Catholic Bishop Robert Barron argues that society’s admiration for athletic “excellence” showcased at this year’s Olympic Games contrasts sharply with its current focus on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives, which seek to equalize outcomes rather than opportunities.
In a conversation with Fox News Digital, the bishop of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester in Minnesota and notable Catholic figure highlighted the case of elite gymnast Simone Biles to demonstrate the contradictions of DEI. He pointed out that her exceptional talent emerged because she outperformed other athletes, thereby excluding those who did not measure up in her discipline.
“This isn’t just unfair; it goes against the very excellence that we celebrate,” Barron stated to Fox, referring to how enforced equality of outcomes contradicts the very spirit that drives the Olympic celebration.
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Bishop Robert Barron discusses with Fox News Digital how the quest for athletic excellence clashes with society’s commitment to diverse quotas. (Fox News Digital)
Bishop Barron noted a “tension” between athletic success and the principles of equity.
“I believe you can’t truly have both at the same time,” he said, emphasizing the significant difference between equity of outcomes and “equality of opportunity.”
He referenced the record-setting gymnast—who he referred to as the “greatest of all time”—to illustrate his point: “Imagine if at some juncture in her career, Simone Biles was told, ‘No, you can’t try out for the gymnastics team because of your race or gender.’ That would be unjust and should be opposed at all levels.”
He continued, “That’s about equality of opportunity. However, there’s also this notion of equity of outcome, which seems to be highly valued in our current society; that the end results of various situations should reflect, say, the racial makeup of a community, etc.”
Bishop Barron labeled the latter concept as unfair, arguing that Biles achieving a standard far superior to nearly everyone else in her arena is contrary to that viewpoint and should be celebrated.
“She is at the peak of Olympic excellence because, throughout her journey, many individuals were excluded. What I mean is, not that they lacked equal opportunity, but rather, she won a medal, indicating that those competing against her did not.
“She has consistently made team after team, which means countless other individuals who tried out were excluded,” he added.
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Bishop Robert Barron articulated how Olympian Simone Biles’ dedication to athletic excellence stands in contrast to our society’s drive for radical inclusivity. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
He provided further illustrations of individuals or organizations achieving excellence that contradicts the equity of outcomes philosophy. He recalled discussing at an American university, questioning whether students felt their institution had achieved “complete inclusivity.”
Barron shared that all the students agreed, prompting him to highlight the fact that there was “an army of individuals” who were “excluded from the process for the sake of your inclusion at this university.”
“I’m not criticizing the school at all. I’m not claiming it’s unjust. I’m merely stating that they aspire to be an elite institution. Consequently, they had to exclude many individuals to ensure that the truly excellent students could be included,” Barron explained, before extending the same argument to members of a prestigious orchestra.
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