Equality and Difference

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100 years ago in this country, if you were a woman you weren't allowed to vote. Just 60 years ago in America, if you were a black person, you weren't allowed to sit in the same places as white people on public transport. By contrast, we're used to levels of equality that people in other places or times could only dream of. So we tend to think 'equality' is a good thing. And a lot of the equality our society values is good – and is a privilege to live under. But not all of it is good. Which is why, in this series called 'A Biblical View on Big Issues', today's question is: 'What does the Bible say about 'Equality and Difference' – and how does that compare that with what our society says?' And the first thing the Bible says is this:

1. All human beings are equally created in the image of God

Let's begin with Genesis 1.26-27:

Then God said, "Let us make man [which means 'mankind'] in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.So God created man in his own image,in the image of God he created him;male and female he created them.

So what does being 'in the image of God' mean? Well, one clue is Genesis 5.3, which says:

Adam… fathered a son in his own likeness, in his own image…

So we might say a son is the 'spitting image' of his father – and that's part of what being in the image of God means. It means we resemble God in a unique way. Not physically but, for example, in being self-conscious persons, able to make genuine moral choices; or in being able to reflect his character – so that when you love others, people can see in you something of God's nature. And another clue is in Genesis 1.26 which says we are to 'have dominion' over God's creation – in other words, rule it under God, as his representatives. So, being in the image of God also means we represent God in his world. For example, when one of my children has snatched a toy off the other, when I intervene I'm representing God – I'm bringing his just rule down to earth.

So, all human beings have that equal dignity and value of being created by God with the unique ability to resemble him and represent him. And we each have that regardless of the created differences between us – for example, regardless of whether you're a woman or a man, regardless of the colour of your skin, regardless of your innate abilities. And we each have that regardless of the social differences between us – for example, regardless of whether you're employed (and if so, of what you do – whether you're a cleaner or a consultant) or whether you're unemployed; or regardless of where you live or where you went to school, and so on.

So God says in the Bible that all human beings are equally created in his image. As a consequence, we're to see everyone as having that dignity and value, and to treat them accordingly. And that's where the American Declaration of Independence begins. It says:

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.

So, let me focus two lessons so far. Number one: my definition of what it means to be truly human must come from what it means to be in the image of God. And number two: all people should have the equal right to be truly human, and to be treated as truly human, as the Bible defines that. But next, the Bible says that:

2. Human beings are also created different

And for a start, men and women are. So Genesis 2 describes the creation of the first man and verse 18 says:

Then the LORD God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him."

And the word translated 'fit for him' literally means 'like and opposite to him.' That means she's equal to him but not identical – equal but different from him in a way that complements him – so that when a man and woman unite in marriage, it creates a union capable of more than either sex on their own. So the Bible teaches that men and women are created different. And it also teaches that in marriage, and by analogy in the church family, men and women have some different God-given roles. For example, Ephesians 5.23 says "the husband is the head of the wife" – which means he bears the primary responsibility to lead the marriage and family in a godly direction. (NB: I don't mention that to imply that the only meaningful role for women is in marriage; I mention it because it is one of the examples where the God-given roles of men and women are different.) Now many people think that talk of male/female differences will inevitably be used to justify the unequal treatment of women. And many people think that unless men and women can occupy all the same roles, interchangeably – from the army to the boardroom – they can't be, in fact, truly equal. But actually God himself is the great example of three persons who are equal, but different in role. Because God is Father, Son and Spirit, and all three are equally God, and yet 1 Corinthians 11.3 says:

I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and… the head of Christ is God.

And you can't turn that round and say, 'But equally, the head of God the Father is Christ the Son.' They're not interchangeable. There's a difference in role and authority. The Father sent the Son into the world, not vice versa. But that doesn't mean there's inequality of dignity or value between them. And by analogy we need to accept that the created differences between men and women, and the differences in some of their God-given roles, don't mean any inequality in dignity or value, either. So, the Bible says men and women are created different. But then actually each one of us is created differently. So, in Psalm 139.13, David prays to God:

For you formed my inward parts;you knitted me together in my mother's womb…

Now that's obviously just picture language for God's sovereign involvement in the development of an individual from conception onwards. And the point is: we're each 'knitted together' with different innate abilities and strengths. So, some are academic and some aren't. Some do well at some subjects, others at other subjects. Some are musical, some are sporty. And so on. And all of that is going to shape and limit where our lives go. So it's just not true (as maybe a teacher or careers adviser has said to you) that everything is equally open to us, if only we work hard enough. (Try telling that to the other swimmers who've been up against Michael Phelps this week in the Olympics!) And so later in Psalm 139.16, David says to God:

in your book were written, every one of them,the days that were formed for me,when as yet there was none of them.

