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Scripture and Social Justice

Scripture and Social Justice. Community Thought Experiment. Your small group is renting a 3 bedroom, 2 bath apartment with living room & kitchen Come up with a plan community including: Use of space Paying expenses – rent ($1000), utilities (which ones), food, who actually pays the bills.

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Scripture and Social Justice

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  1. Scripture and Social Justice

  2. Community Thought Experiment • Your small group is renting a 3 bedroom, 2 bath apartment with living room & kitchen • Come up with a plan community including: • Use of space • Paying expenses – rent ($1000), utilities (which ones), food, who actually pays the bills. • How will house run (cooking, cleaning, etc) • Guidelines (visitors, quiet time) • Pets? • Other issues that you anticipate may arise.

  3. When trouble arises…. • Assign each person in the group a letter (A-F) • Scenario 1 • Person A meets the person of their dreams and moves in with them 3 days later. What is your response? • Scenario 2 • Person B never goes to class & is in danger of failing out, losing their scholarship, and potentially forcing them to move home. What is your response?

  4. When trouble arises… • Scenario 3 • Person C has their hours cut at work and can only cover half of next months rent. What do you do? • Scenario 4 • Person D & A are constantly bickering at each other, have had several screaming arguments and have threatened each other. What do you do? • Scenario 5 • One day while everyone is at class, the TV, owned by person B, come up missing. What do you do?

  5. When trouble arises… • Scenario 6 • The person in charge of paying the bills forgets to pay the rent and the house is charged a late fee. What is your response? • Scenario 7 • Person D’s best friend is more often than not found on the couch, eating food out of the kitchen, and leaving trash and dirty dishes everywhere. What do you do? • Scenario 8

  6. What is our response to suffering? • Read pages 8-13. How would you rate the answers from yesterday’s scenarios on this scale? • Hopelessness • Choosing to ignore • Examples? • Individualism • Looking out for only for oneself • Examples? • Enlightened self-interest • Helping others will really help oneself in the end • Examples? • Compassion • Putting the other before the self • Examples?

  7. Scriptural Responses to Suffering • Pick three of the Scripture quotes. Write a short reflection on how God may be calling you to live it out today. Exodus 3:1-20; 22:21-27 Leviticus 19:9-18; 19:32-36; 25:8-17 Deuteronomy 15:1-15; 24:17-22 Matthew 5:1-12; 5:38-48 Mark 10:17-31; 12:41-44 Luke 1:46-55 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 1 John 4:7-21 Acts of the Apostles 2:43-47, 4:32-35 James 5:1-6

  8. How are Christians called to respond to suffering? • How much does God ask of us in response to suffering? • Pick three of the Scripture quotes. Write a short reflection on how God may be calling you to live it out today.

  9. Scriptural Responses to Suffering • Exodus 3:1-20; 22:21-27 • God calls us to go out of our comfort zone, even into danger at times, to help others. Protect the widow, orphan, and stranger. • Leviticus 19:9-18; 19:32-36; 25:8-17 • Share resources w/ others. Act justly. Love neighbor as self. Love for old & aliens. Jubilee year

  10. Scriptural Responses to Suffering • Deuteronomy 15:1-15; 24:17-22 • Give to the needy; relief of debt; care of widow, orphan, stranger. • Matthew 5:1-12; 5:38-48 • Beattitudes; go beyond justice & love of enemies • Mark 10:17-31; 12:41-44 • Minimum of justice & called to do more – Rich young man.

  11. Scriptural Responses to Suffering • Luke 1:46-55 • Canticle of Mary; mercy to lowly, woe to the powerful • 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 • Body of Christ; all necessary, if one part suffers, all suffer

  12. Scriptural Responses to Suffering • 1 John 4:7-21 • Love one another because God loves us • Acts of the Apostles 2:42-47, 4:32-35 • Communal life; prayer, teaching, giving to those in need; unity, no need among them • James 5:1-6 • Warning against rich

  13. “Love your neighbor as yourself” • How do we interpret this teaching of Jesus? • Self-preference-take account of good of others, but give more weight to own good (Augustine). • Parity-equal benefit should receive equal weight, unequal benefit unequal weight (Christian utilitarianism). • Other-Preference-should take account of own good, but give more weight to good of others • Self-Subordination-consider self benefit only if maximum benefit to others is assured (Ambrose) • Self-Forgetfulness/denial-self should not be given independent weight-others more important.

  14. “Love your neighbor as yourself” • Which do you think is most appropriate? • Self-subordination is the most appropriate interpretation from the new Testament • Symbol of servant used by Jesus and Paul. • Parable of good Samaritan. • Good of others, then good of self. • Highlights the social importance of love – neighbor is interpreted broadly. • Importance of growth (Parable of the rich man who went away sad) • Strive for a more loving response to the needs of others.

