Matthew 3:1
Matthew 4:17
Matthew 6:32-33
Hebrews 11:6; Jeremiah 29:13
John 3:1-21
The author Scott David Allen in his book “Why Social Justice Is Not Biblical Justice” on pages 56-58 explains the ideological differences between Social Justice movement and the Biblical Worldview.
CORE TENETS OF IDEOLOGICAL SOCIAL JUSTICE CONTRASTED WITH THE BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW:
What is ultimately real?
• SJ: The human mind defines what is ultimately real.
• BWV: The God of Genesis 1:1 defines ultimate reality: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
Who are we?
• SJ: Creatures whose identity is wholly socially determined. We are products of our race, sex, and gender identity.
• BWV: Creations and image bearers of a good, holy, and loving God with inherent dignity and immeasurable worth.
What is our fundamental problem as human beings?
• SJ: OPPRESSION: White, heteronormative males have established and maintained hegemonic (dominance or control over all facets of society) power structures to oppress and subjugate women, people of color, and sexual minorities.
• BWV: REBELLION: All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Our rebellion against God has resulted in broken relationships – between God and man, between man and his fellow man, and between man and his creation.
What is the solution to our problem?
• SJ: REVOLUTION: Oppressed victims and their allies must unite to unmask, deconstruct, and overthrow these oppressive power structures, systems, and institutions.
• BWV: THE GOSPEL: On the cross, God incarnate bore the punishment we deserved for sinful rebellion in order to show us a mercy we could never deserve. His death on the cross and His resurrection opened the way for the reconciliation of all our broken relationships.
How can we be saved?
• SJ: Victims are morally innocent and do not require salvation. Oppressors can never be fully pardoned, but partial salvation is available if they confess their complicity in oppression and support the revolution.
• BWV: “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. … everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” ( Roman 10:9, 13)
What is our primary moral duty?
• SJ: To stand in solidarity with, protect, and defend the oppressed: women, people of color, sexual minorities (LGBTQ+),etc.
• BWV: To love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength ( which involves living in obedience to all that Christ commanded) and to love our neighbors as ourselves.
How do we know what is true?
• SJ: The notions of objective truth, reason, logic, evidence, and argument are discredited tools that oppressors employ to maintain their hegemony. We gain knowledge of “truth” through victims, who, based on their lived experience of oppression, have greater insight than oppressors. This is referred to as Standpoint Epistemology.
• BWV: Divine Revelation: (1) God’s written Word (2 Tim. 3:13); (2) the “law written on our heart,” or human conscience (Romans 2:15) and God’s revelation in creation (Romans 1:20). To this we apply our God given capacity for reason, logic, discussion, and debate to assemble and weigh evidence in pursuit of truth.
Who has ultimate authority?
• SJ: Victims are the final authority. The claims of victims based on their subjective, lived experiences must be believed without question.
• BWV: God ( and His revealed Word in Scripture) is the final authority.
Is there a future, final judgement?
• No. There is no god who will return to punish the wicked and reward the upright. Rather, injustice must be rooted out here and now by those with the power to do so.
• Yes. Jesus will return and accomplish perfect justice. He will preserve all that is good and rid the world of all that is evil. Until then, He extends mercy and forgiveness to sinful people.