The Democracy of the Dead
“Tradition means giving a vote to most obscure of all classes, our ancestors. It is the democracy of the dead. Tradition refuses to submit to the small and arrogant oligarchy of those who merely happen to be walking about. All democrats object to men being disqualified by the accident of birth; tradition objects to their being disqualified by the accident of death. Democracy tells us not to neglect a good man’s opinion, even if he is our groom; tradition asks us not to neglect a good man’s opinion, even if he is our father.” - G K Chesterton, Orthodoxy, Chapter 4 What does this mean? When we are discussing changes in church practice, particularly when they steer a wide berth of historic church practices, we need to listen to all the voices, especially those not in the room who may have spoken their last many years ago. lex orandi lex credendi - changes in our practice cast a different light on the unchangeable, immutable word of God. And the reverse - the word of God casts light ...