  15. Christian Worldview • Rooted in two basic truths: • God is love • Failure to love as God loves results in suffering • Genesis understanding of the world: • Creation is Good • Humans are made in the image & likeness of God • Inherent Dignity • Made for love • Free will • Intellect, memory, imagination

  16. Human Dignity • Read the excerpt from “The Church in the Modern World” and reflect on the following questions: • What is human dignity? • Can human dignity be taken away? How so, or why no? • Can someone increase or decrease their dignity? How So or why not? • Can someone increase or decrease the dignity of another person? How so or why not?

  17. Dignity of Being • Inalienable gift of God which is present in all humans • Our gift of life from God that remains through life - each life has enduring value. • God’s invitation to relationship with us

  18. Dignity of Acting • Our choices cause us to participate in our humanity to a greater or lesser degree • Our capacity for love (and therefore our humanness) can grow or shrink based on our decisions • Selfless decisions grow our capacity for love • Selfish decisions decrease our capacity for love • “[humans] cannot fully find [themselves] except through a sincere gift of self.” GS 24 • Dignity of Acting is our response to God’s gift of life and offer of relationship with us.

  19. Human Dignity • Human life is sacred because it is the clearest reflection of God among us. • Intrinsic quality which can never be separated from essential aspects of the human person. • NOT based on human quality, legal mandate, or individual merit or accomplishment. • Requires that basic needs be met for all people (GS 26) • Each action either embraces this dignity or denies it in one’s self and others.

  20. Human Dignity and Society • Dignity as individuals is realized in community • Relationships are central to our humanity • Society mirrors the trinity (GS 24) • Progress must serve humanity, not itself (GS 25) • Common good (GS 26) • Life & Imagination of Jesus as guide & hope. • Lazarus & poor man • Good Samaritan • Final Judgment – sheep and the goats

  21. What went wrong? • Theodicy – An attempt to explain how there is sin, suffering, and evil in the world which was created good by an all loving, all powerful God.

  22. Suffering • Why is there suffering in the world? • Free will • Ability to choose love or to choose to not love. • Root of personal sin and the ability to love • Negatively affected by original sin • Natural Disasters & Disease • Rooted in original sin

  23. Sin • Original Sin • Affirms that humans are still good at their core, but need help in order to overcome the evil in the world and in their own hearts. • Systemic sin/evil – based in personal sin • Personal dis-order in our lives • Personal Sin • Choice freely made which harms our relationship with God, others, and oneself • Sins of commission and omission • Both Original and Personal sin harm relationships

  24. Sins against Human Dignity • All things that oppose life “poison human society, but they do more harm to those who practice them than those who suffer the injury.” (GS 27) • Dignity of Being remains same for both aggressor and victim. • Dignity of Acting is lessened more for the aggressor than the victim.

  25. Homework • Read pages 27-38 in the textbook.

  26. Spiritual Growth Project Option #1 • Fast Food Fast • Give up fast food from now through class next Friday • Quotes for reflection: • Food is a central activity of mankind and one of the single most significant trademarks of a culture.- Mark Kurlansky • Today, especially in affluent societies, St. Augustine’s warning is more timely than ever: ‘Enter again into yourself.’ Yes, we must enter again into ourselves, if we want to find ourselves. Not only our spiritual life is at stake, but indeed, our personal, family and social equilibrium, itself. One of the meanings of penitential fasting is to help us recover an interior life. Moderation, recollection and prayer go hand in hand. - John Paul II

  27. God’s call to Justice • The story of the Exodus • The Law • Basic rules of justice • Prophets • Called people to right relationship with God & others • Prophetic voices today • Justice • Establishment of loving relationships among human beings, God, and creation so life can flourish as God intended.

  28. Compassionate Way of Jesus • “Social justice is a constitutive element of the Gospel” Justice in the World 1971 • Justice is a central part of Christian faith • Incarnation affirms that faith is not just a spiritual reality.

  29. Challenging the social order • First century worldview • Divine retribution • Divisions within society • Jesus’ actions overcame these shortcomings • Women • Sick people • Sinners • Rich and powerful • Enemies • All brought into one family through love

  30. Paradox of the Christianity • Beatitudes - “Happy are they…” • Teach the importance of love and justice. • What the world considers as important may not be the key to happiness. • Cross • Suffering leads to salvation. • Man finds himself through a sincere gift of self. • Through death, comes life. • Challenged and strengthened by the Holy Spirit to do more for love and justice.

  31. Quiz #1 Review • Four responses to suffering • “Love your neighbor as yourself” interpretations • Christian Worldview • Human Dignity – Being & Acting • Theodicy and the Origins of suffering • Personal, original, and social sin • First Century Worldview & Jesus’ Response • Paradox of Christianity

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