Every human society seems to have some sort of honored elite (sometimes more honored by themselves than by anyone else), the special in-group, the privileged few, the informed and superior inner circle. There are religious elites, political elites, power elites, wealthy elites, educated elites, and so forth. Labeling select groups like these should not persuade us that elitism is above or beyond any of us though, because the tendency to behave as if some people are better than others flows through every level of society. In every group and sub-group there are those who seem to be more “in” than others, those who are recognizably cool or respectably capable; those who can talk right or move right or buy right, or look right or some way just be “right.” And elitism, the sense of superiority/inferiority it cultivates, always divides and excludes, always exalts some at the expense of abasing others.
The "best" of religious society
Another good essay off of Living Waters…
–KH
The “Best” of Religious Society
http://www.livwat.com/articles/10042.html
by Charles Fry
Every human society seems to have some sort of honored elite (sometimes more honored by themselves than by anyone else), the special in-group, the privileged few, the informed and superior inner circle. There are religious elites, political elites, power elites, wealthy elites, educated elites, and so forth. Labeling select groups like these should not persuade us that elitism is above or beyond any of us though, because the tendency to behave as if some people are better than others flows through every level of society. In every group and sub-group there are those who seem to be more “in” than others, those who are recognizably cool or respectably capable; those who can talk right or move right or buy right, or look right or some way just be “right.” And elitism, the sense of superiority/inferiority it cultivates, always divides and excludes, always exalts some at the expense of abasing others.
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