Theocracy_update.qxd

tive responsibility, with consequences for all of society. If the gods are given their due, they will bestow rewards on society, or at the very least not interfere with its smooth functioning. But if people’s behavior offends them, the gods will visit pun- ishment on society. This typically takes the form of a natural disaster (for example, a failed harvest, disease epidemic, or earthquake) or a military defeat. In modern societies, by contrast, it is more often assumed that any divine reward or punishment accrues to individuals, and for their own behavior. It is also commonly held that God punishes or rewards a person in the afterlife rather than dur- ing his or her earthly existence. Despite this, modern theocrat- ic regimes don’t give individuals free rein to make their own moral decisions. Instead, these regimes attempt to make every- one in the society follow the dictates of the dominant religion (as interpreted by the religious leaders who control the regime). Modern theocratic governments have used various means to ensure religious conformity. Many have attempted to elim- inate opposing viewpoints by controlling the educational system, by censoring the media, or by limiting citizens’ con- tact with outsiders. Some theocratic regimes have expelled dissenters. That tactic was used by the Puritans of Massachusetts Bay Colony, and by the Latter-day Saints of Utah Territory during the second half of the 19th century. Other theocracies have resorted to far more coercive meas- ures. The Taliban employed roaming “morality police” who beat, flogged, and sometimes even killed Afghanis found in violation of the regime’s strict version of Sharia , or Islamic

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Theocracy: Religious Government