What’s Going On?
The term social justice has become a fixture in American vocabulary. The phrase has all the trappings of rightness, goodness, and the pursuit of happiness, but not everything is what it appears at first sight. In the name of social justice, tremendous cultural pressure is laid upon individuals, and this pressure has many faces: climate justice, reproductive justice, racial justice, LGBTQ justice, and more. For some, social justice activism is a Christian duty. Yet, social justice is rarely defined nor is it widely understood. This series of articles attempts to give the truth seeking Christian a biblical perspective on a raging, cultural issue.
For the Christian, the Bible is the plumb line from which “every good work” (2 Tim 3:16) must be measured. Without careful study, danger exists for Christians to unwittingly become caught up in movements which do not align with God’s word. What is social justice? More importantly, what is justice, and what is the Christian duty, if any, to social justice movements?
It seems well-intended people are conflating these terms and have mistakenly become active in ungodly endeavors. Some even claim Jesus’ mission was one of social justice. Is this true? It’s necessary to define the terms “justice” and “social justice.” There is a difference; otherwise, all would simply use the term justice, and there would be no need for the modifier.
Defining Justice
According to Merriam-Webster “justice” is,
“the impartial administration and maintenance of what is just.”
It involves “impartiality,” “fairness,” and “conformity to truth, fact, and reason.” It involves due-process and the weighing of evidence. Furthermore, the Bible incorporates the concepts of “moral uprightness” and equates justice with “truth,” “faith,” and “righteousness” (See Exodus 23:1-9; Leviticus 19:15; Proverbs 31:8-9; James 1:17 and Hebrews 10:28). This definition meets the biblical standard for justice.
In contrast, Merriam-Webster defines “social justice” as
“a state or the doctrine of egalitarianism.”
Egalitarianism is a belief for the removal of human inequality, especially with respect to social, political, and economic affairs. Social justice is involved in “the tearing down of traditional structures and systems deemed to be oppressive, and the redistribution of power and resources from oppressors to victims in pursuit of equality of outcome,” (Allen, 2019). Moreover, according to social justice, men collaborate and define what is morally right and wrong, not God. The Department for Economic and Social Affairs (2006) states, “Throughout the generations men have repeatedly attempted to identify common ground that would allow all human beings in their own and in successive generations to agree on definitions of right and wrong, good and bad, just and unjust.” Based on their accepted standard for what is moral they claim, “Morally, all injustices are unacceptable” (DESA, 2006). Further, impartiality and conformity to truth is NOT a concern of social justice. The DESA states, “Present-day believers in an absolute truth identified with virtue and justice are neither willing nor desirable companions for the defenders of social justice.” In other words, these social experts do not recommend partnerships with anyone who believes in the biblical standard for justice. Importantly, the term “social justice” is not mentioned in all the pages of God’s Word. Hence, this form of “justice” is NOT commanded in Scripture and stands in heavy contrast to biblical justice. These defining concepts alone reveal that social justice is a slippery slope leading into an unrighteous pit.
Biblical justice pursues what is right according to the absolute truth of the Bible, while social justice pursues the possessions of others for the sake of equality of outcome. Justice is driven by what God says is moral and right. Social justice is driven by what a particular culture deems right, socially acceptable and politically correct. Justice is objective, while social justice is subjective and changes through time. Justice involves matters that can universally impact anyone, while social justice involves matters that are believed to only impact specific social identity groups.
Putting It All Together
An example of social justice is the concept of “reproductive justice.” A former gubernatorial candidate from Georgia defended abortion by saying, “America achieved a measure of reproductive justice in Roe vs. Wade,” (ABC News Politics). The candidate justified abortion by attaching a word with good connotations, namely “justice.” This example highlights the difference between what culture deems righteous and what the Bible does. It also well illustrates how men often psychologically comfort themselves in their sin by redefining it with virtuous labels; calling evil-good is an old trick (see Isaiah 5:20)! It is clear—justice and social justice have very different meanings, and they serve different purposes.
This series is authored by Michael (Mike) Hernandez and endorsed by Five Minute Bible Study. For questions and discussion about the things written in this article, you may contact Mike at michaelhernande@yahoo.com.
Next Lesson
Why the Christian Should NOT Participate in Social Justice, Reason #1
