DOES THE BIBLE PROMOTE EQUITY OR EQUALITY?
STRIVING FOR A TRUE BIBLICAL VISION OF JUSTICE (PART I)
Key Facts
According to a 2019 Pew Research poll, 61% of Americans (41% of Republicans & 78% of Democrats) say that there’s too much income inequality today. [1]
Depending on the context, equity and equality can have different meanings.
On November 1, Kamala Harris posted a video on Twitter discussing the differences between “equality” and “equity.” Harris promotes the idea of equitable treatment rather than equal treatment. Harris seems to define equitable treatment as equality of outcome, saying “Equitable treatment means we all end up at the same place.” [2]
Another definition given by Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina explains the difference between equity and equality this way: “Equality is typically defined as treating everyone the same and giving everyone access to the same opportunities. Meanwhile, equity refers to proportional representation (by race, class, gender, etc.) in those same opportunities. To achieve equity, policies and procedures may result in an unequal distribution of resources. For example, need-based financial aid reserves money specifically for low-income students. Although unequal, this is considered equitable because it is necessary to provide access to higher education for low-income students.” [3]
The Bible’s use of the words “equity” and “equality” don’t fully align with their modern usage.
Key Scriptures
Psalms 99:4 “The King in his might loves justice. You have established equity; you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.”
2 Samuel 8:15 “So David reigned over all Israel. And David administered justice and equity to all his people.”
Psalms 67:4 “Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth.”
Proverbs 2:9-10 “Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity, every good path; for wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.”
Isaiah 11:1-4 “There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.”
Deuteronomy 25:15 “A full and fair weight you shall have, a full and fair measure you shall have, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.”
James 2:1 “My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.”
Also see: Matthew 20:1-16, 25:14-30; Luke 19:11-27; 1 Corinthians 3:10-15
Want to Know More?
Center for Biblical Unity - Equality vs Equity
Carneades.org - Equity vs Equality (Philosophical Distinction)
Markkula Center for Applied Ethics - Justice and Fairness
Initiative on Faith and Public Life - The Bible and Economics: Will There Be Inequality in Heaven?
Reformation 21 - Identical Equity?
Medium - Social Justice: Equity or Equality
Randy Alcorn - Will All People Be Equal in Heaven?
For a different perspective: Christian Community Health Fellowship - A Christian Critique of Equity
Application
On November 1, Kamala Harris posted a video on her Twitter account about the differences between equity and equality. Christians may hear these words used a lot when discussing justice in society today. But how does the Bible define equity and equality? Is it similar to how Kamala Harris defines it? Should Christians strive for equity or equality as we pursue justice?
This subject is not as simple as it may seem at first glance. As such, it is necessary to answer different aspects of these questions separately. This first article will be the first in a three-part series. It will explain the differences between biblical equity and equality and whether they are similar to other modern day definitions like Kamala Harris uses. In the second article, we will look at the subject of inequity and whether all differences in outcome are necessarily bad. With these two building blocks in place, the last article will look to specifically evaluate Harris’s claim that we ought to strive toward equality of outcome.
What are Equity and Equality?
First, let’s make sure we have a proper understanding of the definitions of these two words. One definition given by Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina defines them as the following:
“Equality is typically defined as treating everyone the same and giving everyone access to the same opportunities. Meanwhile, equity refers to proportional representation (by race, class, gender, etc.) in those same opportunities. To achieve equity, policies and procedures may result in an unequal distribution of resources. For example, need-based financial aid reserves money specifically for low-income students. Although unequal, this is considered equitable because it is necessary to provide access to higher education for low-income students.”
A helpful distinction in thinking through the common uses of these words is to distinguish between treatment and outcomes. In treatment, equality refers to treating everyone the same regardless of their circumstances, whereas equity takes a person’s circumstances and needs into consideration. Aristotle articulated this fundamental principle of justice this way: “equals should be treated equally and unequals unequally.” When discussing outcomes, equity and equality are often used interchangeably. To have an equitable outcome is usually defined as having equal outcomes, as Harris seems to articulate (“Equitable treatment means we all end up at the same place.”). Thus, it’s important to clarify whether one is discussing treatment or outcome-based equity or equality.
