Why the American Center Will Not Hold

by Rebecca Bynum

As spirituality has leached out of our nation, the understanding of our founding creed, “all men are created equal” has collapsed and we fight over two opposing and equally erroneous views. Originally, I believe, the meaning referred to the correct understanding that our Father in Heaven is no respecter of persons, that we are all equal in his sight and equally loved as his children. It was never meant to mean that all men are physically, materially equal. Our ideal of equality under the law is truly a reflection of divine justice, but society will naturally stratify and it should.

One side uses our founding creed to try to impose equal outcomes in all manner of ways. The other side insists equality of opportunity alone is the ideal and the meaning of those words. Both are wrong. Our founding creed will not hold because it is misunderstood and is nothing more than a myth at this point.

Rather, we must commit ourselves to the brotherhood of man founded on the truth of the fatherhood of God. We must treat each other as family because we are family, not as individuals perpetually aggrieved because we are not materially equal. We must not continue to flagellate our country for its failure to “live up to our founding ideals.” We must recognize it is a statement referring to spirit, not matter.

We can treat all men fairly, as we would want to be treated. We owe our brethren something more than we owe to strangers, but imposing equality or conformity in all things is never just. We must return to the spiritual understanding of our founding creed.

To quote St. John, “Little children, love one another.”