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Pro-Life Training Program Series

RADICAL EGALITARIANISM IS BASIC ANTI-LIFE STRATEGY

By Janet Baker

All facets of the anti-life movement adhere to two basic strategies:  1) radical egalitarianism and 2) radical individualism.

The observant pro-lifer most likely recognizes these strategies at work in the mainstream culture and even in the Church.  Both of these strategies do appeal to the sense of fairness in us, so we do need to be aware.  I have actually seen these trains of thought infect the thinking of pro-lifers, so not only do we need to know how to deal with these in our pro-life apostolates, but we need to be on guard for our own sakes as well.

Radical egalitarianism asserts that not only are all people equal, but that they’re identical in all important aspects.  The necessary corollary to this fallacy is that all inequalities are inherently evil.

Thus, performance-based standards are seen as undesirable.  We see this in the military, as standards for physical strength are “dumbed-down” to allow women to fight on the front lines in combat.  We see this in our schools, as students are promoted even though they haven’t mastered essential skills.  In some instances, schools no longer recognize a valedictorian in their commencement ceremonies, to avoid offending the other students.

Radical egalitarianism must employ coercion to reach its strange goals.  This results in the loss of personal freedoms, particularly those of expression.  We have seen dramatic examples of this in the adherence to what is known as being “politically correct.”  Other buzz-terms that have arisen are “intolerant,” “hate speech,” “diversity,” etc.

Multiculturalism is one manifestation of radical egalitarianism.  Usually this is evident in the push to demean and trivialize Western culture.  Its accomplishments are degraded and its flaws are magnified by liberal pundits, while the opposite treatment is meted out to non-western civilizations.

Of course, the central target of such liberals is traditional Christianity, the source of much Western thought and progress.  Thus, we see embedded in multiculturalism the heresy of religious indifferentism, which is doing much harm in terms of jeopardizing the eternal salvation of millions.

A grossly bloated government, particularly at the federal level, is another manifestation of radical egalitarianism.  Adherents to this philosophy expect and demand that government be the enforcer of their rarified notions of equality.

In other segments, we have discussed the various influences and forces in society.  We see how government has usurped the proper role of other influences, such as the family and church.

When government acts thus, not only are these pivotal organizations weakened more, but people learn to shed personal responsibility for their own lives, actions and consequences of those actions.

Because of religious indifferentism and the shedding of personal responsibility, we see more unhealthy sexuality being not only being permitted but in some cases celebrated.  Thus, gays are demanding, and often receiving, special rights not accorded to the rest of society.

In Canada, for example, ministers are being hauled before governmental boards and threatened with punishment for daring to proclaim God’s truth about the sin of sodomy; but for one wise judge, we almost saw the same fate befall the courageous “Philadelphia Five” a few months ago.

Now let’s look at a few of these things together.  One of the results of unbridled sexuality will be pregnancies out of wedlock; these will be deemed inconvenient.

Thanks to religious indifferentism, there will be no universal code of morality that will give the parents pause, and thus, there will be no moral or philosophical impediment to abortion.  

The government, being expected and empowered to “solve all problems,” paves the way for the abortion and, often enough, pays the way for it.

We will look at the second strategy, radical individualism, next time.