The founding fathers said it was “…self-evident, that all men are created equal.”
So are we?
Well according to the Bible, we all come from the same ancestral source. From Noah and his sons “was the whole earth overspread” (Genesis 9:19) and obviously before that we have the whole Adam “the first man” (I Corinthians 15:45-46) and Eve, “the mother of all living” (Genesis 3:20). Galatians 3:28 does say, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” So we know that Christianity views us as being created equal.
By now we have established that I am not a creationist so my first problem with this is the use of the word ‘created’. Maybe we should explore simply: Are all men born equal or something to that effect.
I was inspired to write about this after watching the London Marathon today. All the people at the front are (at half way because that’s when I’m writing this): MUTAI, Emmanuel (KEN) BIWOTT, Stanley (KEN) KIPSANG, Wilson (KEN) LILESA, Feyisa (ETH) KEBEDE, Tsegaye (ETH) MUTAI, Geoffrey (KEN) ASMEROM, Yared (ERI) ABSHERO, Ayele (ETH) KIPROTICH, Stephen (UGA) CHIMSA, Deressa (ETH)
Notice anything? There’s a reason for that, it’s called genetics.
Even identical twins, who, genetically, are the most closely linked of all people, have differences. Contrary to popular belief, they often don’t even have identical DNA, even though they came from the same fertilized egg
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Ok, you may argue that there is a difference between ‘same’ and ‘equal’. I hear you, it’s a fair point, but why are the women running the marathon not running in the men’s race? because they just don’t compare. Their finishing times are different.
You scream for gender equality but we just aren’t equal, look at any sport. I play rugby for example, I’m not allowed to play on the men’s teams and that’s fine by me. I’d be killed. This is because they weigh more, they are stronger, they are faster. Now there is the odd female who can prove herself against males but the strongest woman won’t compare to the strongest man, and if this woman is held up as a symbol to us females that we can do whatever men do it could be dangerous. It would create an expectation that cannot be met, our goal posts will be too far and women would always disappoint in these areas.
So I’ve covered racism and sexism (to put it bluntly)…but so does Christianity
Racism:
- Thus saith the LORD of hosts … Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ***. (1 Samuel 15:2-3)
- Samaria shall become desolate; for she hath rebelled against her God: they shall fall by the sword: their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their women with child shall be ripped up. (Hosea 13:16)
- Their bows will strike down the young men; they will have no mercy on infants nor will they look with compassion on children. (Isaiah 13:18)
- But not a dog shall growl against any of the people of Israel, either man or beast, that you may know that the LORD makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel. (Exodus 11:7)
And sexism:
- Corinthians, 14:34-35: “Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law. And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.”
- Genesis, 3:16: “and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.”
- Leviticus 27:3-7: “And thy estimation shall be of the male from twenty years old even unto sixty years old, even thy estimation shall be fifty shekels of silver… And if it be a female, then thy estimation shall be thirty shekels”
- 26:34, 29:29 “And Esau was forty years old when he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Bashemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite. … Then went Esau unto Ishmael, and took unto the wives which he had Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebajoth, to be his wife.”
So according to the bible we are not equal either…
That clears that up, for once, science and religion have something to agree on
consciaspuella 