Episode 47 - Social Justice

The social Justice movement has left its marks in all parts of Western culture, from politics, to education, to the church. But what is the legacy of this movement and has its impact on the church been positive or negative? The Bible has a lot to say about this and you may be surprised at what we discover. Let's discuss social justice and the response that Christians should have to this movement.

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Transcript

Ep 47 - Social Justice

"Hello, and welcome to 
the Teleios Talk podcast, 
the show that works to 
build spiritual maturity among Christians 
so that we would be complete in Christ. 
Today, we're talking about social justice."

We often look at Social Justice 
as a movement or philosophical thought 
akin to Marxism 
or tied to the principles of Communism;
but we can find the 
concepts of Social Justice 
in classical sources 
as well as ancient Christian philosophy. 
Both Plato and Aristotle 
discussed justice as a part of the good life 
which involved social hierarchy. 
In his book “The City of God” 
Augustine addresses the nature of man 
and our ethical choices 
which stabilize and create the cohesion 
that allow social bonds to remain. 
Augustine’s philosophy of charity and justice 
motivates what we call “social justice” today. 
Thomas Aquinas, likewise, 
spoke of justice as a 
moral equality between persons 
where each person is given his due. 
But, we must understand that 
Justice and Social Justice 
are not the same thing. 
Historically, justice is, 
given certain human ends, 
to act rationally. 
Whereas, Social justice is 
a liberal philosophy of political domination 
which values "good" as being 
what enables the political machine.

In today's society, 
social justice has come to
encompass issues such as 
gender inequality, 
climate change, 
racial equality, 
abortion, 
gun violence, 
etc….
It is the political catch-all 
for any political thought which is 
believed to oppress any member of society, 
whether the assumption is true or not.
But, is social justice more idealisticly 
liberal or conservative in its focus; 
and, if it is a political stance, 
how does it benefit society?
Is social justice a justice 
which favors the week or 
is it an unbiased justice for all?

Voddie Bauchum, 
speaking with Ben Shapiro 
on his Sunday Special 
“What Does it Mean to Be A Man” said,
"Social justice classically is defined as 
the redistribution of wealth, 
privileges, 
and opportunities. 
Social justice is about equity, 
not equality, 
….it is redistribution 
with a view toward achieving equal outcomes 
for various, specified groups."
[https://youtu.be/CMiXQ-iODyk?si=q2jT1nRNnEh3b-3W]
This does not sound like 
true justice to me at all. 
How does the western idea of blind justice 
balance against a justice 
which plays favorites?

In his keynote address to the 
Association of Canadian Financial Officers 
on October 27, 2023;
Ian Brodie, professor in the 
Department of Political Science 
at the University of Calgary 
and program director for the 
Canadian Global Affairs Institute said, 
“The social justice agenda creates 
a bad political-economic dynamic. 
It makes a political issue out of 
the distribution of economic and status goods 
between groups in society. 
That results in a zero-sum political game 
of redistribution that no one wins. 
Moreover, once the social justice agenda 
gets established, 
it never provides satisfaction. 
Social justice theorists constantly 
find evidence that some group, 
subgroup 
or sub-subgroup 
is losing out compared to someone else. 
Demands for more intrusive measures 
to correct inequalities never end. 
Redistribution begets more redistribution. 
The demand for spending 
to resolve these inequalities 
grows faster than government revenues.”
So, is social justice dead? 
Unfortunately, it lingers 
like a wound that won't heal, 
raising its ugly head 
only to inflict injustice 
at the whim of the weak.

