Louise J.

Kaplan has rightly and very wisely remarked, “Adolescence represents an inner emotional
upheaval, a struggle between the eternal human wish to cling to the past and the equally powerful wish
to get on with the future.” They are just people trying to learn how to adjust among the adults; they are
quite perplexed, confused, and facing lots of dilemmas.

It is quite true that adolescence is the pivotal phase in any human’s development and growth. It is
crucial transitional period from childhood into adulthood. Crucial physical, emotional, mental, and
attitudinal changes take place in this period. This is the age of stress and aggression. This phase is the
phase of emotional turmoil in which an adolescent feels quite confused and vague about many issues of
life. One of the most conspicuous aspects of teenage is the clash of ideology between the teenagers and
grown-ups.

It has been found that most cases of teenage problems result from isolation, loneliness, desperation,
and lack of trust in parents, friends, and other family members. All these problems can be minimized by
understanding teenage problems and tackling them considerately. Teenagers are exempted to react, but
the elders must not react to their reactions as it might entice them to go astray and take wrong
decisions in stress and hysteria.

The parents, teachers, and other agencies that have the responsibilities to look after their healthy
growth and development must ensure they get healthy environment, training, and skills to be able to
cope successfully with the many complexities and stresses of this phase.

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Today, I am here to address the topic called ‘Life’. Life is like a roller coaster ride and is never the
same. It has its share of ups and downs, but everyone strives to remain happy and wishes to lead a
perfect life. Some people aspire for an attractive job, some for a flourishing business, some for a
healthy life, and the list just goes on. We want to build our family in the best way possible and want
to make such friends who can stand by us through thick and thin.

We want to have all the material possessions that life offers us and wish all our problems to simply
disappear. So everyone wishes for a great life which could be at different levels. For instance, one
person may define life in a way with which other person cannot relate and for him/her it can be just
having 3 course meals in a day and having a roof over his/her head. For some other person, it could
be having a big house or may be a huge bank balance in their banks.

But in the present times, priorities are changing and so are people’s requirements. With high-paid
jobs and increasing materialistic desires, the level of stress is also increasing. So with an increasing
level of stress, people are facing severe medical conditions and are finding themselves unable to
cope with the challenges that life throws on them. As a result of which, suicide rate and cases of
early deaths are increasing. So having a stress-free life is what one wishes for. This is the basic
human desire.

If one has to put up with constant struggle and show resistance, it results in the crippling of their
souls and makes such people detached from life. They become drained of energy and to them it
feels as if they are running a constant marathon. Life then becomes too hard to handle. But it’s our
perception that shapes reality and our lives as well. Life certainly throws challenges and hurdles, but
those who have sheer will power emerge triumphant and never give up no matter how hard the
circumstances may become.

Life is definitely not a cake walk and it’s indeed very normal to get discouraged and broken. But it is
important to rise against all odds and continue doing your best because it is certain that giving up is
not the solution and constant endeavors definitely take you somewhere and of course closer to your
dreams.
The only mantra for a successful life is to have faith in your own self and never bow down to the
testing situations. Only that person will reap the fruit of the labor, who will put all his/her might in
pursuing his/her dreams. So embrace your situation happily and find your way in the chaos. If life is
difficult then also prove that so are you and success will then definitely touch your feet.

This is all I have to say, thank you everyone!

Have you ever thought of a linchpin of our individuality? What makes us unique and special among
billions of other human beings, in fact so similar to ourselves? And, finally, what is the major
component that lays in the basis of our choice concerning profession, hobby and, of course, life
partners and friends?

Since our birthday we start to absorb experiences, emotions and pictures, like sponge and further on
build our personal mentality and personality. One could argue that the major role in this process is
played by parents and relatives; the other may put more emphasis on the role of the society and
circumstances, the third could even dig into the scientific reasons. But today I would like to talk about
the role of comparison in our lives. And even more – about life as a comparison.

I strongly believe that everything we know comes to us as a result of comparison. We let the external
factors flow through the prism of our individual perception. Our perception, therefore, is the collection
of our experiences and pictures from the past that enrich and fulfil our personality. When we are
small, we compare ourselves to the others and questions that come to our mind, such as, Why is the
sun shining? Why is the sky blue? Why do the birds sing? etc are the first familiarization with the
realities of the world we live in. We know the laws of nature but if one day sun does not rise, our
comparison will make us to develop a new experience and seek for the explanation of this
phenomenon.

