--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Christian equality can be described as…" description: "\"“Christian equality can be described as equity, or even-handedness. Egalitarianism, in contrast, demands sameness, or equality of outcome. These two vi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef2/douglas-wilson-2686_egalitarianism_christian-equality-can-be-described-as-e_3051580.jpg" --- # Christian equality can be described as equity, or… ![“Christian equality can be described as equity, or even-handedness. Egalitarianism, in contrast, demands sameness, or equality of outcome. These two visions of equality are about as comparable as dry and wet. Think of it in terms of ten teenage boys trying to dunk a basketball: equity means that…” quote by Douglas Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef2/douglas-wilson-2686_egalitarianism_christian-equality-can-be-described-as-e_3051580.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef2/douglas-wilson-2686_egalitarianism_christian-equality-can-be-described-as-e_3051580.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef2/douglas-wilson-2686_egalitarianism_christian-equality-can-be-described-as-e_3051580.jpg) > ““Christian equality can be described as equity, or even-handedness. Egalitarianism, in contrast, demands sameness, or equality of outcome. These two visions of equality are about as comparable as dry and wet. Think of it in terms of ten teenage boys trying to dunk a basketball: equity means that they all face the same ten-foot standard, and only two them them can do it — equity thus usually means differences in outcome. Egalitarianism wants equality of outcome, and there is only one way to get that — lower the net. Sameness of outcome requires differences in the standards.”” [Douglas Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wilson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Equity offers equal opportunity but different results; egalitarianism forces identical outcomes, often by lowering standards. **In simple terms:** Equity = same chance, different results; egalitarianism = same result, same standards. Key Takeaway Choose fairness over forced sameness. Themes fairness justice philosophy Mood thoughtful analytical Type philosophical policy When to use this quote - education - employment - law - public policy Key Concepts social theory ethics policy design Questions to Reflect On - Is it better to give everyone the same start or the same finish? - How do you balance opportunity with outcome? A Different Perspective Uniform outcomes can suppress excellence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Christian Equality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian-equality-5077472/) [Egalitarianism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/egalitarianism/) [Equality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/equality/) [Equality Described](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/equality-described-5077473/) [Equity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/equity/) [Handedness Egalitarianism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/handedness-egalitarianism-5077475/) [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [Outcome Egalitarianism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/outcome-egalitarianism-5077474/) [Teenage Boys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teenage-boys/) ## Related quotes > [ \[W\]e must first experience the kingdom if we are even to know what kind of freedom and what kind of equality we should desire.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-hauerwas/w-e-must-first-experience-the-kingdom-if-we-are-even-to-know-what/) [Stanley Hauerwas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-hauerwas/) > [“Pilgrim of the heart, oneness in our vein - love is the revolution, Human is the name.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/pilgrim-of-the-heart-oneness-in-our-vein-love-is-the-revolution-human/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [“Naturally there was the notion of private property as a pragmatic concept, for individuals or groups have a proclivity to tend to their own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashim-shanker/naturally-there-was-the-notion-of-private-property-as-a-pragmatic/) [Ashim Shanker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashim-shanker/) > [“I was astonished, bewildered. This was America, a country where, whatever its faults, people could speak, write, assemble, demonstrate without fear. It was in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/i-was-astonished-bewildered-this-was-america-a-country-where-whatever/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [The foremost or indeed sole condition required in order to succeed in centralizing the supreme power in a democratic community is to love equality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/the-foremost-or-indeed-sole-condition-required-in-order-to-succeed-in/) [Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/) > [“the egalitarian lifestyles of hunter-gatherers exist because the individuals care a lot about status. Individuals in these societies end up roughly equal because everyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bloom/the-egalitarian-lifestyles-of-hunter-gatherers-exist-because-the/) [Paul Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bloom/) > [In proportion to the mental energy he spent, the man who creates a new invention receives but a small percentage of his value in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/in-proportion-to-the-mental-energy-he-spent-the-man-who-creates-a-new/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [“For the normative self-understanding of modernity, Christianity has functioned as more than just a precursor or catalyst. Universalistic egalitarianism, from which sprang the ideals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jurgen-habermas/for-the-normative-self-understanding-of-modernity-christianity-has/) [Jürgen Habermas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jurgen-habermas/) > [“Originated by the green leading-edge in academia, this aperspectival madness of “no truth” leapt out of the universities, and morphed into an enormous variety…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-wilber/originated-by-the-green-leading-edge-in-academia-this-aperspectival/) [Ken Wilber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-wilber/) > [“When you can’t block people’s access to food and shelter, and you can’t stop them from leaving, how can you control them? The ubiquitous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-ryan/when-you-can-t-block-people-s-access-to-food-and-shelter-and-you-can/) [Christopher Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-ryan/) > [Like many works of literature, Hollywood chooses for its villains people who strive for social dominance through the pursuit of wealth, prestige, and power.