John Cooper in his book
“Wimpy, Weak, and Woke" writes:
"…Social justice warriors 
do not truly believe in the tolerant, 
pluralistic society that they preach. 
Moreover, their demand for tolerance 
also demands that we lie 
by pretending to agree with their delusions. 
Is it loving to agree with a person 
who believes an army of leprechauns 
is stalking him 
in an attempt to steal his soul? 
I'm not suggesting people aren't 
free to believe in a leprechaun army, 
I'm simply saying 
it is not hateful to disbelieve in it. 
(Today) we are destroying 
publicly held belief systems 
and replacing them with 
the privately held beliefs 
of those seen as victims."
[https://youtu.be/7pmsHV2qA8c?si=FxnHcB0UCXRU1f-F 24 minutes in]

The views of John Cooper 
are reflected in the words of 
Ronan J. Sharkey, 
professor of philosophy at 
Institut Catholique de Paris, 
in his paper entitled 
“justice and social justice” 
where he says,
“...your Hasidic, 
or Catholic, 
or Islamic, 
or vegetarian convictions 
are yours alone as an individual: 
you’re free to pursue them, 
indeed to pursue them 
with like-minded others, 
but not to conceive them integrally 
as a political project 
(which doesn’t of course mean 
you can’t as an individual 
take inspiration from your religious faith 
in order to advance certain specific freedoms 
conceived as political goals).”

Once we have heard what social justice is, 
and the warnings of its detractors,
we need to ask, 
does Scripture address Social Justice?
Exodus 23:2-3, says,
"You shall not follow the masses in doing evil, 
nor shall you testify in a dispute 
so as to turn aside after a multitude 
in order to pervert justice; 
nor shall you be partial to a poor man
in his dispute."
Let me read that again,
“Nor shall you be partial to a poor man”
Do you hear what God is telling 
Moses and the Israelites?
If we understand this verse correctly, 
then it would appear that 
the Bible is against social justice 
as it has been defined.
And it isn't just this verse 
that speaks to our partiality toward others.  
Listen to what James says in James 2:1,
“My brothers, show no partiality 
as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, 
the Lord of glory.”
And if you are wondering, 
James follows this verse by describing 
two different men coming to church - 
one rich and one poor - 
and he describes how the response 
of the church towards these two men 
is sinful. 
He concludes his warning with this 
in James 2:4, 
“have you not then made distinctions 
among yourselves 
and become judges 
with evil thoughts?”

Dennis Prager, in his comments on 
Exodus 23:3,
during Episode 11, 
of the Exodus Series 
presented by Daily Wire, said, 
"social justice favors the weak, 
but true justice favors justice for all." 
[Daily Wire presents Exodus with Jordan Petersen ep. 11]
Pastor Sam Horn comments on this 
when he writes, 
“Worldly wealth and status 
have no influence 
in the kingdom of Christ. 
When believers introduce such distinction 
in His body, 
they radically distort His design 
and supremely displease Him.”
[https://seminary.bju.edu/viewpoint/faith-vs-favoritism-how-the-sin-of-partiality-distorts-the-gospel/#:~:text=James'%20word%20for%20%E2%80%9Cpartiality%E2%80%9D,entering%20a%20church%20worship%20service.]

Following his definition of 
social justice for Ben Shapiro, 
Voddie Bauchum said,
"The clearest conflict is seen … 
when Jesus, in one of His parables, 
talks about the … talents and you have 
the owner who gives … 
different talents to different workers … . 
He comes back and one of them 
has done better with his talents 
than the others, 
and he doesn't take from 
the one who did … well 
and give it to the one who did poorly. 
He actually takes away from 
the one who did poorly 
and gives it to the one who does well. 
…that parable really flies in the face 
of the idea that the Christian attitude 
ought to be equal outcomes. 
Nothing could be further from the truth."
[https://youtu.be/CMiXQ-iODyk?si=q2jT1nRNnEh3b-3W]
In Galatians 3:28 we read this,
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, 
there is neither slave nor free, 
there is no male and female, 
for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” 
This verse has been twisted 
and perverted 
by the social justice movement 
to support their claims, 
but what was Paul actually saying?
Quite simply, 
“there are no lesser Christians 
in the family of God. 
Our earthly identifiers create no 
value distinction between us 
in our Father's eyes.”
[https://www.bibleref.com/Galatians/3/Galatians-3-28.html]   
God's justice is perfect 
where social justice is flawed.

