Created Equal

As our nation celebrates its birth it’s good to ask where our Founding Fathers ever got the idea of freedom. There are two stories about Winston Churchill that provide an insightful view into how people respond to the blessing of freedom. The first is from a letter that was written to him by his daughter as he was nearing the end of his life. She wrote to express her deep appreciation to him for what any daughter owes a father but she continued, “I owe you what every Englishman, woman, and child does: liberty itself,”

The second story is from a chance occurrence late in his life as he was leaving a session of Parliament. It was late in his career and he was prone to give speeches that tended to be rather slow and laborious. Two rather young and arrogant Members of Parliament were in conversation as they walked down a hall and seeing Churchill one said something to the other indicating that people were saying that Sir Winston was quite senile. Churchill, overhearing the exchange retorted, “Yes, and they also say he is quite deaf.”

These stories exemplify the difference of heart that reflects an awareness of the source of blessings while others are mindless. World War II was the war that defeated manifest evil but it was Churchill’s war. He led the free world against tyranny while it could still be defeated. As we prepare to celebrate a day that remembers one of the greatest blessings any people have ever received it is good for us to recognize the source of our blessings. Where did the idea of freedom and “all men are created equal” come from?

This week I was stopped at a traffic light waiting for the left turn arrow when a massive concrete truck approached from an intersecting street and turned right coming within a few feet of my door. My comparatively small car offered little protection from the mammoth beast and I looked up at the driver to reassure myself that he was aware of those in his path. The first thing I noticed was that “he” was a petite blonde female.

In America it’s a fairly unremarkable sight for a rather slight woman to drive a large truck. But American’s forget that freedom is not a universal value. When American troops where called into action in the Gulf War part of the deal included the acceptance of women to perform military duties. It’s a male dominated culture but Saudi men could not defend their country against Iraqi aggressors so American soldiers, including women did it for them. Saudi women were able to look through the burka and see American women sharing equal status with men. Many wanted this freedom. At the end of the Gulf War, after American troops left Saudi Arabia, forty-two Saudi women, some medical doctors, were arrested in the city of Riyadh for the crime of driving a car.

Women aren’t equal everywhere. In December of 2007 16 year old Canadian Aqsa Parvez was killed by her father for refusing to wear the Hijab (Islamic dress that covers everything but the head and hands). The family had moved from Pakistan where there is more than one “honor killing” every single day.

In Denmark Shahid Mehdi, Islamic mufti in Copenhagen is quoted as saying “Women who refuse to wear headscarves are asking for rape.” Could there be a connection that Muslims who are 4% of Denmark’s population are responsible for a majority of (reported) rapes and 100% of gang rapes?

In France 77 per cent of veiled women carry veils for fear of being harassed by Islamic moral patrols. France is now considering a bill to outlaw veils because it threatens the freedom of women.

In Norway, a 14% Muslim population is responsible for 65% of rapes, 80% of which are against Norwegian women. What is the Islamic response? Professor Unni Wikan said, “Norwegian women must take their share of responsibility for these rapes. […] Norwegian women must realize that we live in a multicultural society and adapt themselves to it.”

“If you take out uncovered meat and place it outside […] and the cats come and eat it…whose fault is it, the cats or the uncovered meat?” said Sydney-based Sheik Taj Din al-Hilali.

It seems far from us but there is a culture which does not view women as equal. Their testimony is not accepted in a court of law. Even today there are at least eight women in Iran waiting to be executed for committing adultery. But what will happen to the men who were sinning with them? Well, some things haven’t changed since Jesus walked the earth when a group of men brought a woman to him for judgment. She had been caught in the act of adultery and the crowd wanted Jesus to pronounce justice on her. It must have taken more courage than we envision for him to refuse the crowd’s thirst for blood.

Jesus stooped to write in the dirt and when he arose all of her accusers had left. There have been lots of conjectures over the years about what Jesus wrote. Maybe it can be answered by the looming question, “Where is the man?” If she had been caught in the very act, (John 8:4) why did the accusers take only one of the participants? The simple answer is that they did not view women on as equal to men.

A lot has changed in 2,000 years. I wonder if the woman driving the concrete truck even knows that her freedom to work at such a job is a direct result of the teachings of Jesus Christ….and the Apostle Paul who wrote, “So there is no difference between Jews and Gentiles, between slaves and free people, between men and women; you are all one in union with Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28)

For all we hear about Christians turning to Islam, the fact is that far more Muslims are turning to Christianity, and for good reason. They’ve endured a culture in which women aren’t equal. The change is an easy choice.

The Founding Fathers read the Bible to find that all men are created equal. As a source of truth and justice, there is no book its equal.

Until next time,