Most people living in our country would, I believe, agree with the following statement: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. [AN ASIDE: When I write ‘man or men’ I am referring to ALL HUMAN BEINGS.]
That ‘Equality,’ then, is a good thing – a goal to be sought and achieved and ‘Equality’ is generally affirmed and accepted by those who live in the United States. What appears to be lacking, however, is a sense of the monstrosity of inequality.
History continues to remind us, if not teach us, that ‘Inequality’ is a major tap root that supports, nurtures, and sustains the abuse of power and justifies man’s cruelty to man. ‘Equality’ is an obstacle, if not direct hindrance, to both. Among other things, ‘Equality’ sets a limit to power. One way of describing mankind’s history is to describe it as the ongoing tension between ‘Equality,’ ‘Inequality,’ and ‘Power.’
At its core, ‘Equality’ is an interpersonal relationship that involves both a claim and a recognition. My claim to equality (and yours, gentle reader) has its reasonable basis in my recognizing my fellow human’s identical claim. A question I continue to hold: Do I not forfeit my own rights by denying to my fellow men the rights I claim for myself? For me, this continues to be a disturbing, if not motivating, question.
As a theist I believe that ‘Equality of Man’ is the intended consequence of God’s love and commitment to all humans. The ultimate view of man is due to God’s virtue. Whenever you and I see even a trace of man, there God is present. God is not only ‘Love’ – God is ‘Equality.’
‘Equality,’ then, is a religious commandment and goes far beyond the principle of equality before the law. Consider, gentle reader, that ‘Equality’ as a religious commandment means ‘personal involvement, fellowship, mutual reverence, compassion, and mutual caring.’ It means being hurt when the ‘other’ (think: stranger or minority) is offended. It means that I am grieved, if not enraged, when the ‘other’ is disfranchised.
God is One and Humanity is One! God is either the ‘Father’ of ALL MEN or of NO MAN! God’s image is either in EVERY MAN or in NO MAN. There are few ‘either-or’ statements that I hold – these are two of them.
Moral philosophy tells us that it is our ‘duty’ and our ‘obligation’ to have positive regard for every man. Such regard, however, is at times contingent upon the moral merit of each particular man. From the point of view of religious philosophy it is our duty and obligation to have positive regard and compassion for every person regardless of his or her moral merit.
God’s covenant (‘covenant’ is a powerful commitment) is with ALL humans. Man, created in the ‘likeness of God’ has ‘divine dignity.’ To state it another way: the image of God is in the criminal as well as in the saint. How can my regard for man be contingent upon his merit, if I know that in the eyes of God I myself am deeply flawed and hence, without merit?
The symbol of ‘GOD IN THE WORLD’ is not a tree or an ocean. The symbol of ‘GOD IN THE WORLD’ is MAN!
When we choose to support inequality for one we choose against God. We cannot escape this judgment by saying that ‘I did not directly support inequality.’ The great Jewish Rabbi, Abraham Joshua Heschel reminds us: Some are guilty, but all are responsible!
Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear! — Jesus