ON BEING IMPARTIAL

“Impartiality is a pompous name for indifference, which is an elegant name for ignorance.” G K Chesterton (1874-1936)

To claim total impartiality is a rather formidable idea.
Impartial by definition is treating all rivals or disputants equally; fair and just. I don’t know if that is possible. It is perhaps in theory but not so much in practice.

On the other hand, Chesterton clearly points out that impartiality is really indifference. Indifference means lack of interest, concern, or sympathy, or unimportance. This is just a way of saying that to not have an opinion is still an opinion. Lack of interest is not being impartial it is being irresponsible.

This leads to the third idea, “indifference is an elegant term for ignorance.” Ignorance is lack of knowledge or information as in the phrase, ‘ignorance is bliss.’ If we do not know about something, we do not worry about it. “It is worse still to be ignorant of your ignorance,” wrote St. Jerome (347-420 AD).

To have opinion in our social and cultural context and not give our option of truth is cowardice. As a believer in Jesus we will never be politically correct but we should be conscience correct.

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” Jesus