Social Justice- What do the Scriptures say?
According to the Encyclopedia Britannica,” In theoretical terms, social justice is often understood to be equivalent to justice itself. However, that concept is defined. Many somewhat narrower interpretations conceive of social justice as equivalent to or partly constitutive of distributive justice—the fair and equitable distribution of social, political, and economic benefits and burdens. According to some interpretations, social justice also encompasses, among other conditions, the equal opportunity to contribute to and benefit from the common good. Other interpretations promote the stronger goal of equal participation by all individuals and groups in all major social, political, and economic institutions.”
https://www.britannica.com/topic/social-justice
Social justice is justice for oppressed people and groups of people. It involves championing issues related to race, women’s rights, poverty, universal health care, voting rights, criminal justice, labor rights, and immigrant” rights. Social Justice warriors defend the poor, serve the poor, and fight for people experiencing poverty. Social justice issues draw people who lean heavily left in their politics. In many cases, Social Justice leaders are closet socialists who want to level the playing field to a place where everything is distributed equally.
Social justice movements have taken several turns in the last 100 years. For instance, take the voting rights issue for the people of color, the poor, and the oppressed during the Jim Crow years; voting rights were suppressed by states demanding literacy tests, tax polls, and all-white primaries. What is interesting about that time in history is that it was the Democratic Party that led the black vote suppression.
The timetable has changed when it comes to voting rights. Now, many in the United States believe that high-powered globalists and wealthy elitists rig numerous elections. Many demand an ID when showing up to vote on election day to ensure that only U.S. citizens are voting in the polls. This is not voter suppression, but the left insists it is. Everyone needs a valid ID to do any business, and voting is a serious business that is the responsibility of all registered voters. So, when evaluating social justice, it has to be women and analyzed in light of the current events of our day.
But as a Christian, what does the Bible say about social justice? Does God have an opinion on race, women's rights, the poor, and immigration? The Bible addresses all of these subjects. Those on the left and the right use the Bible to enforce their beliefs on social justice, and there is no agreement with the scriptures; Christians need to pray for wisdom and discernment on how to understand the heart of God on these matters. These matters are complex and don't have simple solutions and formulas, but the Bible does have a foundation in justice and principles that point us in the right direction.
Christians can remind themselves that God is our King, Lawgiver, and Judge. He is the judge of all creation. Justice flows directly from the heart of God, and nothing gets past his watchful eye. As time passes, humankind is walking in more knowledge than ever before. God is moving the nations to declare justice in all things. It may seem dark, but he is the light, and he will expose the darkness and judge the nations.
In the next Substack, let's examine what the scriptures say about social justice issues.