Crossroads: The Christian Response
to Social Justice, Part III
Host Rita Peters with Guest Michael Farris
Share Answers to More Questions
January 20-21, or Online HERE (Audio) or HERE (Video)
Words of Wisdom on Justice
What does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6-9)
Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.
(Proverbs 14:34)
By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted, but by the mouth of the wicked it is overthrown. (Proverbs 11:11)
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Welcome to a third episode of this new Crossroads Series on Social Justice, with some new Titles and Topics listed at various times below, along with some refresher material from last weekend. Preview of episode 3 follows:
Tribalism – what is it, how does it work, and how does it hurt society.
The Biblical answer: seeing all human beings as equally fallen and in need of God’s grace. Our status as being “in Christ” transcends all other distinctions. And yet, Biblical Christianity excludes self-righteousness, or being unloving toward those who are not in Christ.
The importance of carefully examining propaganda associated with social justice. For example, we should be on the lookout for “revisionist history.”
Advocates of “social justice B” are quick to associate people with groups of “oppressors” simply on the basis of skin color, gender, etc., regardless of whether those particular people have ever actually oppressed anyone.
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As always, this is just a written summary of this weekend’s upcoming radio program, so I strongly encourage you to tune in to the radio version for this third in-person conversation between Rita Peters and this time with Michael Farris, who replaces Mark Meckler this week, with all of their clarity, humor, and compelling information and challenges.
Mike is well known in the valley for his rich background in government and social issues. He was the founding president of the Home School Legal Defense Association, Founder and President of Patrick Henry College, lead counsel of the U.S Supreme Court, eight federal circuit courts, and appellate courts of 13 states, and is largely known for defending religious freedom and for his home school advocacy. His is also the co-founder of the Convention of States, President and Senior Counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom, and much more.
This third episode is broken into the topics listed below, which include a brief review of last week’s program along with some new material for this weekend which is covered in more detail in the radio program. The topics of this week’s new outline include how Christians should respond to Social Justice, beginning with “tribalism” as follows:
A. Tribalism – what is it, how does it work, and how does it hurt society.
1. The Biblical answer: sees all human beings as equally fallen and in need of God’s grace. Our status as being “in Christ” transcends all other distinctions. And yet, Biblical Christianity excludes self-righteousness, or being unloving toward those who are not in Christ.
2. We need to be sensitive to the importance of carefully examining propaganda associated with social justice, which requires that we be on the lookout for two different groups or “tribes” depending on their various attributes. There are two different forms of Justice, which are referred to as Justice A and Justice B.
— Social Justice A conforms to a biblical definition true justice, which sees all people as equal, created in the image of God, and, as stated in the Declaration of Independence, endowed by our Creator with the equal rights of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness, and which also calls on all of us to love one another, even those with whom we may disagree.
— However, Social Justice B consists of activists who divide groups or tribes of “oppressors” on the one hand, or also of those who are oppressed simply, generally on the basis of skin color, gender, wealth, etc., regardless of whether those particular people have ever actually oppressed or been oppressed by anyone. In brief, they simply love one group and hate the other based on these external and other identities.
— Farris notes that this is similar to Marxism and Socialism, which divide people between those who are oppressed and those who oppress others, and which advocate for various benefits or penalties to these two groups according to their identities like those noted above. This is contrary to what Martin Luther King refers to when he called on us to judge people by the content of their character rather than by the color of their skin.
B. Tribalism: Some other angles.
1. So why is a belief in God as our ultimate authority so important and even indispensable to a proper understanding of justice and to other standards for living, and which goes far beyond the moral relativity that plagues our current culture.
2. And what is the basis for a belief in human equality, dignity, and value created in the image of God, and why is it so important? Stated very simply, without God, we have only a small box of self, without due recognition of His divine presence as our creator and authority who stands above and outside our small box of self to guide us.
3. But what are some of the idols of the political right and left that can keep us from having a proper understanding of justice, which can interfere with our relationship with God, and which can also make good things into ultimate beliefs and objects. Those false gods can include a god of self that pursues prosperity, power, personal well-being, popularity, and social status in many different ways. A final idol can also turn in to a dependence on government to satisfy all our needs.
I. What follows is a review from last week, in case you missed it. First of all, why is this new series on Social Justice such an important topic for us?
— Rita and Mark Meckler suggested that Christians will often face various challenges of justice, and we need to know how to respond when they come up in our conversations, whether on issues such as abortion, marriage, gender confusions and identities, economics, politics, and freedom, etc. We need to be prepared.
— For starters, we must recognize God as the basis of truth and justice in everything that we do and believe. Without God and His word, we have no foundation for what is true and just. Therefore, we cannot accept as an ultimate authority in our lives anyone who denies the presence and the divinity of God. He or she does not deserve respect in our search for justice if and when they attempt to advance their personal view of what is true and just. They are relying only on their own limited view of the world or of government.
II. Why is it referred to as “Social Justice, and what does that really mean?
— Again, Mark noted last week that on the political level, social justice challenges are more often led by those on the left and more liberal side of our population, than on the right, more conservative side. Either way, he suggests that it might be better to avoid the reference to “social” justice, and just refer to “justice” by itself. After all, justice is justice, without any needed qualification.
III. What is our “Worldview” and why is it so important to our Pursuit of justice?
— Mark added that a reference to “Worldview” can give us a good context for better understanding this term of “Social Justice”. Our worldview can take us back to the way we were raised, to our education, and to our faith, etc., and it influences what we believe is right and wrong.