So, under God's sovereignty, the way he was 'formed' in the womb would also shape and limit the 'days that were formed' for him. One bad idea around is the idea of equality of outcomes, which, applied to education, says that if only we can get all the conditions 'right', all children will be able to achieve equally. But in fact each child is created different. So to say that they should, under the 'right conditions', all get however many As and Bs and Cs at GCSE is as unrealistic as to say they should all be natural pianists or golfers. We want equality of opportunity – in other words, everyone getting the chance to be the best they can be, as the peson God has made them. And that's like organising a race where everyone can compete fairly. But that's a different world from the ideology of equal outcomes – which is like rigging a race so that everyone finishes together, in the process of which, you'll make many (possibly all) underperform.

Now when we're thinking through an issue Biblically, we need to remember that the Bible covers:

  • Creation – how God made and meant things to be
  • The Fall – how human sin against God has affected everything
  • Salvation through Jesus – how God, through Jesus, is working to rescue his creation from the effects of the Fall and fulfil his original purpose for it

So after Creation, we need to remember the Fall which teaches us, thirdly, that:

3. We must value all people equally – but we mustn't value all beliefs and behaviours equally

Let's look at how Romans 1 describes what happened at the Fall – when the original human pair rebelled against God, and dragged us into the same rebellion. Romans 1.21-23, says of Adam and Eve – and all of us:

For although they knew God, they did not honour him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images [in other words, false gods] resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

In other words, from Adam and Eve onwards, the human race has said, 'We don't want God to rule over us. So we're not going to believe in him. Instead, we're going to make up our own beliefs – our own gods (or if we're secular, our own absolutes like 'Equality') – so that we're in control. We'll make up gods or absolutes which allow us to behave as we want to.' Because of course your beliefs do control your behaviour – so if you make up your own beliefs you really are fully in control and set to do what you want. And on behaviour, Romans 1.24-27 goes on to say:

Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonouring of their bodies among themselves … God gave them up to dishonourable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.

Now that is talking about all forms of heterosexual and homosexual behaviour outside marriage as God intended it (that is, heterosexual marriage, as our social context now requires us to make clear). So this side of the Fall, human beings are still in the image of God – so we must still value all people equally. But because of the Fall, all of us have wrong beliefs and pursue wrong behaviours which we can't possibly value equally. We should only value beliefs and behaviours which are in line with the truth of God and his creation-purpose for us.

So take as an example Stonewall, the campaigning group for 'homosexual equality'. Stonewall campaigned for so-called 'same sex marriage' because it believed that would enshrine the acceptance of homosexual relationships as fully equal to heterosexual ones. And the tagline on their website is, 'Acceptance without exception'. And it says they're working 'until everyone feels free to be who they are, whoever they are.' But 'acceptance' is as slippery and dangerous a word as 'equality'. And what Stonewall mean by 'acceptance' is not only that I value the person who's chosen to pursue a homosexual relationship (which I do), but that I value homosexuality itself, that I accept their choice of behaviour in the sense of affirming it. But I can't do that. Because the Bible says we're the product of creation and the fall. So we can't just look inside at who we are and say, 'That's all good, I must just be what I am.' Because part of what I am – for example, a relational being – is the good product of creation, and should be lived out, but part of what I am – for example, a selfish being – is the bad product of the Fall, and shouldn't be lived out. And the Bible says that same-sex attraction belongs in that second category – that shouldn't be lived out.

And all the things about us which are the bad product of the Fall are what Jesus wants to save us from. So listen to Colossians 3.9-11, which brings us onto the 'Salvation through Jesus' aspect of this. Talking to people trusting in Christ, Colossians 3.9-10 says:

Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old humanity with its practices [in other words, you've seen that certain things about you are the product of the Fall, and not to be lived out as part of being truly human] and you have put on the new humanity, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.

In other words, you're re-learning that being truly human isn't about 'being who you are' as a mixed-up product of Creation and the Fall, but about being changed into what God made you and means you to be. So you're re-learning how to see yourself – and also how to see others. Because Colossians 3 goes on, in verse 11:

Here [in other words, in the local church] there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free [the social divisions of Paul's day]; but Christ is all, and in all.