But - you might ask- 
I thought the Bible supported 
the idea of social justice. 
Verses like Matthew 3:13-16,
talk about us being salt and light. 
Andrew Lawrence certainly 
champions this notion when writing for the 
Jubilee Center in Cambridge, 
He says, 
“...the mission of the Church is 
to seek the redemption, 
renewal 
and reconciliation 
that Jesus began, 
in our relationships with both God 
and our neighbor.” 
Is he wrong? 
There are many verses that do
seem to favor social justice; 
Matthew 22:34-40, for example,
where Jesus outlines the 
greatest commandment, 
and ends by telling His listeners to 
“love your neighbor as yourself”.
He seems to suggest that the Law is 
designed to protect 
and strengthen the relationships 
between us and God 
as well as our neighbors. 

Social justice supporters 
would point at this and say, 
“see.. the Bible is all for social justice!” 
But our definition of love here is wrong. 
Jesus uses the word agapaō 
to bring attention to our moral expectations. 
Quoting Leviticus 19:18, 
Matthew Henry reminds us that, 
“we must have a due concern 
for the welfare of our own souls and bodies. 
And we must love our neighbor 
as truly and sincerely as we love ourselves; 
in many cases we must 
deny ourselves 
for the good of others.” 
So this love is not a love 
which puts favor on one part of society 
over another.

Just because we have disparity 
does not mean we have injustice, 
you can observe differences in society, 
but you don't have to react to
those differences as injustice. 
We need to stop pushing for equality 
and start recognizing our uniqueness. 
Inequality is not inherently injustice, 
inequality can simply be 
recognizing the differences in us all. 
Don't misunderstand me,
we all deserve an equal portion of justice, 
but that's my point; 
social justice is not true justice. 

Fredrik deBoer, 
American writer and socialist Marxist said, 
in an interview with Daily Beast, 
“Privately, personally, or quietly, 
many people identify a lot of the 
excesses of the social justice movement 
to be counterproductive 
and to be unhelpful.” 
[https://www.thedailybeast.com/why-the-2020-social-justice-revolutions-failed]
He goes on to describe how 
social justice revolutions have failed 
because of their penchant for violence. 
Does that sound like something 
we can see Scripture being in support of?

So how do we as Christians address 
Social Justice and its 
infiltration into the church?
Voddie Bauchum followed up 
his thoughts on social justice 
by telling Ben Shapiro,
"Christians hear things like social justice, 
and then racial justice, 
…and of course we're for that. 
(But) when you have weak 
and faulty worldviews 
and then seductive language; 
and then you have leaders 
with unclear voices, 
you end up in the mess that we're in.”
https://youtu.be/CMiXQ-iODyk?si=q2jT1nRNnEh3b-3W
And we have an abundance of these confused leaders in our churches. 

Calvin P. VanReken, 
in discussion with faculty and students of 
Calvin Theological Seminary,
on December 10, 1998, said,
“The primary work of the institutional church 
is not to promote social justice. 
It is to warn people of divine justice. 
Its primary business is not to 
call society to be more righteous 
but to tell persons of the 
righteousness of God in Jesus Christ.”
[The Church's Role in Social Justice https://www.calvin.edu/library/database/crcpi/fulltext/ctj/68491.pdf]

Social Justice has become, 
in some churches, 
the new religion of our age. 
In episode 102 of Cooper Stuff, 
Phil Visher - creator of VeggieTales - 
shows how this new religion 
has influenced him when he asks, 
"Am I disadvantaging my community 
for the advantage of my own family? 
And does that put me in 
the Biblical definition of righteous or wicked?"
In response, John Cooper says: 
"Wanting your (family) to be advantaged 
does not mean the automatic 
disadvantaging of someone else. 
Just because someone has something 
doesn't mean they stole it 
from someone else. 
That is a worldview of power and privilege."
[https://youtu.be/F6YpRP5XCiw?si=4jMJ_wIvgRBy5B5B 70 minutes in]