As a result, we often react instinctively to situations without even thinking about it. For example, it can even influence our judgements on important current issues such as whether Israel or Hamas is right or wrong in their ongoing conflict.
IV. The Christian Approach to Social Justice, and why is it so difficult for Christians to discern what “Justice” is today?
— Most importantly, Christians should be able to make good judgments about right and wrong on the basis of what the Bible teaches on any particular issue. However, if and when others do not believe in God or in His word, they will not accept our views, nor can we accept theirs if they conflict with biblical teaching. Therefore, it is difficult to find common ground between us.
Unfortunately, as Mark noted, over time we have seen the environment around us become more and more hostile to our Christian worldview. Therefore, as the culture shifts, it requires more and more courage for us to stand up for our beliefs when they are based on biblical truth. As noted, it is becoming more and more difficult to find common ground between our differences as believers and unbelievers. As a result, we must learn to just say NO when we are asked to accept what we believe is wrong. Yes, we can and must just say NO!
V. So, what is right, what is wrong, and where can we or can we not compromise?
— To be clear, Christians do not believe that truth is relative. For example, we do not accept child sacrifice or same sex marriages. They are wrong, and we cannot agree when the other side demands that we accept their positions. There is no room for such a compromise.
Therefore, we need to make clear distinctions between what is right and what is wrong. As Christians, we cannot accept a moral relativism that is driven by a personal worldview which makes no distinction between what is right and wrong, and which is contrary to Biblical teaching. In short, the Christian does not believe that truth and justice are relative, and therefore, that leaves no room for “compromise” with what the Bible clearly says is evil. Again, in such cases, there is no common ground for an agreement.
VI. What are some more Questions Christians should ask about Social Justice?
— As Mark concluded last week, and as we see in the world around us, we live today in one of the most judgmental periods in our history. As a result, we have many opportunities to stand up boldly for truth against evil, especially when that truth comes directly from the Bible, and, to repeat, we must never be afraid to just say NO, even when we might be criticized or harshly judged.
To help us deal with all of these questions, Rita and Mark have recommended that we read a book entitled “Confronting Injustice without Compromising Truth”, and which they refer to repeatedly on this program. It is written by Thaddeus J. Williams to help Christians discern what justice requires of us. It includes “12 Questions that Christians should be asking about Social Justice”, and it will be helpful to review as we continue in this series on Social Justice. It is available from Amazon.
A core message of this book is that one cannot properly judge right and wrong without reference to God and His authority as our ultimate creator and Lord who gives us human equality, dignity, and value in His design for us. And, as Williams states, only if we accept that there is Someone above ourselves and outside of ourselves who created us in His own image can we have trust in His word for what is true, and in His will for our lives.
However, a fault on both the liberal and conservative sides of the human spectrum is the belief that it is all about ourselves and our own personal happiness. Therefore, if everything is about me, we make ourselves false gods and judges of what is ultimate right and true. That is a weak foundation which can lead us to an acceptance of moral relativity.
Another one of our false gods is the belief that it is all about government. We look to government to provide everything for us, without any reference to what God has designed and planned for us.
So what does the Bible say about Justice, from among its many references to justice? As stated above in the simple words of wisdom from the prophet Micah, “What does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, to give mercy, and to walk humbly with your God,” (Micah 6:8).
With all of this as background, Mark said that, for himself, this is now the best time for Christians to be alive because we have good reason for believing as we do. We have the Bible before us, and the opportunities to speak for truth are all around us, even if that calls for us to just say NO” to that which the Bible teaches is wrong, whatever the issue.
We can say NO to many things, including abortion, same-sex marriages and all other sexual relationships outside of marriage, to addictive drugs and beverages, and to numerous other sins clearly listed as such in the Bible.
Again, we must simply have the courage to just say NO, even when we may be harshly judged, risk losing our jobs, or lose our treasured social status. Courage is contagious, and your willingness to take a stand will inspire others to do the same. Yes to good, and No to evil!
VII. What are some other questions Christians should ask about “Social Justice”?
Much of this has been a review of last week’s program but there is much more that lies ahead, so please join us again this weekend on any one of the radio stations listed below when Rita and her guest will provide more important information as they continue this challenging conversation on “Confronting Injustice without Compromise.”
In brief, and to remind, this third episode is broken into the following topics as a refresher from last week and also to plow some new ground for our consideration, as follows:
I. Why are we doing this series on Social Justice?
II. Why is a belief in God as the ultimate authority so important to a proper understanding of justice?
III. What is the basis for a belief in human equality and dignity?
IV. What are some idols of both the political right and left that keep us from having a proper understanding of justice?
Crossroads Radio, Where Faith and Culture Meet
As always, this third episode will air this weekend and to continue next weekend on the following valley stations: WBTX (1470 AM and 102.1 FM) Saturday at 4:00 p.m. and again on Sunday at 7:30 a.m., followed by WSVA (550 AM and 92.1 FM) at 8:30, on ESPN (1360 AM and 106.9 FM) at 9:00, and on WNLR (1150 AM) at 11:30. You can also listen online any time by clicking on the Crossroads menu shown on our home page at www.valleyfamilyforum.org.
Please also note that Crossroads is almost entirely listener supported, and we deeply appreciate your prayers, your encouragement, and your financial support of these programs. If you would like to help, please send your check to Crossroads at PO Box 881, Harrisonburg, 22803. All donations are tax-deductible.
In closing, we continue to extend our very best wishes to you for happy, Christ-Centered homes throughout this New Year and beyond.
With appreciation from Dean on behalf of the entire Crossroads Team
Working and Walking Together,
we can make a difference, for God and Country