Saturday, January 7, 2012

The War for Humanity: Dueling Visions

There are two competing visions of the human person fighting for dominance in this world, which are quite literally fighting to define modern man’s conception of what the human person is. And the war between these two visions is the defining struggle of this generation, and its result with have enormous consequences for humanity.
The first, and newer, vision of humanity is based on a narrow view of equality. It holds that all men and women are essentially the same, and should be treated as such. Gender, race, and ability are all social constructs, and are therefore mutable. Since all people are the same, any two people can have a sexual relationship if they “love” (i.e., are physically attracted to) each other.
Equality, to one who holds this vision, is synonymous with sameness. Essentially, this vision of humanity is a form of social egalitarianism. It came into power with the rise of totalitarianism in other countries, and gained prominence in America with the rise of the sexual revolution. It has grown in power and influence ever since, and now, it is seeking to supplant the traditional vision.
The other, and traditional, vision of humanity recognizes that people are unique individuals with different abilities. According to this worldview, people are born with different strengths and different weaknesses, and must rely on each other to fully maximize their potential. Regarding marriage and relationships, this view holds that men and women are equal in dignity but complimentary, having different strengths and weaknesses inherent in their biology – and that both men and women are not interchangeable.
This is the traditional, Judeo-Christian understanding of the human person. It has been dominant since the rise of Christianity. But as the Judeo-Christian moral vision fades and moral relativism spreads, the new vision of humanity is mounting a challenge to the old, seeking to replace it. And what was initially a challenge has escalated into open war.    
These two visions of society are irreconcilable. And the war between them will last until one or the other is triumphant, and the other is destroyed.
(This post also appeared on New Agora. Check us out!)

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