Social Justice in Christianity PDF

Values are principles that are considered worthwhile or desirable for a group or society while virtues are firm attitudes and habits that govern our actions and guide our conduct according to reason and faith. - Human virtues are acquired through repeated virtuous acts, education, good examples, sto...

Values are principles that are considered worthwhile or desirable for a group or society while virtues are firm attitudes and habits that govern our actions and guide our conduct according to reason and faith. - Human virtues are acquired through repeated virtuous acts, education, good examples, stories, and a strong will. - Vice the opposite of virtue and is a habitual practice of wrongdoing. The theological virtues are faith, hope, and love, which are essential to the Christian life, while the cardinal virtues are temperance, prudence, courage (fortitude), and justice which guide our minds and actions to live a good life. Prudence is the ability to think before acting and make prudent choices. Fortitude ensures firmness in difficulties and constancy in pursuing the good. Temperance moderates attraction and desire for pleasure and provides balance in the use of created goods. Justice is the moral virtue of giving others what is due to them and respecting their dignity and rights. Justice toward God is called the virtue of religion. - The Old Testament contains numerous sections on poverty and justice, with Psalms having the most references while the New Testament book with the most poverty and justice references is the Gospel of Matthew. - The Hebrew word "mishpat" refers to treating people equitably while Tzadeqah is another Hebrew word that can be translated as “being just,” though it usually translated as “being righteous.” TYPES OF JUSTICE: 1. COMMUTATIVE JUSTICE – is the justice of exchange. It calls for fairness in agreements & exchanges between individuals or private social groups. 2. Distributive justice aims to ensure that everyone has enough to meet their basic needs and guarantees the common welfare. The government is responsible for distributing resources, benefits, burdens, and maintaining peace and order. 3. Contributive/legal justice refers to the obligations of citizens to the larger society and the government, such as following the law, voting during elections, and paying taxes. 4. Social justice promotes respect for fundamental rights and is the responsibility of both government leaders and citizens. Social justice deals with various issues such as poverty, corruption, drug abuse, unemployment, fair and accessible education, healthcare, and climate change. It calls on institutions, systems, and structures within society to contribute to the common good and protect human rights. - Catholic social justice is the understanding of Catholic morality that links the spiritual mission of the Catholic Church with economic, political, legal, and social spheres to facilitate the full development of the human person. - Charitable works and social justice are considered the two feet of Catholic social teaching, with charitable works addressing immediate needs and social justice focusing on long-term social change. - Social justice involves giving resources and oneself, building community, respecting human dignity, fair distribution of resources, and the search for wholeness. -Jesus is described as a social justice minister with a mission to bring glad tidings to the poor, proclaim liberty to captives, recovery of sight to the blind, and let the oppressed go free. Jesus' mission was intimately connected to vulnerable people on the margins of society. Following Jesus means doing works of justice and ministering to those experiencing suffering and marginalization. - The passage from John 2:13-15 describes Jesus driving out those who were selling animals and exchanging money in the temple, denouncing their exploitation of people. - The Pharisees and scribes were rebuked by Jesus for their hypocrisy and for preventing others from following the Messiah. The Pharisees had developed a system of numerous laws that made it difficult for people to be righteous in the sight of God. Jesus emphasized the importance of judgment, mercy, and fidelity, and criticized the Pharisees for neglecting these weightier matters of the law. - Social justice is central to the Gospel, as seen in Jesus' actions of feeding the hungry, defending the oppressed, and advocating for the rights of women. The main takeaways from this text are: -The church emphasizes the administration of mercy and addressing the root causes of poverty, hunger, and powerlessness. - The church advocates for systemic reforms to improve the lives of those in poverty. Calling for changes to unjust structures is important for proclaiming a complete gospel. The goal of working for the betterment of society as a whole is part of "A Faith That Does Justice." - The importance of social justice in the context of the church's mission is discussed, including its roots in the Old Testament and Jesus' ministry. - The early Christian community practiced and promoted social justice through shared life, generosity, and care for creation. - The Christian message includes the belief that the earth belongs to the Lord and Jesus' work brings freedom to all of creation. - Paul and early Christians were conscious of the world around them and likely engaged in creation care. The Medieval era (500-1500 A.D.) saw the Church gain wealth and power, with the Pope and bishops becoming owners of vast lands and possessions. - The common people suffered and corruption in the Church emerged during this time. The emergence of great saints and different religious orders provided light and justice during the dark ages. - The capitalist era brought conflict between the Church and capitalists, resulting in the closure of monasteries and confiscation of church properties. The Church later reconciled with capitalism and regained even more wealth. - Industrialization led to unemployment and a new social problem, prompting the Church to intervene with the first social teaching, Rerum Novarum. Pope Leo XIII wrote Rerum Novarum in 1891, committing the Church to the cause of the poor and addressing the plight of industrial workers. Rerum Novarum provided principles for reflection, criteria for evaluating systems, and guidelines for pursuing the common good. - Catholic Social Teachings are the Church's teachings on social, economic, political, and cultural matters.