The Difficulties of Pursuing a Shamanic Path for Non-Native Americans

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Travel in the Spiritual Worlds DIVINE KINGS and DEMOCRACY
Earthy Kings Echo the Actions of Heavenly Kings The Spiritual Travel Logo

Western religions tend to idealize God as an absolute ruler and monarch of both heaven and earth. Monarchs make the law, can change the law when they wish, and are therefore above the law. They can do as they please. Their subjects and devotees are not allowed to judge the propriety of their actions. Loyalty is the greatest virtue.
Americans fought a revolution to limit the power of kings and replace their absolute power with a democratically elected form of government.
The heavenly king presents a challenge to Western and Middle-eastern democracies. This is because the ideal of the caliph in Islam and the theocratic leader who has a "divine right" to rule or who is perceived to be "chosen by God" in Christianity both oppose democracy and rule "by the people and for the people". The history of Islam is largely one of caliphs, kings, sultans, shahs, and other absolute rulers claiming religious sanction and authority (or at least the right to rule based on the support of religious authorities such as in modern Saudi Arabia).
Large Christian voting blocks in America seem in some cases to want rulers to be tribal members and identified with Christianity with claims that Christians should take "dominion" (control) over everything (all the earth) including the government. This is a return to theocracy and the concept of a "Christian nation" (which is supported by creating false histories of the founding of the United States). Christians have a vague and ahistorical sense of living under the rule of Christian kings and popes in Europe. Some may know something of the Roman emperor Constantine making his empire officially Christian, and later of Theodosius demanding that all Roman citizens convert to Christianity often under penalty of death. Some want to return to an idealized Christian-ruled past that was never anything close to ideal.
Religious people who find it difficult to reform themselves or their local churches seek to reform government instead to legislate goodness and virtue for others based on their highly dubious interpretations of Biblical law or ethics. They also seek special treatment and a unique power to influence their Christian leader which is denied to other religious and secular groups.
The ideal image of a ruler such as God the father as a monarch presents a challenge to modern democracies with large religious populations. More secular leaders regardless of their skill and righteousness have a difficult time competing with religiously sanctioned prophets and rulers who claim to be "born again" or claim some form of a "divine right" to rule. As with past Christian kings and popes in Europe or Christian Roman emperors, theocracies and dictatorships are often very similar forms of government.
The demands of absolute loyalty to "God and king" allows these religious sovereigns to commit illegal and immoral acts with impunity which explains some of the dysfunction of our current political situation. Claims that a return to religious rule will bring back morality and goodness in government are clearly false given the tidal wave of morally questionable actions by a popular former ruler whose supporters claim was "chosen by God".

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