We meet new people and inevitably compare them with other individuals, with ourselves and our
standards. Every new meeting is a…

s privilege real or imagined?

It's clear that issues of race and equality have come to the forefront in our nation's
consciousness. Every week yet another incident involving racial tension splashes across
headlines and dominates our news feeds. But it's not easy to unpack the origins of these
tensions, and perhaps we wonder whether any of these issues really has anything to do
with us.

Ken Wytsma, founder of the Justice Conference, understands these questions. He has
gone through his own journey of understanding the underpinnings of inequality and
privilege. In this timely, insightful book Wytsma unpacks what we need to know to be
grounded in conversations about today's race-related issues. And he helps us come to a
deeper understanding of both the origins of these issues and the reconciling role we are
called to play as witnesses of the gospel.

This expanded edition includes a new afterword with further reflections on race and
privilege in today's cultural context

"The Myth of Equality is written so skillfully that it's easy to miss how much it accomplishes. The first part
brings to light, with unflinching honesty, how deeply racism and white privilege are embedded within the
founding documents and practices of the United States. The second part masterfully shows that this
inequality violates the call of the gospel to justice and unity. And the third part offers some wise
suggestions to those of us who are white Christians about how we can 'lay down' our white privilege. I
have no doubt that some readers will be angered by the claim that they participate in and benefit from
structures of racism and white privilege, well supported though that claim is. I predict that there will be
more who are convinced and inspired by the patient, passionate, and nondefensive way in which Wytsma
makes his case. It's a book that someone had to write."

Nicholas Wolterstorff, Noah Porter Professor Emeritus of Philosophical Theology, Yale

University, senior research fellow, Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture, University of
Virginia, honorary professor, Australian Catholic University

"With great sensitivity, wisdom, and boldness, Ken takes on the tough, often-taboo topics of privilege and
race. He makes a cogent, powerful, and compelling argument for why addressing race and understanding
privilege allows us to more fully live out the gospel. He boils down complicated concepts to relatable
points through his interweaving of scholars' writings, activists' thinking, historical realities, and personal
stories. His humility and posture of learning from others, particularly people of color, make this book an
authentic, effective tool for followers of Christ taking seriously the call to pursue justice. This book is
needed and timely, and it will help reshape the conversation around race in America."

Jenny Yang, vice president of advocacy and policy, World Relief

"Ken Wytsma goes where few dare to tread. He asks hard questions about race, justice, and equality and
presents proven and practical solutions. Above all, Ken personifies these solutions; he is seeking to live
justice, not just do it. The message in The Myth of Equality is urgent; it's a must-read."

Stephan Bauman, former president and CEO of World Relief, author of Break Open the Sky

"These are challenging times in our larger culture—and within the church. In the midst of these tensions,
I'm grateful for voices like Ken Wytsma who are seeking to help the church not only to engage the various
challenges but to do it from a posture of humility and deep self-reflection. In The Myth of Equality,
Wytsma broaches an incredibly sensitive but pertinent conversation about equality, privilege, race,
injustice, and reconciliation. But herein lies the challenge: many of us love the idea of reconciliation—until
we learn that it inevitably involves the messy and arduous work of listening to others' stories, truth telling,
confessing, repenting, dismantling, healing, and peacemaking. The Myth of Equality is an important and
timely book that helps us dig deeper on the journey of justice and reconciliation."

Eugene Cho, pastor and humanitarian, author of Overrated

"The Myth of Equality is a book for our times. Tumultuous times do not create problems, they reveal them.
Political disruption, racial division, and extreme polarization mandate that the church looks itself in the
mirror. We must recognize that to whom much is given, much is expected. Privilege is not just a modern
progressive agenda, it is an ancient, biblically recognized reality. Ken Wytsma has done the church a
favor that can help us recapture the blessed virtue of giving. Leaders seriously interested in helping
Christians navigate these important issues would be well served to engage this book."

