is equality possible?

I thought I would offer a controversial heading to this bloggage by way of click-bait – getting you wondering what I might possibly be thinking…

We have human rights legislation that enshrines principles of equality in law. I think that there is a general assumption that equality is ‘a good thing’. But is it possible, and what do we mean when we say ‘equality’ anyway? Surely it means that everyone is equal.

Yes…

But…

Equality could mean that everyone is subject to the same laws and rules. Nobody is above the law. Yet we know that this is not true. If you have money, power and status you have the resources to find legal loopholes so that the law is not applied equally – just look at how little tax is paid by the wealthiest people who can employ teams of people to ensure that they pay as little as possible by comparison to most of us who pay what we’re told to pay.

And even if everyone was truly subject to the same laws and rules and even if there were no loopholes to be exploited, there is still a massive inequality in the world between rich and poor, the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’. (I write this as one of the ‘haves’ and if you are reading this then you’re probably a ‘have’ as well because you have an electronic device on which you are reading it). Capitalism and free markets are heralded as the best economic model to enable wealth creation (with the laughable idea that the wealth ‘trickles down’) but the reality is that our versions of capitalist and free market economies are weighted in favour of making the rich richer and the poor remain poor.

But what if wealth was more evenly distributed and everyone was truly subject to the same laws and rules, would we then have ‘equality’? I don’t believe we would, because there are many in society who are disadvantaged because they are not the majority. I overheard with horror someone in a restaurant saying that they were going to become an illegal immigrant because they get so much free stuff given to them. I wasn’t in a place where I could intervene and point out that illegal immigrants get nothing because they remain hidden, and that those who are asylum seekers receive a pittance on which to live while their claims are assessed.

I have been appalled at the discriminatory rhetoric published online and spoken about people who are trans after the Supreme Court ruling on 16 April this year. The Supreme Court ruled that for the purposes of the Equality Act 2010 the terms “sex,” “woman,” and “man” refer to biological sex assigned at birth. This has been interpreted erroneously as concluding that trans women are not women in general, rather than just for the purposes of the Equality Act. The ruling made it clear that trans people are still protected from discrimination and harassment based on the protected characteristic of gender reassignment but this seems to have been lost in the celebratory hullaballoo of those who support the judgment and ironically much of what I have read from those who agree with the verdict seems to be very close to breaching the Equality Act!

And I haven’t even mentioned ageism, sexism, racism, homophobia, discrimination based on ability, language skills, religious affiliation, marital status, social class… If someone can stick a label on another person and attempt to define them by that label, then you can be fairly sure that there will be inequality around that.

There are lots of images online (I don’t have permission to share any) that suggest that equality and equity are two different things – equality means that everyone gets the same (a box to stand on) but only the tall can reach fruit on a tree or see over a fence, while equity means everyone is able to reach the fruit or see over the fence. That is important, but it can lead us to think that equality is not important. It is, but so is equity. Equality, I think, is a mindset that sees everyone as equally important. Equity is the way you ensure that everyone has equal opportunity.

Have you noticed how diversity, equality and inclusion are currently under attack. DEI is labelled as a ‘woke’ liberal idea that should be eradicated. But notice who is saying that most loudly – those with wealth, power, status and who are part of the unlabelled majority so do not want to lose that position and (astonishingly) are unwilling to act with equity because they perceive that it disadvantages them. Some even claim to be acting on God’s behalf! Have they not read what Jesus said about loving everyone, caring for those who are disadvantaged?

The church I serve, Mutley Baptist Church is a member of the Inclusive Church Network. This is a network of churches that celebrate and affirm every person and refuse to discriminate. The statement at the core of this network makes it clear that “we believe in a Church which welcomes and serves all people in the name of Jesus Christ; which is scripturally faithful; which seeks to proclaim the Gospel afresh for each generation; and which, in the power of the Holy Spirit, allows all people to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Jesus Christ.”

I started by asking the question – ‘is equality possible’? In a world where selfishness and self-centredness taint our thinking distort our view of others I don’t believe that equality is possible, especially where those in power or who seek power tell lies about how those who are disadvantaged should not receive equitable treatment.

But (call me an idealist) I do believe that with God’s help equality is possible, or at least we can work towards it. The image of heaven in Revelation 20 suggests that this is what God intends – all people together responding to and experiencing the only truly equal thing in this world – God’s all-embracing love.

Be blessed, be a blessing