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-tabarrok/like-many-works-of-literature-hollywood-chooses-for-its-villains/) [Alex Tabarrok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-tabarrok/) > [“There is equality where all are slaves, as well as where all are free. This shows that equality, by itself, is not enough to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/there-is-equality-where-all-are-slaves-as-well-as-where-all-are-free/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [Disregarding the value of religion and believing in egalitarianism are two misconceptions that cause America much trouble today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charley-reese/disregarding-the-value-of-religion-and-believing-in-egalitarianism/) [Charley Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charley-reese/) > [“My good friends, things cannot go on well in England, nor ever will until everything shall be in common, when there shall be neither…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ball/my-good-friends-things-cannot-go-on-well-in-england-nor-ever-will/) [John Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ball/) > [Socialism is not spontaneous. It does not arise of itself. It has abiding principles according to which the major means of production and distribution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/socialism-is-not-spontaneous-it-does-not-arise-of-itself-it-has/) [Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/) ## More by Douglas Wilson > [“The ground for the necessity of Christian schools lies in this very thing, that no fact can be known unless it be known in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wilson/the-ground-for-the-necessity-of-christian-schools-lies-in-this-very/) [Douglas Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wilson/) > [Throughout the country, I see the same design problems and solutions over and over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wilson/throughout-the-country-i-see-the-same-design-problems-and-solutions/) [Douglas Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wilson/) > [“You do not create ex nihilo. You rearrange and recombine. You are the same old flour and eggs in search of a new recipe.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wilson/you-do-not-create-ex-nihilo-you-rearrange-and-recombine-you-are-the/) [Douglas Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wilson/) > [“Sensory experience should not be draped on top of the story as sort of a last-minute decoration. Done right, it is woven into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wilson/sensory-experience-should-not-be-draped-on-top-of-the-story-as-sort/) [Douglas Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wilson/) > [“When the travesties scattered throughout our modern art museums are set alongside the glories of ancient Greece, the Christian heart should swell with pride.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wilson/when-the-travesties-scattered-throughout-our-modern-art-museums-are/) [Douglas Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wilson/) > [Immodest and attractive is easy. Modest and repulsive is easy too. But modest and attractive is an art form.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wilson/immodest-and-attractive-is-easy-modest-and-repulsive-is-easy-too-but/) [Douglas Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wilson/) > [“We were in desperate straits. Christ came to “ransom captive Israel” and to “disperse the gloomy clouds of night.” In our insolence, we were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wilson/we-were-in-desperate-straits-christ-came-to-ransom-captive-israel-and/) [Douglas Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wilson/) > [“This is why stories like this, with great evils in them, are necessary for children to read. Kids just got here—they are still figuring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wilson/this-is-why-stories-like-this-with-great-evils-in-them-are-necessary/) [Douglas Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wilson/) > [As you read, allow your reading to cluster around your interests.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wilson/as-you-read-allow-your-reading-to-cluster-around-your-interests/) [Douglas Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wilson/) > [“Every culture has blasphemy laws. They are not always called that, but no society allows citizens to rail against the reigning deity. In our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wilson/every-culture-has-blasphemy-laws-they-are-not-always-called-that-but/) [Douglas Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wilson/) > [“We sometimes do not appreciate the magnitude of the problem here. How could the eternal Word of the eternal Father take on limits? How…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wilson/we-sometimes-do-not-appreciate-the-magnitude-of-the-problem-here-how/) [Douglas Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wilson/) > [God picks us up where we are, not where we should have been](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wilson/god-picks-us-up-where-we-are-not-where-we-should-have-been/) [Douglas Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wilson/) > [“The fulfillment of the cultural mandate involves hard work, and men need to be hard in order to do the work.