Tyler Johnson, lead pastor, Redemption Arizona

"One of the greatest obstacles to the journey toward racial justice and reconciliation within the US church
is the refusal of white Christians to confront the realities of white supremacy and white privilege. Here,
Ken Wytsma comes alongside white Christians to help them tackle this issue, not from the perspective of
a distant expert, but as one who continues to wrestle with how privilege and racism impact his own
discipleship journey. Rooted in Scripture, history, and personal experience, The Myth of Equality is a
valuable primer for anyone struggling to understand racism and privilege."

Chanequa Walker-Barnes, associate professor of practical theology, McAfee School of

Theology, Mercer University, author of Too Heavy a Yoke

"The American church stands at an important crossroads. Will we embrace God's plan for the church as
revealed in Revelation 7:9, or will the church disintegrate into the chaos, confusion, and cacophony akin
to the story of the Tower of Babel as we build dividing walls of hostility? In order to move into God's heart
for the church, truth-telling must occur. Without truth, we simply rebuild the Tower of Babel rather than
become the people of God. In this book, Ken Wytsma embraces the courage needed to speak the truth in
love. Wytsma speaks the truth even at the risk of putting himself in peril. That kind of truth-telling is much
needed in our turbulent world. Thank you, Ken, for the courage expressed in this book. May you who
engage this book also find the similar courage to take these truths and be transformed by them."

Soong-Chan Rah, Milton B. Engebretson Professor of Church Growth and Evangelism,

North Park Theological Seminary, author of The Next Evangelicalism and Prophetic Lament

"Stretching back to the earliest arrivals of Europeans on our coasts, the United States has been built on a
long history of racial and ethnic injustice, and white Christians have been strikingly reticent about this
history. Ken Wytsma's The Myth of Equality gently and gracefully initiates a conversation with white
Christians about the racial brokenness of our land. This is a timely book that speaks bluntly about our
past and in so doing orients us for the long, slow journey toward healing these wounds."
Most of us have a God given belief that all human beings are born equal, which means
that everyone has equal qualities and equal attributes and gets equal opportunities to
excel in life. Yet today we see people who are a genius in doing some things and not
even mediocre in doing other things. It is argued that every human being has a different
set of qualities and his success depends on identifying and utilizing those qualities. But
it is my belief that equality is a man made term used only to satisfy the pseudo
intellectuals. It is said that there are three general types of equalities; religious and
spiritual, mental and physical and economic equality. When practically analyzed, the
term “types of equalities” becomes ironic as equality at any level is nonexistent.

Religion asserts equality. Most of the religions including Christianity, Judaism and Islam
declare that all humans are created equal regardless of their color, race and status.
However the concept of heaven and hell in these very same religions contradicts their
concept of equality. If all humans were equal then it would be impossible to differentiate
them into good and bad and hence would be impossible to decide who goes to heaven
and who goes to hell. Proponents of the concept of equality argue that all humans are
equal in the sense that they are given equal opportunities of worship to earn their place
in heaven. For example it has been stated in Quran that people of the earlier ages used
to live for six to seven hundred years, so they had much more opportunities to gain
higher rank in heaven however it has also been stated that now as people have much
shorter lives, their good deeds will be rewarded much more so as to give them an equal
opportunity of gaining higher rank in heaven. However, my question to the people who
believe that equality exists is : How come a rich person gets an opportunity to perform
Hajj, which is considered to be the most rewarding act in Islam, several times in his life
and a poor person cannot even dream of performing it because of its expenses?
Similarly, a person born in a far corner of the world may never be enlightened with light
of faith let alone get an opportunity to worship. Is not life like a game of chance rather
than something based on the principles of equality?

There is also the case of mental and physical equality. Every person may not be mentally
and physically equal, some are mentally sharper than others and some live physically
better lives than others. It is argued that people are given equal potential to excel in
something and their success depends on identifying and utilizing that potential. Yet,
most of the people with disabilities cannot be equal to others because they cannot
equip themselves to fully recognize their potential and compete with other people.
Unfortunately, they do not have a real chance of educating themselves as they require
specially trained teachers and a specific environment which is either very expensive to
provide or not provided at all. Even if disabled people educate themselves, employers
would be unwilling to employ them because in that case they would have to provide
special facilities for the disabled people, which would increase the cost and lower profits
of the organization. One may point out that it is the duty of the government not only to
educate such people but also to ensure that they get employment opportunities, but in
reality the best quality of education and employment opportunities are provided by the
private sector. Similarly a person who is mentally weaker than others will find it difficult
to excel in anything and even hard work would only allow him to lead a mediocre life.
Therefore attaining equality on mental and physical level becomes almost impossible.

