I DOAN AGREE. Some are predestined for a God filled favours. Biblical Job, Abraham, King David, King Solomon and the wealthy of the world.

More blessing is upon the man who enjoys excellent health-the last chapters of the book of ecclesiastic talks of such as man. Many wealthy people have poor health. Rich and miserable seems to be their plight.

I am of the opinion that when we die our souls are re-assigned to different tribes and races.

I am forever grateful for the assignment as an Indian born in British Guiana back in the 40's. And that over last centuries, the white race has somewhat become a little bit more tolerant for the people of colour so that I can live a comfortable life among them. Without boasting, I enjoyable music from all cultures, have access to writings-ancient as well contemporary and have a mind of eastern values complimented with western consumerism.

I praise God for such a gift. 

we aint equal

OF COURSE WE ARE ALL "CREATED EQUAL"

+

BUT SOME OF US ARE "MORE EQUAL" THAN OTHERS.

* You don't believe the Rev ? Check those 2 photos. The lady on the right is "more equal" than the lady on the left.

* Didn't you read Animal Farm in 3rd form Ksazma ?

* By the way, that's my babe on the left. Do you folks recognize those two beautiful humans ?

Rev

The same creator made a mouse as well as an elephant. In terms of knowledge, we all start out the same way-equal. Then we grow up. But we have PPP thieves, those who sympathize wid PPP crooks and those who have righteous indignations to stop PPP thieving. Suh, we are product of the environment.

I don't know that the question has any value.

We might be all born as equals, but with unequal potential.

Ksaz, we may be created equally in that we are humans, however we are not equal. Some of us are born into an "ideal" surrounding (family, community, country) and some of us have to struggle for our survival. We humans have contributed to this "unequal" world as well. Think about how in some societies/cultures/countries men are allowed to thrive and women are trampled on. Think of our own parents and grandparents - the boys were allowed to go to school and the girls had to stop at a certain age or were never given the opportunity.

To piggyback on what Kari said, "unequal potential", I agree. Our smarts/intelligence come in different ways. Some of us have the gift of gab interwoven in the tapestry of our being. Some of us can create beautiful works of art without uttering a word. We have the special needs population and the gifted population. We have the criminals and the pious. We have the leaders and the followers...

I hope I've illustrated sufficiently why I don't agree with the concept that we are created equally.

Come on in Ksaz! Join the conversation

* This thread has potential, but Ksazma cut and run.

* Guess he was busy for the weekend---Florida gets interesting sometimes.

Rev

Nah, I don't see Ksaz as a cut and run kinda guy I bet he'll be back.

It happens often to me - I'll start a thread and life happens and I don't get back to it for several days. I can get a tad busy too, Rev!

Sometimes we have to shift our activities around. As you know Rev, shift happens

* A lot of times when people claim they are busy, it's just their priorities are out order.hahaha

Rev

Oh, the "tad busy" was taken from one of your posts

Rev

Thanks all for commenting on this question. Your observations are precisely why I asked this question. From a religious point of view, we are taught that all men are created equally. However, as I look around me, I don't see that manifestation either at the time of birth, during life or at the time of death. I was curious as to why people make this statement. I guess from a religious point of view especially in Islam it may be referring to how we are all born with a clean spiritual slate but that is only one aspect of life and since it hangs on belief can not really be cited as solid evidence to this argument. So I must also conclude that all men (and women) are not created equally. Some of the observations dealt with peoples' lives but even at birth there are so many variations whether physical or otherwise. Do anyone have any other citations to support the argument that we are all created equal?

Doesn't the statement have less to do with capabilities and potential and more to do with individual rights?

MY feet are quite large, I heard anta does wear size 6.

Nah, nah everybody eekqual

The question is not about measuring anything and comparing anything. The statement that all men are born equal is a declaration of principle rather than a question of whether they were truly equal.It is an attempt to solve the question of what is the best and just social system. Let me add, as an aside if not relevant to the question,  this is not because a group of monads can get together and formulate a just society. The answer of just societies emerges from an analysis of organically developed societies to  see why some fail and others persist. Why some persist while other fail is because of precepts as to equality, justice, freedom etc

The question  asked is philosophically moot. It is clear that one cannot fashion a scale to measure the state of  equality in individuals since the things one would want to measure are often unmeasurable as well as innumerable. If one takes strength then one sees there can be strength of character, physical strength, moral strength etc. The Physically strong can be mentally week and if both physically and mentally strong he can be morally compromised or morally weak.

I do not want to go into how we are unable to measure any criteria for equality. It is too much for a single post. How do we measure Bach from Mozart even if we know the bloke down the block is a horrible musician simply by listening. How does one measure Picasso from Cézannes or Michael Angelo and Raphael from a Van Gough and say a Michael Johnson. Then there are the kinesics skills about the difference of a jumper vs a contortionist or a dancer vs an acrobat.

These are just a small sample of instances where to measure "competencies" are impossible. Other competencies as strategy, non linear thinking makes ideas about intelligence ( some 11 paramaters) completely silly to measure since one does not even know what they are.

will win in a fight sine they can use their brains and persuade others to fight for them or build a weapon to kill from a distance or conquer their adversaries in other ways. is an answer to the question of how one can create a fair and just society. Over time there were many answers to this question.

Again, the idea of equality is a declaration that an humans, individuals, with immeasurable capacities ( making comparisons moot) are on the same footing with respect to rights in a society. It is an enlightenment creed that we must hold some universal values that benefit all equally to mediate barbarism in a system. It is a synthesis of Abrahamic religious  precepts and secular precepts ( Hindus thought this up even if they neglected to practice it in instance a long time before the Abrahamic religions) that the individual is of the highest value and no man as Locke said, is left to the mercy of another by divine dictate but every man should be willing, no compelled if he is of moral character, to aid another in distress if he has in excess what the other needs. As a point of reference.

The idea of all men are created equal is therefore a common sense consensus that everyman has in him the wherewith all to overcome deficiencies and where he lacks in strength he can overcome with skill or craft. By saying rights are not hierarchical in a society and that for example basic precepts as a universal prohibition to all to deny another his freedom ( except in instances of criminality or madness), one begins to achieve a fair and a just world. Yes all men are born equal is one care to think on what it means to say one is "equal"

That is exactly it.

The Book of Luke Chapter 12 from verses 13 and onward. All men are born equal. The parable of the talents basically tells us what become of our lives after birth. It is the investment-God honouring ones.

Duh is wah she tell you because she doan want hurt yuh feelings.