1. Several politically significant concepts go by the name of “equality.”
2. Principles of equality that are consistent with a Biblical worldview are: “Equality before the law” and “Equality of opportunity.”
3. Principles of equality that are consistent with today’s humanist worldview and which are incompatible with a Biblical worldview are: Equality (or parity) of outcome and “Substantive Equality.”
4. “Equality before the law” is a declaration of war against tyranny and arbitrary rule. With the loss of Canada’s Christian ethos and the rise of Socialism, we have seen the erosion of equality before the law. Special recognition in law for certain groups of people is a direct assault on this principle. This is the case with Affirmative Action, and other expressions of “Group Rights,” such as today’s non-discrimination law, including all “Human Rights” code. These are all incompatible with God’s law and the first principle of Equality Before the Law.
5. “Equality of opportunity” does not mean that all people have the same opportunity to succeed in this life. It refers to the removal of arbitrary obstacles to a person’s advancement, such that their ability to progress is rooted in their own abilities. This paradigm places maximum emphasis on personal responsibility and individual liberty. It makes no room for a policing function by the State between two or more law-abiding citizens exercising their freedom of choice with economic decisions or any other choices they make in pursuit of their own advancement.
6. “Substantive equality” is the notion that equality is more than simply a framework principle. Rather, true equality should be evidence in outcomes. This is just another way of saying “Parity of Outcome.” Equality before the law and equality of opportunity as foundational principles are insufficient. If the outcomes of people’s circumstances and efforts are unequal, then true equality does not exist. “Substantive Equality” gives the State the right and the obligation to manipulate outcomes in pursuit of a parity of outcome. The State is the central actor in this perspective, hence the socialistic/humanistic nature of this concept. The State’s primary tool for this work is redistributive taxation. Another important tool is non-discrimination, or “human rights,” legislation. Under the guise of “systemic discrimination” and “power imbalances” between different groups in society – men and women, those of different marital status, those of different race and ethnicity, landlords and tenants, employers and employees – the State claims the right to intervene on behalf of the disadvantaged party in pursuit of “equality”/parity/non-discrimination.
7. The Christian spirit of equity may wish for parity of outcome, but the concept of “Substantive equality” taken as a whole, with the key role played by the State, is socialistic in nature and incompatible with Biblical Christianity.
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You are quite wrong. There is NO Christian spirit of equity. There is a strong strain of violence and murder in the Bible, both the old and new testaments. Whole societies are killed because the people of god (in the Bible myths) were told it was the good thing to do. The “spirit” you suggest simply doesn’t exist. In fact it’s opposite does.
What I find amusing about those who hold this view is they never explain why non-discrim. laws only apply to certain groups of people. Why not firemen? Why not albinos? Why not anybody else except those groups listed? They are discriminatory laws based on a particular and highly debatable analysis of history. Advocates of affirmative action never address these matters because these are sacred cows, off limits to reasoned examination. People are just supposed to accept as self-evident that the state is needed to provide some kind of equality between people. There are so many black conservatives who despise this modern liberal colonial paternalism but modern liberals have to feel good about themselves by patting the black guy on the head with a “Now, now, you’re going to be alright. I’m from the government and I’m here to help.” Non-discrim. laws are inherently discriminatory, OF COURSE, and are a deadly assault on civilization because they require the micromanaging state to interfere where it has no business in our lives and relationships. This kind of paternalistic politics is advanced and demanded today in a day of broken and shattered families where many men had no father figure at home, or no good father figure, to show them what real paternalism looked like in the home. So now, thrown out into the wild world, they need Dad, so they look around and turn to the state to play that role – if not for them, then for those around them who they think need a father figure.