What is more important? Liberty or Equality?

Wow...what an interesting question. Tough to answer. However, it seems to me that you couldn't have equality without liberty. Liberty is tough to define. It seems there a a few different views that determine what liberty actually is. Meaning different definitions depending on what political background you are from.

See the wikipedia version on liberty and political freedom:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberty

And the wikipedia version on social equality:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_equality

If you look at these definitions, especially equality, then you will see that equality could not exist without liberty. At least from my view.

Liberty

It seems to me, liberty is more important. Those who can prove themselves will move ahead of the others: Equality strikes me as an absolute. If everyone is mediocre, then we have equality. Equality of opportunity is the key. How folks use can freely use that opportunity is liberty.

Liberty. Because liberty is more measurable and less likely to be warped. When we say "equality". That usually means someone is handing out this equality. And if he is not Mother Tereasa, he will have more power and comforts and then things are no longer equal. If I have all the power and guns and I say equality is you and your friends having bread and water, and me and my friends having great meals with chicken and all sorts of fruit and wine. because we are more important. That is where that train of thought leads you.

Equal access to liberty without a pricetag. In the U.S. corporations and their shareholders have far more liberty than any individual and hence have the most freedom to operate according to their own rules. Freedom with economic might will always trump rhetorical equal rights.

Equality is more important than liberty. Treat people equitably by giving the same rights under the law and not subject to abuse by liberalizing the interpretation of laws.

Liberty is equality.

Equality begets liberty.

If men are all equal, then men are all free.

However, if men all have liberty, some men may be subjected to the inconsistancies inherant in any mixed society, where people are not designated as being equal under the law. Thus, liberty does not necessarily begets equality.

Well Im of the opinion that both are equally important but if I had to choose I would say equality since if one was to suffer or benifit from a lack or surplus of liberty than all should share the burden or benifit.

I understand....but there will never be true equality until Jesus returns. Liberty is the best we can shoot for.