Today one of the major emphases of the world community is on promoting racial and
gender equality and ensuring equal opportunity to everyone. The world’s most
influential and developed nation, America, boasts of these qualities. Yet, according to a
Washington based Justice Policy Institute, the number of Black men in jail or prison is
greater than the number of black men in college. Furthermore, a report issued by the
Justice Department of America states that “Black men born in the United States in 2001
will have a one in three chance of going to prison during their lifetime if current trends
continue” (Younge). Also a study released on July 18th 2007, by the criminal justice
policy group in America states that “Blacks in the United States are imprisoned at more
than five times the rate of whites, and Hispanics are locked up at nearly double the
white rate” (Http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,289835,00.html. Rep. Sentencing
Project, July & Aug. 2007. Web.). Clearly these facts not only provide evidence of racial
discrimination but also imply that Blacks and Hispanics do not get as much
opportunities as Whites in America. Black people are not violent by birth but it is the
circumstances that make them behave in such a way. Racial discrimination, lack of
employment opportunities creates unrest and frustration in their society. As a result
such people resort to crime and drugs. Had there been racial equality and everyone was
given equal opportunity, such issues would never have risen.

Gender equality is also debatable. According to the theological concept of

Complementarianism, found especially in Christianity, men and women are given
different set of qualities so as to equip them to play their unique role in the society.
Basically men and women are referred to as two halves of the same body, each has a
specific role to play and each compliments the other. Therefore it might be deduced
that both sexes are equal and have specific roles to play but historically women have
been deprived of equal rights with men. Even the Pope Joan Paul II denied the priestly
ordination on women. In Islam, women are not given equal property rights as compared
with the property rights given to men and a woman’s testimony is given half weight age
to that of a man.

The communist economic and social system is based on creating an Egalitarian society.
Despite the fact that two of the most powerful nations of the world namely China and
Russia followed it, Communism failed to make its mark and crumbled under pressure
from Capitalism. It is nature’s law that only the fittest will survive. The stronger baby
inside the shark’s womb kills its own weaker siblings so that it can get better nutrition,
when the koyal bird’s baby hatches; the baby pushes the other eggs over the nest so as
to ensure better nourishment for itself. Similar is the case for humans as well, only the
toughest have been able to make their mark. So any system based on equality will not
be sustainable as people under that system can never be equal. On the other hand the
Capitalist system, which is criticized for causing unfair distribution of wealth and power,
is being followed all over the world. And unfortunately this system has created huge
economic disparities. According to the CIA World Fact Book of 2010, Togo with a
population of over six million people has gross domestic product of 2.771 billion dollars
and 32 percent of its population lives below poverty line. In contrast, as stated in Forbes
magazine, the net worth of Bill Gates Empire is 50 billion dollars, meaning that the
wealth of a single person is more than twenty times the income of a whole nation.

On religious and spiritual level, belief in equality is a misconception as God Himself has made
Heaven and Hell to differentiate good people from bad ones. Diversity is a natural phenomenon.
We do not possess the mental capacity to control nature, and hence any attempt by scientists to
alter our genes in order to create a mentally and physically equal human being is deemed to fail.
Equality on an economic level is possible under an ideal system but practically it is almost
impossible to introduce such a system. But in all these cases, two features can be gleaned which
prove equality as a myth. The first feature concerns the fact that we as a society make conscious
attempts to create or impose equality. This is significant because any change to the status quo is
usually to counter some existing aspect of it. In this case, an attempt at equality suggests that
the natural order is one of inequality. This proves that equality is an artificial construct, the
equivalent of a myth. The second feature concerns the current state of affairs, and how, despite
attempts at equality, we are still within a system where inequality is prevalent. This shows that
equality is not a reality, and is by necessity a myth.