The sine wave approach
One of the interesting things that strikes me about life when rights clash is the way that some people assume that you can deal with the issues around rights as though they were sine waves.
"All we need," they think to themselves, "Is to introduce something that is 'anti-phase' (that is 180° out of sync') with the prejudice and that will solve it all." So that's what they do, they look at a situation and try to introduce something that will result in a flat line where prejudice is concerned. Where one class were perhaps oppressed they are now favoured and those who were favoured (or perhaps merely just dominant) are now oppressed such that their views count for nothing. Not only that but we take them, their attitudes and the society they stand/stood for and mock them, labelling them whenever and wherever the opportunity presents itself as 'dinosaurs' and generally engaging in the art of the ad hominem to press home our point (so we redress the balance, reward the previously oppressed and 'teach the bigots' a lesson too!).
Of course this isn't the reality when it comes to prejudice because we can't inject a pure anti-phase component. In fact what we do inject when we try to cancel out the prejudice in this quasi-scientific manner is what we call in science/engineering (and maths too) is 'harmonics' and these result in lots of incoherent noise such that the initial issues are not resolved and no one can hear anything the others are saying.
Seems that the world (and the Church which in so many cases these days is not different) can learn from the wonderful world of science - see, you don't even need to reach for your Bibles (which is probably a blessing because when I engage in discussion with people and 'rights' it seems that (even when they claim to be 'Christian') this is the last place they'd be caught looking.
Pax
4 comments:
Difficult one. You know the situation in the forces with Equality & Diversity. I can recall the days when being Gay in the Army cost you your job and even in some cases, worse. I can remember the furore when those who had been discriminate against took their case to the European Court and won. The MOD institution was stopped in its tracks. Generals wrote to the Times threatening to resign if the Government caved in. Luckily they didn't and the previous situation was overturned. And what had been a problem due to outdated laws, suddenly became a non-problem.
I did an E&D advisors course at the than RMCS Shrivenham, which chaallenged all of my own prejudices, acknowledged or those I was unconscious off. I learned more about myself and what made me tick in that short course than anywhere else in my life.
My eyes were opened and I became a much more tolerant and affirming person than I had been before.
Education and tolerance seem to me to be the chief way to break through barriers and to overcome those inequalities real or perceived which afflict our society and the church.
Our Diocese is pushing the Ministry of Welcome during Lent. That is an inclusive welcome, a community based welcome and one on agape love for all. Something of this needs to be in us all when we look at those areas of inequality which seem to bedevil the church at the moment. If we are an inclusive, loving church, than discrimination won't exist, because there will be no room for it.
"we can't inject a pure anti-phase component."
No, perhaps not, but can't help feeling life does this for us, we are all being shaped by our life experiences and by the people we find ourselves muddling through life alongside. There is a lot of static at the moment but this is so much more preferable to the deafening silence on certain issues endured by many for decades. Very much encouraged by UKViewer's comment above.
Good morning UKV,
I did the same course and found it challenging and informative. Interestingly, I haven't found myself called upon to deal with many EDA issues and where I have, ironically, the situations have been more about the rights or some rather than the actions of others (which is rather encouraging).
Happy daze!
I agree that life tends to diminish and resolve many issues. This generally done by education and helping people to see the bigger (or perhaps just wider) picture.
The problem is that compensating for past errors by inflicting new errors (what a local 'activist' told me was 'retribution) has to be wrong.
The other problem that many who mail; me talk of with 'rights' is their view that sometimes 'silence' can heal rather than conceal - perhaps some need the time to contemplate whilst others just wont to keep on talking (shouting?). There is a thin line between considered dialogue and obsession and some appear not to understand this.
All contributes to strengthening those who shouldn't be strengthened and undermining the 'right' in question.
Pax
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