In other words, with Jesus in his rightful place as Lord, we can see through all the man-made divisions between people – and value them again properly as equally created in the image of God. And Jesus wants this church to be a place where newcomers can witness people from totally different backgrounds, nationalities and walks of life seeing and welcoming and valuing one another as God does. Let me end by saying something on:

4. Living under the 'Equality and Diversity' agenda of today

Let me say again that a lot of the equality our society values is good and that we are privileged to enjoy it. But there are also big problems, most recently stemming from the Equality Act of 2010. The Act begins with a list of what it calls 'protected charactersistics'. And they are:

  • Age
  • Disability
  • Gender re-assignment
  • Marriage and civil partnership
  • Pregnancy and maternity
  • Race
  • Religion or belief
  • Sex
  • Sexual orientation

And first up, the Equality Act says it's out to stop discrimination by promoting the equal treatment of people with any of those protected characteristics, which sounds good. But you have to ask, 'What do you mean by equal treatment?' Because what we've seen is that in the Bible, God calls us to treat all people as equally created in his image – but not to treat all their beliefs or behaviours as equal.

Take so-called 'same sex marriage' – and take as a specific example the relationship between Elton John and David Furnish. If I were to have personal dealings with them, God would want me to treat them like I treat you or anyone – as people made in his image. But it's a completely different question as to how I should treat their relationship. The Equality Act wants me to say it's equal to my marriage to Tess. But even without referring to the Bible, it's obviously not. It's obvious that in real marriage, human genitals are being used in a way that is intrinsically natural and healthy, and that in so-called 'gay marriage' they are sometimes being used in a way that is intrinsically unnatural and unhealthy. It's obvous that real marriage can be procreative (God-willing) whereas so called 'gay marriage' cannot be. And it's obvious that real marriage provides for any children the complementary input and role models of a father and mother, whereas so called 'gay marriage' cannot. So it's obvious that real marriage and so-called 'gay marriage are not equal relationships – and therefore they shouldn't be treated equally. You should only treat equal things equally.

Next, the Equality Act says it's out to stop harassment, which again sounds good – until you find that it defines harassment to include 'creating an offensive environment' for someone with one of the protected characteristics. That is a dangerously subjective bit of law. So imagine a man in your workplace who's undergone 'gender re-assignment' and wants you to call him 'she' and, if you're a woman, wants to share your toilet. Will he be offended if you won't? Very likely. In which case you'll be in trouble – when you shouldn't be – because in the current social climate, his 'protected characteristics' will be favoured above yours. Because the Equality Act simply doesn't deal with the problem of when two peoples' different protected characteristics come into conflict. It leaves the resolving of that to the social climate and the people operating the law – which is not a reassuring thought for Christians (or any other dissenters from the new State-sponsored orthodoxy on sex and gender).

And the other thing the Equality Act says is that it's positively out 'to foster good relations'. And a Home Office document defines that as 'respecting and valuing differences'. To which you have to say, 'Yes, but what differences?' If it's the different perspectives that men and women bring to the workplace – fine. But if it's a difference of belief – like a Muslim believing Jesus was never crucified – or a difference of behaviour – like someone pursuing so-called 'same sex marriage' – I can't respect or value those beliefs or behaviours. I can respect and value the person and their freedom to believe that belief or pursue that behaviour. But I can't respect and value the belief or behaviour itself.

Let me say two quick things to finish. One is that I realise I've been saying the unsayable – and that you may have reacted negatively. But let me remind you that the Bible says:

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind" (Romans 12.2)

So, as with all preaching, the question to ask this morning is, 'Was that a right interpretation and application of the Bible?' And if it was, will you let God change your mind where it needs to be changed – rather than conforming to the thought-world around us?

The other thing is that I realise I've mentioned issues – like same sex attraction – that may be very personal for some of us. So can I say that I've only mentioned them because they're at the forefront of these public issues, and not because I've chosen to highlight them or single them out. And can I also add that, like Colossians 3 says, every one of us has things about ourselves that are the product of the Fall, which we need to 'put off'. And every one of us needs to be "renewed [more] in knowledge after the image of [our] creator." In other words, we're all just works in progress – we all need the Lord to forgive us more every day through his cross, and to change us more every day through his Spirit. And standing on that level ground of being sinners who need Jesus is the deepest form of equality of all.

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