By DONALD DeMARCO
When an interviewer asked what keeps him up at night, Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke of the “polarization” that “really does worry me.” One of the responsibilities of the leader of a nation is to encourage unity. In this regard, it would appear that Trudeau’s expressed concern is congruent with that of Christianity. “The unity of mankind,” writes Jacques Maritain in Ransoming the Time, “is at the basis of Christianity.”
But is Trudeau’s vision really compatible with that of Christianity?
How one approaches fostering unity can separate the true leader from the pretender. A simple test to distinguish the two lies in how they perceive what is equal and what is not equal. With regard to Canada’s prime minister, there is a great deal of evidence that he regards, at least in many instances, what is unequal as equal and what is equal as unequal. Such an attitude, since it turns the moral universe upside down, is actually conducive to exacerbating polarization. It is not possible to convince everyone to agree to a fantasy.
Human beings are both equal in one respect and unequal in other ways. They are equal in humanity. No one human being can claim that he possesses more humanness than any other. All human beings are equal in that they belong equally to the same species. Human parents always give birth to human beings.
This being the case, there are derivative equalities that flow from this premise. Therefore, they are equal under the law, and have equal rights to life and liberty. Enslavement of human beings is an abomination. This understanding of equality is one that has always been strongly promoted by Christianity. It requires a certain spiritual perception since it is not immediately evident to the senses. At the same time, this helps to explain why it has been difficult to achieve in the practical order.
Christians hold that unity is achieved primarily through love. In this way, human beings come to know and affirm each other in their humanity as fellow human beings. As Maritain states, “It is the natural love of the human being for his own kind which reveals and makes real the unity of species among men.”
On the other hand, since such love is not always readily available, people might come together in their humanity as a result of extreme difficulties. As Maritain goes on to say, “In the common experience of misery, in the common sorrow of great catastrophes, in humiliation and distress, under the blows of the executioner or the bombs of total war, in concentration camps, in the hovels of starving people in great cities, in any common necessity, the doors of solitude open and man recognizes man.”
The many inequalities that distinguish human beings from each other, in intelligence, talent, status, age, occupation, and so forth do not obscure the essential nature of man. However, they are both needed and honored as they contribute to a cooperative and well-coordinated world. “Christianity fearlessly asserts the necessity of these inequalities,” writes Maritain.
The definition of the human being does not contain any reference to beliefs, opinions, strength, intelligence, wealth, or position in society. They are incidental to his fundamental nature as a human being. They distinguish human beings but do not obscure his basic nature.
In Canada, educators are grappling with sex education programs. Some, who hold to what is regarded as a “liberal” approach, want various forms of sexual conduct, including those promoted by the LGBTQ consortium, to be seen as “equal.” A marital relationship that produces a loving family, however, is hardly “equal” to promiscuous activities that are lacking commitment.
Trudeau has endorsed and promoted a new Canadian $1 coin (the “loonie”) depicting a same-sex relationship. It commemorates the year 1969 when Canada decriminalized private homosexual acts. The word “equality” is engraved in both English and French. The coin follows a postage stamp from the previous year that celebrates same-sex marriage. Inscribed on the stamp are the words “Marriage Equality” and “le mariage égal.” The rainbow flag is shown flapping in the breeze.
On the other hand, Trudeau is a zealous promoter of abortion, thereby disregarding the equality of all human beings. His government has gone so far as to deny payments to students for summer jobs unless they sign an “attestation” indicating their approval of both abortion and the LGBTQ agenda.
Here is a polarity that actually is in violation of Canada’s own Charter of Rights. The attestation has aroused a great deal of public indignation and is being tested in the courts.
(The Trudeau government slightly modified this policy, but pro-lifers say the “concession” still threatens the conscience rights and religious liberty of pro-life Canadians. See December 6, 2018 article in LifeSiteNews by Calvin Freiburger.)
A true unity can never be achieved through governmental force. Any attempt to achieve such an end is tyrannical. If unity is ever to be achieved, it is by recognizing and honoring what is equal and what is not equal. To elevate the unequal to the status of being equal while downgrading what is equal to what is not equal is to foster polarization, discord, anger, and revolt.
If Justin Trudeau is kept up at night, it should be because he is a major cause of the very polarization that he denounces. It is absurd to make equals out of unequals.
Insurance companies charge higher premiums for older people, men, and smokers. This is simply being realistic. If all numbers were equal there would be no mathematics. If every sporting event ended in a tie, telecasts would cease and fans would disappear. No one would be happy with an endless series of ties.
A true unity is certainly difficult to achieve. Nevertheless, it is possible and therefore should be honored and sought. On the other hand, it is not possible to achieve true social unity by treating unequals as equals and equals as unequals. Christianity opposes polarization but it opposes tyranny with equal force.
(Dr. Donald DeMarco’s latest book, Apostles of the Culture of Life, is posted on amazon.com.)
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