Social Justice from a Biblical Perspective (Final Exam Preparation)

Jay Richards, "Money, Greed, and God"

"Every second of the day, you act in your own self interest. Every time you take a breath, wash your hands, eat your fiber, take your vitamins, clock in at work, take a shower, pay your bills, go to the doctor, and pray for forgiveness, you are acting in your own self interest."

Public work projects

"For every public job created, a private job has been destroyed somewhere else... all that has happened, at best, is that there has been a diversion of jobs because of the project... the great psychological advantage is that men are seen at work when [housing projects] are going up... but the jobs are destroyed by the taxes for the housing are not seen."

Yahweh Melech

"God is our King" Isaiah 33:22 Yahweh is our judge, lawgiver, king, he will save us

Arthur Brooks

"Government spending on charitable causes leads people to give less to charity. And not just liberals-- the evidence is that everyone gives less privately when the government gives more The most likely reason for this is that people tend to see government aid and private charity as substitutes.... economists have a name for this phenomenon: the 'public goods crowding out effect.'" "...numerous studies have demonstrated that a dollar in government spending on nonprofit displaces up to 50 cents in private giving" "What appears to displace charity is a persons support for these policies [whether or not they actually accomplish what they claim]. People who think the government should redistribute income more are less likely to donate to charity than people who don't think so. This is nothing more than substituting political opinions for private donations."

Mother Theresa

"If I look at the mass I won't help. If I look at the one, I will."

Aristotle

"If you want to encourage something, reward it. If you want to discourage it, punish it."

-The State and it's Tasks David Koyzis, Chapter 9 of Political Visions and Illusions

"In short, justice is not simply about protecting and advancing rights; it is more often about impartially adjudicating the interests of those making potentially conflicting rights claims."

Man of Valor Jericho Project

"Instead of looking at how I can get people to give me stuff, now I look at how I can serve people" "You're designed to work, if you're not working you're out of God's will." Work is holy -carl carlson 65-75% recidivism rate in the US, but in this program if they complete 90 days then it goes down to 20%

Subsidiarity (Roman Catholic thought)

"Just as it is wrong to withdraw from the individual and commit to a group what private initiative and effort can accomplish, so too it is an injustice for a larger and higher association to arrogate to itself functions which can be performed efficiently by smaller and lower organizations."

George Gilder

"Man... and not mechanism is at the heart of capitalist growth." "Without entrepreneurs, economies are dead."

"Economics in one lesson" Henry Hazlitt

"People tend to see only the immediate effects of a given policy, or its effects only on a special group, and to neglect to inquire what the long-run effects of that policy will be on all groups. It is the fallacy of overlooking secondary consequences." The "one lesson" of economics consists in looking now merely at the immediate but at the longer effects of any act or policy; it consists in tracing the consequences of that policy not merely for one group but for all groups.

Bob Geldof

"Something must be done, even if it doesn't work"

-Peter Burger and John Neuhaus, "The Essential Civil Society Reader"

"Structures such as family, church and neighborhood are all public institutions in the sense that they must be taken seriously in the ordering of the polity... our more basic contention is against the notion that anything public must ipso fact be governmental."

David Koyzis

"The diversity of human society [and communities and institutions] necessitates some mechanism for justly interrelating its multiple interests. ...A healthy society, one characterized by what the Bible calls shalom, is one in which the various spheres of human activity develop in a balanced, proportionate fashion."

William Easterly

"The end of poverty will come as a result of homegrown political and economic reforms (which are already happening in many poor countries), not through outside aid. The biggest hope for the world's poor nations is not Bono, it is the citizens of poor nations themselves."

Paul Marshall

"The governing authority is to justly interrelate the authorities of others."

Dorothy Sayers, "Why Work"

"The only Christian work is good work well done." "Work should be looked upon not as a necessary drudgery to be undergone for the purpose of making money but as a way of life in which the nature of man should find its proper exercise and delight and so fulfill itself to the glory of God." "It is the business of the church to recognized that the secular vocation as such is sacred."

"The Quest for Community" Peter Berger, Richard Neuhaus

"What is involved most deeply in our problem is the diminishing capacity of organized, traditional relationships for holding a position of moral and psychological centrality in the individual's life."

