It is a simple and obvious fact that is ignored and rejected by many in our culture.  We are not all equal.  We do not all have equal abilities, equal potential and unfortunately, equal opportunities.  This is reality.  When this reality is rejected, great harm is done.
For example, not everyone can be a doctor as I am.  Medical school is four years of 30 unit semesters.  Not everyone can do that.  For many people the academic work load would be too great and they would fail.  I am not an artist.  No amount of schooling, practice or effort could change that.  I have an artist friend who has painted murals in my office.  In just a matter of hours he painted freehand beautiful murals that covered the wall of one of my exam rooms.  It would take me days of effort to accomplish the task, and the quality would be far less.  I am not his equal.  I am comfortable with that.
    This week I had a consult visit with a family who's daughter was struggling in first grade.  She wasn't failing, but the teacher was concerned that she wasn't keeping up with all of the other students.  As we talked it became evident that the teacher, as she had been trained to do, was viewing all of the children in her class as equals.  I reminded the parents that this isn't necessarily so.  A remarkable 50% of Americans are of below average intelligence!  There will be students who are in the bottom half of the class!  I can predict with certainty that the bottom half of the class will contain exactly half of the students!  What was and is important is that the child do as well as she can, and become the best that she can be.  Treating her as if she is equal when she is not can do great damage to her self esteem.
    This "all are equal" philosophy is dangerous in the political arena as well.  It is what leads some to decide that successful people deserve to be taxed more.  Since everyone is equal, no one should have more than anyone else.  This thinking is foolishness, yet it is common.  It has as its consequence tax policies that paralyze the economy and stifle productivity and growth.
    So why is this idea so wide spread?  First because of a misunderstanding of equality.  Men are all created of equal value, deserving equal rights and respect.  It is easy to mistakenly broaden this definition to say all men are equal..  Secondly, and more importantly it is due to a rejection of our Christian heritage.  The Sovereign God who has created us has decided to bless people disproportionately.  A culture that rejects this truth will turn to other false ideas instead.  Amazingly, the evolutionary mindset that dominates are academia supports inequality in another way.  Implied in evolutionary theory is the existence of advantageous mutations.  What are such mutations if not inequalities?
    We need to reject the notion that all are identical and equal.  We need to celebrate and embrace the truth that all are equally valuable yet not equal in ability or talent..  Only form such a place of truth can we truly address the ills of society and develop solutions.