Folks on the left, including the current Obama administration, and now many churches are espousing the importance of "social justice" - to take from the "haves" and give to the "have nots". And they tell us it is "the Christian thing to do."
But is it?
There are numerous places in the Bible that tell us it is absolutely wrong to participate in "social justice" EXCEPT where it is the individual who, by his own choice, is charitable to another. It can never be by force, nor should it ever benefit the unworthy.
In Luke, Jesus offers the parable of the farmer, which clearly states we should only sow our seed on fertile ground, not on barren or thorny ground. In other words, only to those who are worthy. For it is also said that "The Lord helps those who help themselves." This would indicate that the Lord does not help those who do not help themselves - and neither should we.
But perhaps the most compelling Biblical passage that tells us that "social justice" is unChristian is the parable of the bags of gold, recited here:
MATTHEW 25:14 “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. 15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag,[a] each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. 17 So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. 18 But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
19 “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’
21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
22 “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’
23 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
24 “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’
26 “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
28 “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. 29 For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ "
The moral of the story, of course, is that those who EARN MORE are ENTITLED TO MORE, and should be blessed, while those who do not shall suffer God's wrath. It is the way of the world. The "haves" should be blessed with more because they have earned it. And the "have nots" have exactly what they deserve.
However, if any individual chooses to be charitable to the "have nots", then that individual has earned God's blessing. But the "have nots" are not so blessed.
Social justice - it is as un-Christian as anything could possibly be. And the reason is as simple as nature - survival of the species, which is God's intent. The species will survive as long as it remains strong. To remain strong, the weak are not supposed to survive, as survival of the weak will weaken the species. When we take from the strong and give to the weak, we do not strengthen the weak - we only weaken the strong.
Case in point - you have $100 and the next guy has nothing. Someone takes $50 from you and gives it to the guy who has nothing. You are now poorer - weaker. And the guy who had nothing will blow his $50 (if he knew how to handle money he would not have been broke - see the parable, above), and the weak is still weak.
So, all that has been accomplished is to weaken the strong, which is contrary to nature and survival of the species.
And that is what the parable of the bags of gold was all about.
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