Minimum wage jobs

"You cannot make a man worth a given amount by making it illegal for anyone to offer him anything less. You merely deprive him of the right to earn the amount that his abilities and situation would permit him to earn, while you deprive the community of even the moderate services that he is capable of rendering. In brief, for a low wage, you substitute unemployment." Henry Hazlitt

polis

"city" or "structured, ordered body"

Compassion

"suffering alongside"

How do we encourage work?

* Ensure that our assistance to the poor doesn't discourage them from work or treat them as passive recipients (handouts) * Devise ways of helping people that foster a sense of responsibility and dignity * Form partnerships that enable those who want to work to do so * Avoid mis-perceptions about wealth * Advocate for conditions that foster responsible job growth

Amy Sherman: Steps to Starting a Mercy Ministry

* Step 1: assess your strengths and weaknesses and who you are as a people * Step 2: learn about the community * Step 3: identify what others in the community are doing to help * Step 4: begin building relationships * Step 5: gather a core community team with people from the community you're helping * Step 6: find your unique niche * Step 7: learn from other models * Step 8: decide on basic organizational policies * Step 9: establish a system for recruiting, screening, training, placing and affirming volunteers * Step 10: establish an evaluation system

Entitlement programs

* a program that provides guaranteed benefits to eligible recipients. The big three are Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. * They are sometimes called, "mandatory spending" because Congress is required by law to make payments to those who meet eligibility standards, regardless of other spending needs or tax revenues * The US is the only country that does not subject these programs to real budget control * every year, Washington spend so much that for each citizen it will be $200,000

A government safety net should

* be a last resort * be temporary * support rather than crowd out small institutions * avoid fostering a dependence that will discourage people from working and supporting others Needs to be a trampoline, not a hammock

Amy Sherman, "Restorers of Hope" (what can we do as a CHURCH)

* consider reforming ministries you already have in place if they don't have relational focus * decrease potential for abuse

research by Robert Rector

* if total means-tested welfare spending were simply converted into cash benefits, the sum would be nearly four times the amount needed to raise the income of all poor families above the official poverty line * over the next decade $250,000 per person, 1 million for a poor family of four

Cal Beisner, "Prosperity and Poverty" (what can I do as an INDIVIDUAL)

* invest in productive companies * Evangelism and discipleship * political action * charitable giving * extend a loan to start a small family business * allow people to work odd jobs around our house * sometimes give direct gifts with no strings attached

Government welfare

* it isn't effective * it doesn't adequately target those in need (benefits are received not just by the poor, but also by persons who have incomes below 200 percent of the federal poverty level (about 1/3 of Americans falls within this range)) * discourages work and marriage

government bail-outs

* penalize states who make good decisions * reward states that make poor decisions

Cal Beisner, 4 principles of charitable giving

* recipients should work if they can * gifts should be as privately controlled and as direct as possible * distinguish worthy/unworthy recipients * goal: meet basic survival and health needs first

What makes Civic Government Distinct?

* responsible for all people in a particular geographical area * distinguished from other social institutions in that territory because it has been given sovereignty--not monopoly--in political power. * One identifiable institution that has the final say * has the monopoly of the use of public force to uphold public law ("Bear the sword")

Governing

* the act of identifying common goods * implementing: to achieve those goods, work for consensus, organize common action, specify conditions for behavior and acknowledge consequences for harmful behavior and doing something about it

What conditions encourage productivity?

* the rule of law * property rights * the ability to direct our resources to what WE feel are good ends * the freedom for workers to look for better opportunities * ability to enjoy the fruits of your own labors * ability to share our resources the way we choose

David Koyzis, Political Visions and Illusions

* who is in charge of redistribution? The government in the form of a few politicians and/or elites * Ironically, then, property becomes more concentrated under socialism than under capitalism and, if the former Soviet Union is at all typical, material equality remains as elusive as ever."

Common misconceptions about wealth

*Wealth or poverty is a zero-sum game *Wealth is inherently bad *Capitalism is based on greed *Economic Inequality is Necessarily unjust

Benefits of participating in work

*gives us something to do *gives us the chance to exercise the skills God has given us *can be a form of loving our neighbor *a way to glorify God

Eph 2:28

...let the thief no longer steal, do honest work with his hands so that he can share with those in need

Socialism, Chapter 6 of "Political Visions and Illusions"

David Koyzis

"Politics"

Free people deliberating together the question, "How should we order our common life?" -Aristotle "Political issues are any issues that either build up or tear apart the relationships of life together" "Politics concerns how people pursue the good they share in common and defend against threats to their common identity and common way of life"

