Thoughts on Equality

Last night, I was reading an essay by C.S. Lewis called "Religion and Rocketry" in which he postulated the ramifications both practical and non-matierial of life other than our human variety in the universe. He conjectured that there might be races that could be unfallen, innocent, and sinless. How crass and backwards we would appear those god-like creatures! Perhaps this unfallen race would be surprisingly less advanced and not as highly developed technologically or organizationally as we, pity that sort of creature if it ever fell into our hands for surely we would destroy them in a heartbeat! (i.e. "Earth first! We'll log the other planets later...") A thing that struck me in all his conjecture, as it has struck me in a number of his other works is his unabashed comfort with inequality between people, between species, perhaps even between human beings and extra-terrestrial races. I suppose this is a classical conservative position that should not really surprise coming from a mid-20th centure British academic. Yet still...yet still...After all the accuasations of him being a dead white guy, a classist, a snob, a 'man of his times' have been voiced, the truth of our fundamental inequality still holds true. Surely, political equality and democracy are very good things. Not because people are good and really deserve power in government and decision-making, but because we are all evil and selfish. The true genuis of the American republic is not that it 'gives everyone their fair say' (to tell the truth some of the things people 'jsut have to say' are crap, because they are ignorant twits and they shouldn't be given the helm of grocery cart let alone a nation) but that it spreads power out. It (tacitly, perhaps even unconsciously) assumes the fallen selfishness of everyone, and therefore avoids the mistake of allowing a single person or oligarchy too much power. It acknowledges that a good way to keep a persons selfish fallen-ness in check is to put it in competition and accountability to another persons fallen selfish-ness. (i.e. checks and balances in the three branches of government...sort of) But I digress...

The reality is that we are not all equal, and thats ok... The regard that human beings are required to have for each other is not based upon their merit, only from their status as creatures made in the image of God. Oftentimes there is a search for a meaningful basis for human 'rights' or dignity outside of the Bible, even we Christians do this. I do think there is some to be found, but in reality this can only be a hazy and endlessly debate-able 'natural revelation' of what has plainly revealed in Scripture. I have done this myself, but it seems to arise from my desire to justify a theistic Christian wordlview and ethical stance to non-believers by 'proving' Christianity on their (the non-believers) own intellectual terms, that is, on territory that is not 'theistic' or 'Christian.' This seems to me to be an interesting endeavour (I like doing it actually!) but nonetheless quixotic. In truth, the Christian is better off founding their ethical-moral framework and ethical anthropology on the the revelation of Scripture, and using natural revelation as merely an apologetical tool rather than as the basis simpliciter for their ethics. That being said I digress once again....

Once again the regard we have for each other as human beings is based upon the understanding that we are all made in the image of God, and that while our existence now is one of real and true inequality on many levels (socio-economic, political, in terms of physical beauty and intelligence, and unfortunately race also...) that our regard for, and concordant good treatment of, one another is not based upon these criteria anyway. Who is to say that some sort of meaningful inequality amongst the blessed citizens of the new heavens and new earth will persist after the end of time? I certainly don't like to believe in gradients of eternal reward, but surely, God in His wisdom and love is not constructing a place of discord and strife? If there is to be inequality...well then I am sure it will be the most delightful sort possible. Perhaps like a loved child before its Father? Could the Hobo I avoided today on the sidewalk be the one who is gently rebuking me and helping me grow on the other side of eternity? This life demands that we take inequalities seriously, and not artificially try to ignore them. Some people are simply more capable at some things than others. Or more beautiful, or what have you. It does not lessen the moral or ontological value of the the less-capabe individual, just their utility in that situation. Unfortunately we are a society that values pragmatic capitalism above all else and we have sinfully absolutized those mercenary values inasmuch as they have become the criteria by which we judge more than a persons utility, but their very value as people. This should not be so. All that to say, Jesus loved 'em so I should too.

The Sovereign God of the universe made me and placed me in history where He saw fit. If that statement is true, than my socio-economic position, my accomplishments, my physical beauty (something I must remind myself to be thankful for on a regular basis) are not what determines my value. The same goes for others. With that in mind, we can love and pray for our betters as those who bear the greater weight of responsibility that we because of their greater gifts or endowments (rather than with envy) and treat our inferiors with responsibility and deference of service (rather than self-aggrandizing condescension or abusive instrumentalization of them). Moreover, Jesus makes it pretty clear that those who woud lead His remarkable little enterprise through history (heretorfore known as "The Church") would be the same ones that scrubbed the toilets, cared for the dying, and tolerated the diapered screamers in the third pew back. In conclusion, the superior pays to the inferior the debt of love by deference and care, be it man to animal, man to man, or extra-terrestrial to man!

So there...