When Diversity and Inclusion Separates Us

By Ron Baker

I’ve been following the Roman Catholic Church saga over these past years. In reading one of their own news outlets they admit this past year has been difficult.

One of my history professors in post-secondary studies talked of the Roman Catholic church as bound together by an elastic. Over the centuries societies, gender-related groupings and even particular mission groups have joined the general global congregation.

Not all of these groups have liked each other over the centuries. Some groups arose as a corrective to the heresies they saw in other groups. Putting these various sized pieces, and even abrasive pieces, inside the elastic of the church, has been a real test of unity.

While the pope speaks for the universal church, factions of that church do not always agree with or obey his edicts.

And the elastic shows signs of breaking. Fissures begin to appear.

The hierarchy of the church is strained at this point. We are not just talking residential schools. There are other abuse issues, breakaway national bodies, financial issues and much more.

The ideal of diversity and inclusion within the church (keeping unity) has allowed for broad latitude and interpretations. To stop-gap points of division, the Pope has issued certain mandates – attempting to keep unity. While promoting some beneficial practices for church life, he has also mandated stopping other practices.

Will this be enough? When does diversity and inclusion reach a point of separation and division – leading to complete dispersion of the group and a loss of the good a group initially promoted?

Now, back to the future. Take a look at the country of Canada.

We have pursued diversity and inclusion for decades.

We have not tried to make everyone the same – we are multicultural.

Until… we are confronted with a decision. Does diversity trump unsolvable division? Does inclusion trump explosive opposites? Can polar opposites live together? How far can an elastic stretch?

Ask Pierre Trudeau and the Quebec Crisis. Ask Justin Trudeau and Western Separatism.

An autocrat will quash all resistance. A laissez faire leader will disappear in the midst of dissension. Either way, the democratic ideal of agreed upon direction is lost.

Where is the middle road?