Here’s one of my posts a week ago (3/16/10) on Jim Wallis’ “God’s Politics” blog:
http://blog.sojo.net/2010/03/15/video-jim-wallis-talks-about-glenn-beck-and-social-justcie-on-msnbc/#comment-40030765
Wallis embraces the Marxist perspective regarding social justice.
Such people “confuse the poor of Scripture with the proletariat of Karl Marx. ... In this way they pervert the Christian meaning of the poor, and they transform the fight for the rights of the poor into a class fight within the ideological perspective of the class struggle.
...Faith in the Incarnate Word, dead and risen for all men, and whom “God made Lord and Christ” is denied. In its place is substituted a figure of Jesus who is a kind of symbol who sums up in Himself the requirements of the struggle of the oppressed. An exclusively political interpretation is thus given to the death of Christ. In this way, its value for salvation and the whole economy of redemption is denied. ...
...the source of injustice is in the hearts of men. Therefore it is only by making an appeal to the moral potential of the person and to the constant need for interior conversion, that social change will be brought about which will be truly in the service of man.
...For it will only be in the measure that they collaborate freely in these necessary changes through their own initiative and in solidarity, that people, awakened to a sense of their responsibility, will grow in humanity.
The inversion of morality and structures is steeped in a materialist anthropology which is incompatible with the dignity of mankind. ....” ~ Pope Benedict XVI
They actually pervert justice by _favoring_ the poor. ~Leviticus 19:15
“Man’s personal dignity requires besides that he enjoy freedom and be able to make up his own mind when he acts.
In his association with his fellows, therefore, there is every reason why his recognition of rights, observance of duties, and many-sided collaboration with other men, should be primarily a matter of his own personal decision.
Each man should act on his own initiative, conviction, and sense of responsibility, not under the constant pressure of external coercion or enticement.
There is nothing human about a society that is welded together by force.
Far from encouraging, as it should, the attainment of man’s progress and perfection, it is merely an obstacle to his freedom.”
“Hence, a regime which governs solely or mainly by means of threats and intimidation or promises of reward, provides men with no effective incentive to work for the common good.
And even if it did, it would certainly be offensive to the dignity of free and rational human beings.”
“Consequently, laws and decrees passed in contravention of the moral order, and hence of the divine will, can have no binding force in conscience, since ‘it is right to obey God rather than men.’”
Encyclical of Pope John XXIII, On Establishing Universal Peace In Truth, Justice, Charity, And Liberty, April 11, 1963
That is an EXCELLENT peace. Nice job.
Of course, I meant piece.
*Stumbles off to find caffeine....*
It sure is a false comparison, one is by force, the other is by the heart. One thinks they can force build a Utopia, the other knows you can't, because we are all flawed. Everything God stands for is freedom of choice. We have the choice to reject God and His ways or choose God and His ways. Social justice is anti-christian, or anti-christ like. Social justice says, you will support whatever we say you will support you have no choice. And if you don't, they will take it by force, give you jail time, fine you, or off with your head.
Jesus said, “Give unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s...”.
He didn’t say, “Give unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and he will take care of the poor, the sick and uneducated, and you can forget about them”.
2 Thessalonians 3:10
Even when we were with you, we told you this, `
If any man will not work, do not let him eat.’
Thanks for all the comments. They were informative. I knew this was going on, but I wasn’t clear as to the extent.
Along these lines - one thing I keep having to remind my fellow Christians is that Socialism is the ultimate oppression, and we are called on to fight oppression.
Socialist/Communist government is idolatry. Government becomes the omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent - why would anyone look to God for sustainence if government meets all your needs? I cannot seem to get fellow believers to see this! I don’t know what scares me more - the audacity of the bad guys or the apathy of the good guys.
Even though Christ counseled charity, I don’t recall Him or the disciples kicking down doors and confiscating the household goods in the name of the poor.
Liberals confuse Jesus Christ with Robin Hood.
Read later. Bookmark.
Since collectivism in all it’s forms seeks to devalue the individual and remove his ability to be responsible for his own acts I doubt that Jesus would recommend it. People can write millions of words about it. But simply put salvation comes about from individual, not group, actions.
Jesus taught that sinners would be damned, not given excuses and govt programs. That’s hardly a progressive or socialist opinion since socialism is all about avoiding consequences for bad behavior. And I seriously doubt if God will buy into the twinkie defense either.
If anything socialism is soul destroying. Individuals become lazy and criminal when they are showered free goodies. Socialsm seeks to punish the hard working and reward the lazy. Socialism will inevitable destroy any civilization and its widespread acceptance signals the end of any society.
Socialists are simply criminals with an especially complex set of justifications for their policies of theft and intimidation. They think that by inventing complex excuses that a system of corruption can be presented as noble.
No. Jesus would never be a socialist. Socialists are misanthropes.
Social justice is the making a ‘system’ and/or ‘state’ god. And the willingness to ‘deem’ the ‘system’ and/or ‘state’ the creator of rights, they the ‘system’ and/or ‘state’ called government can give or take. We are about there with the majority support from the religious community.