the affairs of the state is as follows: "And their business is (conducted) through consultation among themselves" (42:3. According to this principle it is the right of every Muslim that either he should have a direct say in the affairs of the state or a representative chosen by him and other Muslims should participate in the consultation of the state. Islam, under no circumstance, permits or tolerates that an individual or a group or party of individuals may deprive the common Muslims of their rights, and usurp powers of the state. Similarly, Islam does not regard it right and proper that an individual may put up a false show of setting up a legislative assembly and by means of underhand tactics such as fraud, persecution, bribery, etc., gets himself and men of his choice elected in the assembly. This is not only a treachery against the people whose rights are usurped by illegal and unfair means, but against the Creator Who has entrusted the Muslims to rule on this earth on His behalf, and has prescribed the pro- cedure of an assembly for exercising these powers. The shura or the legislative assembly has no other meaning except that:

The executive head of the government and the members of the assembly should be elected by free and independent choice of the people.


The people and their representatives should have the right to criticize and freely express their opinions.


The real conditions of the country should be brought before the people without suppressing any fact so that they may be able to form their opinion about whether the government is working properly or not.


There should be adequate guarantee that only those people who have the support of the masses should rule over the country and those who fail to win this support should be removed from their position of authority.

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Everything has a begining, has an end.

Sharia law is an example of how democratic an Islamic state can be, but only for scholars. I have mixed feelings about this in a scenario where scholarship is restricted, and early European Christianity did this exact same thing, where only the literate were held in great authority on religion. In one sense it's democratic, and it's wise in that it allows the leadership of those who have studied such matters in depth, but when people are kept in ignorance to elevate the political power of the scholars, that's bad.

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I shall continue to be an impossible person as long as those who are now possible remain possible.
Hypercrites