What Does the Bible Say?
The Bible addresses both equity and equality as aspects of true justice.
The Bible uses the word “equity” a number of times in the Old Testament in many English translations. One example is in Psalm 99:4, which says, “The King in his might loves justice. You have established equity; you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.” Another example is 2 Samuel 8:15, which reads, “So David reigned over all Israel. And David administered justice and equity to all his people.”
Equity is an important part of biblical justice. However, it’s not given an exact definition in the Bible. The main Hebrew word for equity (mê·šā·rîm) conveys ideas like uprightness, straightness, levelness, fairness, truth, order, and integrity. Such definitions are very broad but seem to capture the underlying core principles of justice and how God would judge a situation. M. O. Evans defines equity as “the spirit of the law behind the letter; justice is the application of the spirit of equity.” In other words, equity looks towards what a law was intended to do and seeks to judge on that basis, not judge solely based on what the letter of the law says.
The word “equality” also appears a number of times throughout the Bible. It can denote equal amounts of something measurable like money, goods, or time (as in Exodus 30:34 and Ezekiel 4:5). It can also refer to using the same standard for everyone, such as weights and measures used in trade (Leviticus 19:35-36, Deuteronomy 25:13-16, Proverbs 20:10). Or, it can refer to comparing the qualitative attributes of two persons or things, like status or beauty (Isaiah 46:5, Ezekiel 31:8, Philippians 2:6).
Throughout the Bible, the principle of equality can also be plainly seen. Humans share a fundamental equality with one another, being created equally in God’s image (Genesis 1:26-27, Proverbs 22:2, Job 31:15), having all committed sin (Romans 3:23) and all needing redemption through Jesus Christ (Acts 15:11, Romans 10:12). When discussing justice and the law, there are instances where strict equality is required and everyone is treated similarly (Exodus 30:15, Leviticus 19:15) and instances where that is not the case (Leviticus 5:7, 5:11, 14:21).
An Example of Biblical Equity vs. Equality
All of this can sound fairly abstract, so let’s use a real-life example to help illustrate some of the differences between equity and equality.
Imagine a situation where you have two individuals who are standing before a court because they got a parking ticket and, due to financial hardship, are pleading their case as to why they can’t pay it. With the first person, they parked in this space in order to help a friend move. This is the first time they have gotten a parking ticket and insist they did not see a sign indicating that they couldn’t park there. However, with the second individual, they have had three previous tickets dismissed and this is the fourth time they have received a parking ticket at the same location.
If you were the judge, would you dismiss the ticket for both individuals, for only one, or for neither? If you were to apply the law equally, both individuals would have to pay the fine because “those are the rules” and they apply equally to everyone. There isn’t any quality about either individual as to why you might treat them differently. However, If you took their unique circumstances into consideration, this would be the principle of equity at work. The first individual has not had previous offenses and seemed to violate the law without intending to, while the second individual has already violated this law three times. This would seem to indicate that they might not obey the law in the future if their ticket were dismissed again. Thus, you might dismiss the ticket for the first person but uphold it for the second individual, in hopes that it will deter them from future violations. Lastly, one could also argue from a principle of equality that if you are going to let the first person off the hook, then you should let the second off the hook as well. Mercy should be shown equally to all.
In this example, we can see both the principles of equity and equality at work. On one hand, some might be tempted to treat both individuals equally and give them the same ruling regardless of their circumstances. On the other hand, equity would say that their differing circumstances should factor into how the law is applied. In some ways, this parallels the struggle between applying the spirit of the law versus the letter of the law, or between showing grace versus truth. All three options could be considered just for different reasons, yet most people would probably lean towards showing a balance of equality (by not showing partiality on the basis of something like race or gender) and equity (taking their various circumstances into consideration).
