Posted on 03/12/2010 4:12:42 PM PST by Free ThinkerNY
Social & economic justice is a pillar of free society.
Asking the government to play “RobinHood”, and steal from those percieved to be “the rich” and re-disitribute that wealth to a politically motivated victim class has nothing to do with justice.
I don’t know if there’s a relevant biblical passage, but do recall the ‘JC Superstar’ song lyrics “there will be poor always, pathetically struggling... look at the good things you’ve got”.
I believe in economic justice: I work, I pay my bills and my taxes. What I have left over is mine, and what property I own is mine. If I choose to give to a charity, the homeless, or the Church of Bob - that is my perogitive. In giving humbly, I grow spiritually as do those who receive humbly.
When someone else takes from me to give, I grow resentment - to those that take from me, and those that receive what they have not earned.
The commie progressives’ new frontier: The Christian Church. Once they turn the good hearted Christians into Marxist tools, there will be no culture of freedom for the individual. Everyone will be the collective.
Obama’s America: Caesar shall render unto YOU
Jack Kennedy is famous for saying “Ask NOT what your country can do for you...”
I think Barack Obama will be best remembered for asking “What has your country done for YOU lately?” or in the words of his wife, “What has your country done to make YOU proud lately?”
Or since Obama is so in love with Matthew 25, I’ll use my favorite chapter from the Gospel, Matthew 22:15-22, and turn it on its head.
Obama’s message is simply and best stated as:
“Let the rich people render unto Caesar and Caesar shall render redistributive wealth unto YOU.”
Caesar shall render unto YOU a living wage, affordable housing, ample food and drink, all the education you desire and free healthcare.
You need not lift a finger. Caesar shall provide all.
Don’t take my word for it... just look at Obama’s own words from a 2001 radio interview:
“If you look at the victories and failures of the civil rights movement and its litigation strategy in the court, I think where it succeeded was to vest formal rights in previously dispossessed peoples. So that I would now have the right to vote, I would now be able to sit at the lunch counter and order and as long as I could pay for it I’d be okay.”
“But the Supreme Court never ventured into the issues of redistribution of wealth [but Obama sure wishes they had] and sort of more basic issues of political and economic justice in this society. And to that extent as radical as people tried to characterize the Warren court, it wasn’t that radical. [In other words, it didn’t go far enough] It didn’t break free from the essential constraints that were placed by the founding fathers in the Constitution, at least as it’s been interpreted, and the Warren court interpreted it in the same way that generally the Constitution is a charter of negative liberties [instead as positive rights as Obama would prefer]. It says what the states can’t do to you, it says what the federal government can’t do to you, but it doesn’t say what the federal government or the state government must do on your behalf. And that hasn’t shifted. One of the I think tragedies of the civil rights movement was because the civil rights movement became so court focused, I think that there was a tendency to lose track of the political and community organizing and activities on the ground that are able to put together the actual coalitions of power through which you bring about redistributive change and in some ways we still suffer from that.”
Obama’s Bible is not one of negative liberties, instead it is one of positive rights.
Obama has figured out that the courts are a lost cause for the change he seeks. Instead, he’s going to use this election as a mandate from the voters to implement his vision of change.
But first, Obama must become Caesar. All Caesar requires is your vote.
Vote for change. Vote for Barack Obama. Just do it. Don’t think about it. Be a good comrade. Just go vote.
http://www.modernconservative.com/metablog_single.php?p=2404
HB: “Jesus never demanded that his followers confiscate the food, clothing, money, and rights of others, at sword point, for the sake of giving it to indiscriminate collections of unbelievers.”
True. The church in Acts is probably the closest to the Christian ideal. While it’s true that the members sold possessions to help each other, they did so voluntarily.
Peter condemned Ananias for lying, not for owning land or selling it and keeping the proceeds. Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back some of the price of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men, but to God.”
As Peter himself stated, the land was Ananias’s to do with as he wanted. Ananias was free to keep it or sell it as he wished. He didn’t sin until he acted as though he was donating all of the proceeds from the sale to the church.
I think it’s pretty clear that Christian charity must be voluntary. Even here, where we have Christians taking care of fellow Christians, charity was voluntary.
Justice and love are tied through liberty. Every law which attacks individual freedom is just a domination tool; every love which does not come from free will is only a caricature of the unity between God and the human being. The first Encyclical Letter by Benedict XVI, Deus Caritas Est, involves a strong case for the necessary separation of justice and charity; and as far as it does not intend to merge them, strengthens liberty.
The State, throughout its history, has led a process of the socialization of human relationships. In its heretical desire to kill God and take His place, every government has tried to erase the person’s charitable contribution. Love, according to the leftists, cannot be the reason for helping one’s neighbor; disadvantaged people have a right to coerce the rest of society in order to improve their status. Solidarity, thus, is no longer an issue of charity and has turned into a monopoly of “social justice.”
