Social justice is the watchword of the left. It is used to imply the disparity between the haves and the have nots. Success, which is usually defined as power, is vilified as oppressive. This is supported by the ludicrous notion that success must always be achieved off the backs of the poor. There is no room in the Social Justice Warriors thoughts that success is the product of hard work and diligence. To admit that would nullify the infantile ranting against the rich and prosperous.
Liberal Christians use the book of James as an example of the inherent evil of the rich.
My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with {an attitude of} personal favoritism. 2 For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, 3 and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and you say to the poor man, “You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,” 4 have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives? 5 Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world {to be} rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court? 7 Do they not blaspheme the fair name by which you have been called? James 2:1-7 NASB
What James is trying to convey is the ease with which many show deference to the wealthy. Many times, rubbing shoulders with the perception of power gives the less powerful a sense of connection to authority. The poor do not usually elicit the same reaction; there generally is no personal elevation by connecting with the destitute. On the surface, it appears that James views the rich with disdain. These verses, coupled with others found in the scripture, seem to indicate that scripture portrays the rich as inherently evil.
Progressive Christians have picked up on this and have intimated that Marxism’s social justice is a representation of biblical doctrine. This, simply put, represents the redistribution of wealth, which Progressives attribute to Jesus’ teachings (ref. Matt 19:21). To accomplish their goals, socialists need to convince the general public that all the wealthyare the pariahs of society and worthy of disdain.
But, what does the scripture teach about the rich and wealthy? First, as with Abraham and many others in the Bible, wealth is a blessing conferred by God to some of his faithful followers. There is no inherent sin in being wealthy. Sin is found when the wealthy horde all they have and harden themselves to the needs of the less fortunate. Charity, or acts of benevolence originating from love, are expected from those who profess knowledge of God. Charity is a voluntary, joyful action predicated on spiritual transformation. Compelled charity cannot and does not exist.
Secondly, we must understand the difference between personal charity and redistribution of wealth. Each person is responsible for his own actions, a concept lost on the left. Giving is a personal choice, and reflects God’s divine grace. The scriptural injunction to give charitably is both for the benefit of the receiver and the giver. Charity is incumbent upon the rich and poor as a part of their connection to God. Charitable giving is the biblical plan for meeting the needs of the unfortunate, not forcibly robbing the rich or perceived rich to benefit the poor.
Social justice, however, uses the power of government to strip property from one individual for the benefit of another. This is contrary to the very nature of charity and personal responsibility. For God, charity must be an act of volition, free from compulsion, before charity has any moral quality.
In Lev. 19:15, the Israelites are enjoined to not show favoritism to the poor or the rich. Both were to be treated with the same level of justice and equity. This reflects equal justice, which is the basis of the U.S. Constitution and reflective of biblical doctrine. The poor were not to be shown deference. This is important because the weight of social justice rests on this thesis. Social justice advocates must inculcate a sense of victimhood in the less wealthy and poor. Once that seed is planted, it is easy to convince them that they deserve a portion of the property of the wealthy. Punishing the rich is the next step. Stripping them of sympathy and justice soon follow.
Property rights were also protected under biblical law. A person could not be compelled to yield his possessions. Property ownership was perpetual within a family (ref. Lev 25:23-38). The rich and poor were encouraged to perform acts of charity as an act of personal and moral development. Nowhere in the scripture is the confiscation of a person’s property encouraged or sanctioned.
The Marxist dogma of social justice is foreign to biblical doctrine. Christians and denominations must resist this teaching, not only as unbiblical, but as inherently evil. If Progressives win the support of the church in pillaging the rich, Christians will lose their moral authority. This heinous doctrine must be repudiated and any pastor or leader in the church who champions it, must be censured. The world can ill afford the complicity of the church in the demise of liberty.
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