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wilson/the-fulfillment-of-the-cultural-mandate-involves-hard-work-and-men/) [Douglas Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wilson/) > [“There is no virtue or vice in a transitive verb, everything depends on the direct object. 'I LOVE' could be virtuous or not -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wilson/there-is-no-virtue-or-vice-in-a-transitive-verb-everything-depends-on/) [Douglas Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wilson/) > [“We are like fruitflies, measuring everything in terms of our own lifespan. But since our lifespans are so short, our perspective is entirely wrong.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-wilson/we-are-like-fruitflies-measuring-everything-in-terms-of-our-own/) [Douglas Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wilson/) [Explore all 154 Douglas Wilson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-wilson/) ## More Egalitarianism quotes > [“Pilgrim of the heart, oneness in our vein - love is the revolution, Human is the name.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/pilgrim-of-the-heart-oneness-in-our-vein-love-is-the-revolution-human/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [“My good friends, things cannot go on well in England, nor ever will until everything shall be in common, when there shall be neither…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ball/my-good-friends-things-cannot-go-on-well-in-england-nor-ever-will/) [John Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ball/) > [Disregarding the value of religion and believing in egalitarianism are two misconceptions that cause America much trouble today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charley-reese/disregarding-the-value-of-religion-and-believing-in-egalitarianism/) [Charley Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charley-reese/) > [“There is equality where all are slaves, as well as where all are free. This shows that equality, by itself, is not enough to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/there-is-equality-where-all-are-slaves-as-well-as-where-all-are-free/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [Like many works of literature, Hollywood chooses for its villains people who strive for social dominance through the pursuit of wealth, prestige, and power.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-tabarrok/like-many-works-of-literature-hollywood-chooses-for-its-villains/) [Alex Tabarrok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-tabarrok/) > [“When you can’t block people’s access to food and shelter, and you can’t stop them from leaving, how can you control them? The ubiquitous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-ryan/when-you-can-t-block-people-s-access-to-food-and-shelter-and-you-can/) [Christopher Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-ryan/) > [“Originated by the green leading-edge in academia, this aperspectival madness of “no truth” leapt out of the universities, and morphed into an enormous variety…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-wilber/originated-by-the-green-leading-edge-in-academia-this-aperspectival/) [Ken Wilber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-wilber/) > [“For the normative self-understanding of modernity, Christianity has functioned as more than just a precursor or catalyst. Universalistic egalitarianism, from which sprang the ideals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jurgen-habermas/for-the-normative-self-understanding-of-modernity-christianity-has/) [Jürgen Habermas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jurgen-habermas/) > [In proportion to the mental energy he spent, the man who creates a new invention receives but a small percentage of his value in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/in-proportion-to-the-mental-energy-he-spent-the-man-who-creates-a-new/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [“the egalitarian lifestyles of hunter-gatherers exist because the individuals care a lot about status. Individuals in these societies end up roughly equal because everyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bloom/the-egalitarian-lifestyles-of-hunter-gatherers-exist-because-the/) [Paul Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bloom/) > [The foremost or indeed sole condition required in order to succeed in centralizing the supreme power in a democratic community is to love equality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/the-foremost-or-indeed-sole-condition-required-in-order-to-succeed-in/) [Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/) > [“I was astonished, bewildered. This was America, a country where, whatever its faults, people could speak, write, assemble, demonstrate without fear. It was in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/i-was-astonished-bewildered-this-was-america-a-country-where-whatever/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [“Naturally there was the notion of private property as a pragmatic concept, for individuals or groups have a proclivity to tend to their own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashim-shanker/naturally-there-was-the-notion-of-private-property-as-a-pragmatic/) [Ashim Shanker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashim-shanker/) > [Socialism is not spontaneous. It does not arise of itself. It has abiding principles according to which the major means of production and distribution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/socialism-is-not-spontaneous-it-does-not-arise-of-itself-it-has/) [Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/) > [The Tenth Commandment sends a message to socialists, to collectivists, to people who believe that wealth is best obtained by redistribution, and that message…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/the-tenth-commandment-sends-a-message-to-socialists-to-collectivists/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) [Browse all 67 Egalitarianism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/egalitarianism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Christian equality can be described as equity, or even-handedness. Egalitarianism, in contrast, demands sameness, or equality of outcome. 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