In fact, the monstrous redistributive apparatus of the Welfare State stems from a tyrannical ideology which practically invalidates charity as an instrument of assistance and human collaboration. Human beings do not need love, but the bread which the State has plundered from other individuals.
Real charity
Benedict XVI has denounced this materialistic conception because it “demeans man and ultimately disregards all that is specifically human.” Love implies compassion for the neighbor, voluntarily carrying the heavy cross of those who suffer.
“The Christian’s program – the program of the Good Samaritan, the program of Jesus – is “a heart which sees.” The Welfare State obscures human vision; assistance is turned into a part of the political program and of an administrative procedure: “The State which would provide everything, absorbing everything into itself, would ultimately become a mere bureaucracy incapable of guaranteeing the very thing which the suffering person – every person – needs: namely, loving personal concern.”
(excerpt)
http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig7/rallo1.html
Don’t forget that one of the parables Jesus told was of a rich man who was going away and called his servants in to meet with him. He gave each of them a bag of money and told him to take care of it until he got back. The first guy invested it and ended up with a lot more. The second guy invested his and made money, not as much as the first, but he increased the wealth. The third guy buried his for safe keeping. When the rich guy got back he called them in for an accounting of what they had done with what he left them. The first guy produced his 10 bags and was congratulated by the boss. Same for the second guy. The third guy told the boss what he had done and the boss was most unhappy. He had them take the money from the last guy and give it to the first guy.
That does not sound like Jesus was against people using their resources well.
Very few liberals know that parable!
He preached CHOOSING to give, Free Will. Choosing to accept that we are brothers and sisters and personally easing the suffering of those in need. Social Justice is the antithesis of the teachings of Jesus.
I'll leave mine if it does and I don't need Beck to tell me to.
Now I get it. Different people use the term “social justice” differently.
Because I was raised Catholic, I’m coming from the traditional Catholic sense of social justice. I just did a quick google-round and now understand that the term “social justice” is being used by a range of religious and political groups, including some political groups who do indeed advocate redistribution of property.
“But what did He preach? “
Christ spoke in parables…..we have all been given free will…......perhaps you need to revisit the bible …Personal responsibility was critical…it is one of the most important messages….
I’ll give you a (once) fish…and teach you to fish (twice)…after that, you’re on your own……
My popcorn is ready… ;-)
Jesus preached a message of personal repentence, redemption and salvation. His message was for individuals because he knew the only real change must occur in the individual human heart. Jesus message was of a living belief, not a cold law. We can't substitute law for a personal ethic because we can't or won't follow the laws we make in the first place and the law ends up becoming something to get around or to be enforced in ways never intended. And the law is where this "social justice" thing is going. Some type of legalistic "Justice" (whatever that means) scheme where some group of men get to decide who the winners and losers in society are as opposed to whatever mechanism does that now. All that gets you is sinful men making bad decisions. Unless there is a change in each individual heart, no system of government is going to be perfect, or even close. Each way just has different winners and losers.
Charity is imperative and is an individual responsibility. You can't outsource your altruistic obligations to the government, patting yourself on the back at how much of someone else's money you gave away. Jesus knew this he said the "poor will always be with you" - so help them out, okay? Jesus never railed on the Jews (theocracy), Romans (dictatorship) or Greeks (quazi-authoritarian democracy) over how they ran their social institutions. (But don't go profaning his Father's house - that really, really, makes him mad) Jesus' message was one of personal not collective salvation.
I believe the parable of the rich man was about producing spiritual fruit, not making money.
Indeed, Jesus wanted all of us to learn skills (ex.fish), to be productive, and to learn to love others in this life. And He had no problem with charity, unless it enabled bad behavior(Your parable). Jesus wants Christians to be living, breathing, representations of His kingdom. The question is do enough Christians understand the lessons and parables of the New Testament to know what His kingdom looks like?
Ya just gotta watch those evangelical christians....god talks to them!!!
I'll agree with much of what you said but I hope you don't think that, "give a man a fish........teach a man to fish" quote is in the bible.
I'll agree with much of what you said but I hope you don't think that, "give a man a fish........teach a man to fish" quote is in the bible.
I am not a biblical scholar…..I doubt if anyone on this thread qualifies….just making a point (waiting for my popcorn)...
I will personally help anyone who is down… BUT I will not ADOPT any adult who refuses to get up off their “ a$$”
Since Evangelicals are the most conservative voters in America, it is pretty silly to connect "Evangelical" to anything liberal.
Jim Wallis is a socialist masquerading as a Christian.
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