Unsurprisingly, 
the apostate United Church of Canada, 
has included social justice 
as part of their statement of faith. 
But Mennonite Church Canada 
follows in this rhetoric as well, 
in an attempt to cover up their compromises 
when it comes to doctrinal fidelity. 
Preaching peace and justice, 
these churches ignore Christ's words 
when He talks about peace. 
Did He promise peace on earth? 
No, John 16:33 records Jesus as saying, 
“I have said these things to you, 
that in Me you may have peace. 
In the world you will have tribulation. 
But take heart; 
I have overcome the world.” 
The Anabaptist tradition of 
peace and non-violence 
does not track with the social justice agenda; 
neither does the Biblical view of justice.
In Matthew 10:34–36 Jesus says, 
“Do not assume that I have come 
to bring peace to the earth; 
I have not come to bring peace, 
but a sword. 
For I have come to turn 
‘A man against his father, 
a daughter against her mother, 
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 
A man’s enemies will be 
the members of his own household’”.
Our peace is in knowing that 
God is in control, 
that nothing happens outside of His will, 
and we look forward to 
the promise of eternity with Him.
When it comes to justice, 
God’s justice requires Him to deal with sin. 
God could not just ignore sin, 
to do so goes against His perfection. 
Ultimately, justice requires a penalty, 
it requires a payment for the crime.
Proverbs 21:15 says, 
“When justice is done, 
it is a joy to the righteous 
but terror to evildoers”.

Social justice is just posturing, 
there is nothing just about it. 
Consider Psalms 96:13, which says,
“Let all creation rejoice before the LORD, 
for he comes, 
he comes to judge the earth. 
He will judge the world in righteousness 
and the peoples in his faithfulness”.
Or, Jeremiah 32:19 which reads,
“Your eyes are open to 
the ways of all mankind; 
you reward each person 
according to their conduct 
and as their deeds deserve”.
True justice is terrifying.

John MacArthur, in his blog, wrote,
“Today, 
critical race theory, 
feminism, 
intersectional theory, 
LGBT advocacy, 
progressive immigration policies, 
animal rights, 
and other left-wing political causes 
are all actively vying for 
evangelical acceptance 
under the rubric of “social justice.””
[https://www.gty.org/library/blog/B180907/the-injustice-of-social-justice]

As polarizing as he is, 
John MacArthur has a point. 
When the church begins chasing fads 
and the ideology of the unbelieving world, 
we forget about being followers of Christ 
and replace our commission 
with the desire to be relevant.
The post-modern emerging church nonsense 
shoved down our throats 
flaunts it's emotional appeal
like a banner of deviant ideology.
Charity and goodwill have nothing to do 
with partiality to the poor or disenfranchised 
in an effort to even the scales of privilege. 
Being a good neighbor is about 
equity and righteousness. 
The equal treatment of 
everyone under God's Law,
and punishment for evildoers 
under God's Law.
Loving your neighbor as yourself 
is not an act of selfishness, 
posturing, 
or achieving social constructs;
it is a response to our understanding 
of God's Law.
1 Corinthians 13:5 says, 
“[Love] keeps no record of wrongs.” 
This this is a quality which is 
in short supply among those 
advocating for social justice; 
it should never be said 
the church forgot the definition of love 
in its pursuit of justice.

It seems that the church 
has forgotten about sin. 
We suppress it, 
we don't preach sermons about it, 
we don't discipline those who do it, 
we turn a blind eye away from it, 
and then we find ourselves championing it. 
Social justice is about normalizing sin, 
it has no place in the church 
or among the body of Christ. 
There is a statement on social justice 
and the gospel which contain 
articles of faith available to read at 
https://statementonsocialjustice.com/.
I encourage you to look it up and read it. 
Christianity Today decries it as 
divisive among believers,
but these are positions presented to 
provoke dialogue that can 
promote unity in the gospel among believers.