As we can see, biblical equity and equality are not at odds but can be given different weight. Both are integral to God’s vision of justice, and it takes much wisdom to weigh the various considerations involved.
Differences in Modern Usage
It’s important to note that the biblical terms equity and equality don’t always match the way they are used in current discussions on justice. The previous two sections mainly defined the biblical use of the terms, but now we turn to see how it differs from modern usage.
On one hand, the biblical usage of equity and equality are similar to modern usage in discussions of how we treat one another. Biblical equity roughly corresponds to what people would call “fairness” today. This involves taking people’s needs and circumstances into consideration when they are relevant as well as remaining impartial when people’s needs and circumstances are irrelevant. Likewise, biblical equality speaks to people’s fundamental sameness as image-bearers of God as well as ensuring that uniform standards, rules, and laws are used for everyone.
On the other hand, biblical equity and equality are much more holistic in nature and do not lead to the simplistic outcome-driven political solutions like modern critics seem to imply. Unlike Harris’s definition of equity, biblical equity does not necessarily entail equality of outcome but seems to place greater emphasis on equal and equitable treatment. The emphasis on equitable treatment rather than equitable outcomes is a significant difference between the two views. This will be explored in greater detail in subsequent articles. But for now, the takeaway for Christians is that they should not assume that modern conversations about justice use the words equity and equality in exactly the same way that the Bible does. Therefore, we should not be quick to assume that the Bible supports our preferred political solutions simply because it uses similar language.
Equity and Equality in Justice and God’s Character
The Bible’s vision of justice largely follows a pattern of striving towards both equity and equality. In Luke 12:42-48, Jesus told a parable to his disciples about a master and two servants. One servant was knowingly disobedient of his master’s will and received a “severe beating” whereas the other unknowingly disobeyed his master’s will and received a “light beating.” This is the principle of equity at work. Likewise, we can look at the fundamental equality of humanity in God’s plan of salvation. Apart from Christ, all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and are condemned (Romans 3:23, 6:23). Yet, in Christ, anyone can equally come and receive him and the forgiveness he offers (Romans 10:9-10, Ephesians 1:7), regardless of any other defining characteristic (Galatians 3:28).
With God, because he is unequalled, unparalleled in all ways, above all, and there is no one like him (Isaiah 46:9, Jeremiah 10:6), he is able to treat all humanity with perfect equality and similarity. At the same time, because God is all-knowing and knows our hearts (Proverbs 15:3, Jeremiah 17:10 Hebrews 4:13), he is able to take people’s specific circumstances into consideration perfectly. Thus, he is able to render perfect justice and can judge with perfect equity and equality, for both are derived from his character (Psalm 98:9, Deuteronomy 32:4).
However, with humanity, when we judge our fellow human beings, we are judging our fellow equals, for we are all made in God’s image (Genesis 1:26-27). At the same time, we cannot possibly know all of the details and circumstances of other people’s lives, and we especially cannot know a person’s heart (1 Corinthians 2:11). (We sometimes don’t understand our own hearts! (Jeremiah 17:9)) Because we are imperfect and finite, this means that the justice we render will also be imperfect. Instead of equity and equality working perfectly together as it does with God, we will find ourselves struggling between these two principles, trying to find the right balance. Thus, we can only approximate God’s perfect standards. Despite this, God still calls us to pursue justice on earth through both biblical equity and equality (Genesis 9:6; Proverbs 2:9, 20:10).
Conclusion
The Bible calls us to pursue justice that honors both principles of equity and equality. Often, this is very difficult to do because of our sinfulness and our limited knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. Biblical equity and equality, while resembling modern definitions of those words, also carry important differences and do not lead to easy political solutions. As we work through our various earthly challenges, Christians must strive towards the biblical vision of justice while seeking wisdom from God.