2 Cor 9:7

God loves a cheerful giver

1 Peter 2:14

Governors are sent by Him to punish those who do wrong and commend those who do right

avodah

Hebrew word translated three ways: 1) work 2) worship 3) service

Sphere Sovereignty

Idea from Dutch Calvinism- Abraham Kuyper "The holy art of 'giving for Jesus' sake' ought to be much ore strongly developed among us Christians. Never forget that all state relief for the poor is a blot on the honor of your Savior." "It is perfectly true that if no help is forthcoming from elsewhere, the state must help. WE may let no one starve from hunger as long as bread lies molding in so many cupboards. And when the state intervenes, it must to so quickly and sufficiently." Also known as "Differentiated responsibility"

Ryan Messmore

It is NOT the task of government to do all the good it supposedly could do. Government protects what civil society cultivates

Bob Woodson

It is possible to injure with a helping hand. Charity has no place in a war against poverty. Healthy relationships involve reciprocity. Allow them to help us. Don't have the attitude, "I have what they need." Instead, say, I hope to benefit and profit from the opportunity to serve. But God has command me to serve in a way that enobles the person and in a way that they will enobles me. That is true help.

"Other People's Money" Arthur Brooks, Who Really Cares?

People who support government redistribution of wealth give WAY less to charities than do people who do NOT support government redistribution. "This is nothing more than substituting political opinions for private donations."

Rudy Carrasco

Sphere sovereignty, subsidiarity, concentric circles. The farther away from the immediate knowledge of the problem the less effective you're going to be. Which circle knows you best and knows you well? The most effective solution will come from the people that know you best. Human nature does not want to be held accountable for something you're doing wrong. We'd rather go get a handout from someone that doesn't know us than someone who knows WHY we need something.

Jay Richards It's just to promote what we know works.

The importance of local solutions: the problems are almost always intrinsically local. The best solution is the closest one. Jurisdiction of last resort should be the government, not because it's uncaring, but because it can't know.

The Public Square

The public square is where people discuss, exchange ideas, and deliberate about politics, morality and justice. It is where shared interests, perspectives, and affections are acknowledged and common convictions and commitments are forged. The public square facilitates relationships, communication and common action among fellow citizens. It is here that a people fashion their communal identity through the things they hold and value in common. The public square refers to a social arena, not a state arena

Arisotle

The tragedy of the commons means simply that whatever "is common to the greatest number has the least care bestowed upon it."

Dr. Ryan Messmore

What if we started to view a family around the dinner table as a justice institution? The local church ministry serving the hungry? The little league team? The ingredients of social justice are spiritual, emotional, relational as well as economic and political.

Star Parker

Work is an essential part of social justice, fulfillment and creativity, and expression of who we are. You take work off the table, you take worth off the table. When we work together we create together, breaks down racism, and connects society.

Adam Smith

admitted that greed was bad, capitalism was based on self interest his point is that even if the butcher is selfish, in a free market the butcher can't make you buy his meat.

Subsidiarity

an organizing principle that matters ought to be handled by the smallest, lowest or least centralized competent authority. Political decisions should be taken at a local level if possible, rather than by a central authority. -Google

Star Parker on Social Justice

challenge is that we think only government can address social justice issues. but every institution has a part to play

Anthony Bradley

create and environment for mediating structures to thrive the burden is how do we all roll up our sleeves and get involved in the institutions that serve the poor effectively

Jim Wallis and E.J. Dionne

however bad government welfare is, government MUST do these things, because the church and private sector simply don't have enough money

Acts 20

it is more blessed to give than to receive

Rudy Carrasco

my friend's first thought think about government or some big "they" concentric circles of knowledge that can apply the solutions in the best way, because they know the situation

Subsidy

price fixing

Oliver ODonnivan

since Christ came as king, he takes on aspects of government, and leaves to government the earthly task of exercising judgement

Jedd Medefind

so many well-meant efforts did so little good in the long-run, even backfired. we want to fight vast poverty in a vast way. But government cannot touch the deepest part of people's lives when government strengthens the social institutions, then it is doing its job well whole person approach to justice is the harder road, requires getting close, relationship, sacrifice. Draws us to use our unique gifts and talents

What creates jobs???

successful businesses

Mediating structure (Peter Berger, Richard Neuhaus)

those institutions standing between the individual in his private life and the large institutions of public life

Prudence

to see reality as it is, and to act accordingly