Monthly Archives: November 2016

FAQ 4 – What’s wrong with Social Justice?

Breaking the Broken, , , , , , ,

Debunking the Myth of Social Justice

“The Bible is all about social justice…it’s talked about from the beginning to the end.” That was the comment the gentleman made. He had come by the booth several times, stood several feet away and read our info from a distance. He didn’t want to engage in conversation, but certainly wanted me to know his position.

His statement is similar to a question I have received from several people. What’s wrong with social justice? To find the answer, let’s turn to Page 78 in Breaking the Broken.

The subtitle of Breaking the Broken is “Debunking the Myth of Social Justice.” There are certain aspects of social justice that are good, but there are many that are not. The good part of social justice is found in the dignity of every human being. We are all created equal. Those who preach social justice believe we all have the right to gain the resources, opportunity, and instruction necessary to meet our basic needs, but these are not new teachings. They are straight out of Scripture and are laid as the groundwork for social justice. Unfortunately, as the theory of social justice has evolved, it has begun to go against God’s plan for humanity.

Today, social justice focuses more on giving and distributing than it does on gaining and creating. It seeks to provide preferential treatment for certain groups by forcing a “just” outcome, but who gets to decide what’s “just”? Social justice creates top-heavy systems run by distant, detached people who are more concerned with rules and regulations than what is best for those being served. Social justice is reduced to a transaction. The benefits of social justice are a myth and do not exist.

Now this may appear to have taken a political turn, but trust me, this isn’t political. It’s biblical. I don’t trust the government to have any answers for the poor. I look to God for real answers. God created things to work a certain way, and I am opposed to anything that goes against His plan and systems.

God says we should not deny justice to the poor, but we are also not to give preferential treatment to the poor, which often is the goal of social justice.

“You must not spread a false report. Do not join the wicked to be a malicious witness. You must not follow a crowd in wrongdoing. Do not testify in a lawsuit and go along with a crowd to pervert justice. Do not show favoritism to a poor person in his lawsuit. If you come across your enemy’s stray ox or donkey, you must return it to him. If you see the donkey of someone who hates you lying helpless under its load, and you want to refrain from helping it, you must help with it. You must not deny justice to a poor person among you in his lawsuit.”
(Exod. 23:1-6)

God calls for justice for everyone, but God wants more than social justice. God’s plan provides restorative justice. Restorative justice is always better than social justice. God’s plan provides what is best for every person involved: those who are rich and comfortable, and those who are poor and hurting.

The last point from this passage is the call for family members to care for their own and not have them be a burden on the church. Helping people who are able to help themselves takes vital resources that could be used for others who are truly in need. This hurts those served and those serving and creates frustration, distrust, and antagonism. God calls us to help the poor, but we are to help in the proper way. Share on X God’s plan provides what is best for everyone involved. The antagonism and frustration that drives wedges between us can be eliminated. Now we need to learn the difference between those who are truly in need and those who should be caring for themselves.

FAQ 3 – Why Is Work So Important?

Breaking the Broken, Uncategorized, , , , , ,

NOW HIRINGWow…It’s been a crazy few months since my last post, but here is FAQ 3 – Why Is Work So Important?

Have you ever thought about the fact that God gave Adam a job before the fall? God could have provided Adam with everything. He could have created things in such a way that Adam would never have had to lift a finger, but He didn’t. He created Adam, and the rest of us, with needs that could only be fulfilled with work. Work must be pretty important if it was part of God’s perfect creation before the fall. Work must have provided Adam with something even more important than money.

As I have presented this material, I have asked audiences if they remembered their first jobs. I get head nods and smiles, then I ask about the first paycheck. Their faces light up as they remember that moment. It’s amazing to me how many people remember that first check. It is a significant moment in our lives. I have had people in their seventies, eighties, and even nineties tell me exactly how old they were, how they earned it, and the amount. I’ve noticed the pride in their voices as they walk down memory lane.

That feeling of value isn’t a mistake. God created each of us with a desire to take on responsibilities and accomplish things. He embedded a code in the DNA of every human being to meet their own needs. We want to be useful. We want to provide for ourselves. God gave Adam a job because he needed to believe he had value and was worth something. Relying on others to provide for our basic needs is a learned behavior.

We see the desire to care for ourselves in every child as they grow and find their identities. We see it in their desire to be independent. We even see it when they play. Most boys want to drive trucks and tractors and build. Most girls want to be teachers and nurses and care for others. While the examples may be stereotypical, it points to our natural desire to
work, be productive, and have value. This desire isn’t taught to children. It’s given to all
of us by God.

As adults, a large part of our identity is wrapped up in what we do for a living. When we meet someone new, it is common to ask where they work or what they do. That question may bother some people, because they don’t think their work defines who they are, but I disagree. We find a large portion of our value and identity in our jobs. As we get to know others, it is perfectly understandable to ask what they do for nearly half of their waking hours. It isn’t a bad question because it explains a major segment of our lives.

Our work, and our ability to independently provide for our needs, provides us with dignity. We find value in ourselves. God’s plan for us to work and care for our own needs allows us to see ourselves through His eyes as people who were created with abilities, purpose, and significance. We were created in His image. God calls us to work because He worked, and He has deemed work as necessary for our well-being.