Not All Ideas are Equal...

We are facing very challenging times in Australia, not just for the Jewish community but for all of us. As we look at the war in Iran, we see a kinetic clash of civilizations. This is an extension of the clash of civilizations that has been at the heart of the conflict in Gaza over the past two years, and make no mistake, this clash of civilizations has come to Australia.

The tolerant, she'll be right mate, happy-go-lucky Australian pluralism of yesteryear has been torn apart by the surging anti-Semitism of the past two and a half years, culminating in the massacre at Bondi.

The question for all of us is: how do we navigate this clash and rebuild a strong and united country?

I believe that there are two central truths that we need to hold fast to if we are to stand a chance of rebuilding a socially cohesive country:

1. All people are equal.
   This is an idea that is foundational to the Western tradition and to our civilisation. It derives from the opening chapters of the Bible and has been central in all later Jewish and Christian thinking. Every human being is made in the image of God and is of equal value, and this image and value are never erased, not even by the most evil of acts.
2. Not all ideas are equal.
   An idea is a good one if it describes and accurately represents the underlying nature of reality, therefore enabling human flourishing. An idea is a bad one if it is out of step with the nature of reality and therefore results in behaviours and actions that limit human flourishing or are destructive of human life. A simple example illustrates this point. I may have an idea that I can fly. If I act on that idea by jumping off a very tall building, this will have seriously negative consequences for me. The idea that I cannot fly, unaided by mechanical means, of course, is clearly a superior idea to the idea that I can fly.

The challenge in our current situation is that we have reversed these two central truths so that today it is very common to believe that all people are not equal. We divide the world into groups:

• the oppressor
• the oppressed
• the privileged
• the underprivileged

We divide people on the basis of their place on the oppression hierarchy. We embrace identity politics and as George Orwell pointed out in Animal Farm, we have come to believe that some animals are more equal than others.

Having divided people on the basis of their identity, we then try to pursue harmony and cohesion by saying that all ideas are fundamentally equal. That is, there's no such thing as absolute truth. You believe what you believe; I believe what I believe. We all basically believe the same thing. This is applied particularly in the areas of values, of ethics, of culture, and of religion. It is the underlying premise behind multiculturalism, and whilst it comes from a good intention, in and of itself the idea that all ideas are equal is fundamentally flawed.

If we are to build a socially cohesive and united Australia in the face of all the challenges before us and the very deep civilizational differences that exist within our country, we have to reclaim and hold fast in the public square the conviction that all people are equal, but not all ideas are equal. This means that we can scrutinise, criticise, debate, and then accept or reject the ideas that we or others hold. This includes ideas about:

• values
• religion
• culture
• politics
• God
• who we are fundamentally as human beings
• the conditions that make for our human flourishing
• what it means to be Australian

We should not be afraid of such debate. It doesn't mean that we are doing violence to the other person or that we devalue them. In fact, taking another person's ideas very seriously is a sign that you value them and their right to believe what they believe, every bit as much as you value yourself and your right to believe what you believe.

It is this conviction which underpins the seminars which I am currently conducting all around the country. It's the only basis on which we can have robust, thoughtful, compassionate, and cohesive discussions about these core issues. It can feel scary and countercultural, but it is the path to a strong, united Australia where everybody is safe and free.

I would love to see you at one of our seminars, and I would especially welcome the opportunity to bring a seminar to your workplace, community, home church, or place of worship.

If you would like to attend or host a seminar, send us a message or contact us by email, and our team will get back to you to arrange the next steps.