Created Equal, Born Unequal
by Jim Moore

02/08/03

If people who feel disenfranchised or left out fully understood the difference between being created equal and being born equal, a realization would take place that could change the attitude of the most dogmatic of us, by changing how we think about each other.

It takes certain assumptions, however, to make that happen. If we are the work of a Supreme Being (which should be apparent since we did not fashion ourselves), then a Supreme Being must be a reality.

If that is so, then the first words of the Declaration of Independence have a mystical meaning: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal." Created equal, not born equal. 

From this we would conclude that, if all men were born equal there would be no difference in our color, our health, our physical attributes, our psychological make-ups, our mental acumen, and our economic status. We would all begin life exactly even. Since this is not the case, we may assume with confidence, that the Supreme Being did not intend it to be that way.

If, on the other hand, all men were created equal, we may assume, also with confidence, that in the Creator's eyes, we are as equal as any of our earthly children would be in our own eyes, regardless of the circumstances. But here is where the similarity ends. Because inequality of conditions tend to reflect the diversity of human attributes. 

This does not mean that one person is better than another. It means that in the scheme of things, the value to society of individual talents and skills, largely determines our position on the economic and social scale. And where we are on this scale is largely a result of what happens to us after birth. 

We can be certain that the Supreme Being wants all His children to be happy. But we can't be happy if we continue to confuse being BORN with being CREATED. We must realize that "equality" is an illusion to the senses, but a reality to the spirit.  So, in the spiritual sense, we are all equal. But equal in THAT sense only. And that, I submit, is the way it should be.

Jim Moore
Jmoore1819@aol.com

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