In defense of social justice
Friday, March 12, 2010
By Megan Sweas
Comments (32)
I laughed when I heard that Glenn Beck said that Christians should leave their churches if they talk of "social justice." I knew that Beck was simply ridiculous, but this just put the nail in the coffin in confirming how irrelevant he is to any real, productive conversation.
In fact, this statement is so silly that I couldn't even think about how to blog about it. "Breaking news: Once Christian nation listens to Glenn Beck, now has 0 Christians." (Sidenote: I don't actually think this is a Christian nation.) The story seems to belong under "odd news."
And yet, some people do listen to Glenn Beck, so Christians of all stripes--including scholars from Beck's own church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (aka Mormons)--have responded to say that social justice is an essential component to the Christian faith. The New York Times has a good summary of their responses. I personally like Jim Wallis' grouping of Beck with Howard Stern in the ridiculousness category.
But while we have Glenn Beck saying that we should leave the Catholic Church because of our tradition of social justice, we have some liberals saying that the Catholic Church shouldn't qualify as a religion and should have its nonprofit status removed because of our lobbying on abortion and health care reform.
Besides perpetuating factual errors, people like this lack the big picture as much as Glenn Beck does, denying the role of social justice in the church. The Catholic bishops do want health care reform--and the church's on-the-ground experience in health care, deeply rooted in faith, gives them authority to speak on this issue. They might not know it but liberals don't want the Catholic Church to get out of our work on behalf of the poor, which includes advocacy and working for systemic change within government.
The pundits might not understand it, but the important part is that we Catholics understand the fullness of our tradition, which includes the right to and dignity of life from conception to natural death.
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Charity - Yes, Socialism - NO
By Charlotte Homes (not verified) on Friday, April 9, 2010Americans are the most compationate people in the world and the teachings of Catholics and Christian religions have made us that way. Beck has nothing against helping thy neighbor, he just doesn't think that is the role of the Federal Government to do it.
People always talk about being fair. Life is not fair. It is truly not fair for the federal government to steal from one person and give it to another.
Ever wonder why private donations form US citizens were higher than most contries contributions world wide?
Contra To The BooHoo Buffoonery Beck Spews ...
By Anonymous (not verified) on Friday, March 19, 2010... Social Justice and Economic Justice are, indeed, code words for
Discipleship! 'If you want peace, work for justice.' - Paul VI
Get real
By Anonymous (not verified) on Thursday, March 18, 2010sound bites are great to twist an agenda. If your going to rail about something put it into context. Glen Beck was talking about Churches advocatign for social justice through government. Not through your church. He was talking about if your church leaders are trying to tell you that what the governement wants to do is only whatr Christ said we should do then you should run from the church. The analogy was "Christ said if some asks you for a shirt you shyould give the government money so they can give him a pair of pants". He was saying that if this is the sort of garbage your being habded in church then you should run! And I as a christian agree!
Walk Out of Your Church
By Anonymous (not verified) on Wednesday, March 24, 2010I also agree with Glenn Beck. Conservatives who hear terms like "social justice" or "economic justice" should walk out of their churches. And then they should keep walking right out of Christianity altogether. You can't be Christian and advocate treating the poor with contempt. You can't be a follower of Jesus while saying "tough luck" to uninsured people with terminal illnesses. You can't live according to the gospel while supporting laws and policies that promote inequality. So if you're a fan of Glenn Beck, by all means get up and leave - and keep going until you find a church that has nothing to do with Christianity.
The Bottom Line
By Steve in AZ (not verified) on Monday, March 15, 2010Scripture teaches (among other things) that God comes first. Some people in the leftist 'Social Justice' Movement preach that 'The Poor' come first and that pretty much anything can be justified, if it's done in the name of 'The Poor'. Often, that means crushingly brutal puntative taxation, property confiscation, taking away freedom, and other thuggish activities. God calls on individuals to help the less fortunate. Brutal governments commiting brutality in the name of 'The Poor' is contrary to God's will. Understand and accept that. If you can't, move to Cuba, where foolish excuses for Catholics STILL support that dictator, Fidel Castro, because "that's what Jesus wants", or so they tell themselves.
Sharing Is Part Of Christianity ...
By Anonymous (not verified) on Monday, March 15, 2010Bottom Line Discipleship -- Social Justice Is About Being A Radical...Being Catholic Christian Is Being A Radical.
It's Seeking Out And Living God's Justice Which Is Found In Mysterious Contradictions: To Serve Is To Lead, To Have Is To Have Not, To Give Is To Receive, To Love Includes My Enemy, ...
It's About Recklessly Loving God And Neighbor...Its About Letting Go Of Everything, If Need Be, In Order To Care And Serve Each Other...
It's About 'God [Who] is the defender of the oppressed, the One who liberates the captives, the One who feeds hungry people. Learn more
about the biblical basics on justice ..[Link: Bread For The World, www.bread.org].
I Will Gladly Go Take Up My Cross Knowing It Is NOT About Selfishness, Paranoia, Fooling Myself About Conspiracies, Engaging In Knee-Jerk Blog Errata, etc...
Beck is reckless but....
By Jerry D (not verified) on Friday, March 12, 2010he has a point. First, its a also reckless Megan to take this and claim Beck is saying "that we should leave the Catholic Church because of our tradition of social justice."
The social justice slogan has been so hijacked by Socialists that the meaning has been transformed. I wouldn't leave the Catholic Church, but I'd find another parish quickly if we had a pastor preaching forced redistribution of the wealth by the government under th banner of "social justice." I'd rather have a pastor that challenges his parish to give more to charity as well as challenging other areas for personal change for the good.
Good JerryD-we agree again. Maybe?
By JimB (not verified) on Saturday, March 13, 2010I agree with you that forced redistribution of wealth from the poor to the rich is wrong. It began under Reagan, under the banner of "supply side economics", and has continued ever since. Their idea was to give the wealthy more, and they would create more wealth, which would trickle down on the rest of us.
If I understand you correctly, you consider this to be immoral, and I would agree with you.
Jim B Supply Side Economics
By Jerry D (not verified) on Monday, March 15, 2010Politicians corrupt language to hook gullible people. One example is the phrase: "giving" tax cuts to the wealthy.
A family of four that makes $50,000 of years pays zero dollars in federal income taxes. Top income earners pay the vast majority of taxes. When the government reduces the tax rates for top income earners from 38% to 33%, it gives them nothing. It just takes away less in the next tax year than it would have otherwise taken away.
Families that earn less, are given free social security and medicare benefits under the earned income tax credit. The lowest income earners pay no federal taxes, get free social security and medicare, and get "refundable tax credit" (essentially a welfare check) from the federal government.
You operate under the assumption that the government owns everything we earn and whatever the goverment lets us keep it "given" to us.
I suppose you will go back to your fantasy world since it makes you emotionally satisfied to write such untruths. I pray that you instead value truth.
Tax Burdens are Higher for the Poor
By Anonymous (not verified) on Friday, March 26, 2010Instead of focusing on income tax, you need to look at total tax burden as a percentage of income. Income taxes are progressive, meaning that rates increase as income goes up. But many other taxes (such gas, excise and sales taxes) are regressive. They take a bigger bite out of lower incomes. When you look at total tax burden, study after study makes it clear - the poor have higher effective net tax rates.
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