Egalitarianism vs. Tradition - The Christian Reference and Postmodernity

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Nowhereman
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Egalitarianism vs. Tradition - The Christian Reference and Postmodernity

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EGALITARIANISM VS. TRADITION
THE CHRISTIAN REFERENCE AND POSTMODERNITY

It seems to me that one of the great dilemmas of the present time is the choice of the frame of reference we make. One of them, which gives rise to the left wing ideologies and feminism, is egalitarianism. Another frame of reference is a tradition.

There is no scientific evidence for the existence of races or differences between men and women. But is there any true evidence that we are all the same? Christianity seems to be as much a foundation of egalitarianism as of traditionalism. And there are religious tendencies of right and left. I believe western Marxism is mainly based on Christianity, for example. And in the same way, much of the conservative movements in the west are Christian.

The left, however, long held that religion was a conservative institution and tried to reject it in a variety of ways. But this has been perhaps a mistake for themselves - after all, how can socialism be conceived without Christian values? But Christianity has gradually been extinguished in Europe, Canada, Australia, traditionally Christian countries, at the same pace as socialist and feminist egalitarian mouvements have been put in place.

And where does the egalitarian frame of reference come from? Where could it have came from in the West, if not from Christianity itself? Marxism is a fallacy. Engels himself once admitted the incoherence of his theory. How could there have been, after all, a society totally conceived over the economic factors of infrastructure? Whence came the idea that progress always tends towards equalizing peoples? And always on an ongoing basis? Marx, willing or not, translated Christianity into science. But his theory is flawed. Simply flawed. Because Christianity itself is inconsistent as a model of society. Or, as some people may say, referring to Marxism, it goes against human nature. Yes, Christianity may the basis of western civilization, but its values must be permanently "trained" through its religious process. And the same doesn't happen with ideology.

It seems to me that we are in a moment of crisis. On the one hand, an overwhelming postmodernity, on the other hand, an almost desperate attempt to revive Christianity by fundamentalist groups. And prospectives aren't the best. The end of Christian civilization, in a pure and crude way, without a deep reflection on how to overcome the emptiness left by its loss, can in a sens denote a return to barbarism. And we are already experiencing it in certain ways. But the return to a fundamentalist form of Christian culture seems almost impossible in view of the advancements of individualism, individual freedom, and scientific knowledge.

In short, Christianity has been for centuries the frame of reference for Western society. From this came egalitarianism, which, in turn, "exceeded" itself in the form of individualism - either general individual liberty or feminism - leading us to the path of barbarism. I'm not here trying to make a judgement of women's liberation or individual freedom. I just point out that the societal structure put in place until the 19th century ended up being undone. Was this was good or bad, fair or unfair, that's another question.

I do not believe in egalitarianism as an absolute value, as most leftists do. I believe people can be different. Men and women, as well as people from different parts of the globe, may possess significant differences from each other, even in biological terms. These differences aren't certain in any way. But the fact is we do not have an absolute knowledge on the matter. Science, which works by asserting and refuting itself, will not answer all of our questions at this point. And we can not afford to put all the chips in a fanatical belief that we are all the same.

And in that sense, tradition can become an important frame reference for society. Something that has been in usage for thousand of years can not be simply thrown away in the name of ideology. Tradition comes from experience manifested throughout history.

I do not believe either, however, that returning to the Christian foundations is the way to go. Going back to the roots might no longer be advantageous at the point we are in history. Instead, perhaps we should try to restructure society, try to mend what has been shattered. Invest to the fullest in intelligence, taking advantage of the wisdom of science, tradition and religion, without fanaticism on one side or the other.

The way ahead won't be easy. And one of my last standing hopes nowadays is the search for knowledge, wisdom, and "faith" in freedom of though.
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