Why Social Justice Is Not Biblical Justice by Scott David Allen

But some are, and it appears the frequency is increasing in our nation.ģ. Thankfully, most people at these protests and rallies aren’t intending to harm people. Now of course, peacefully protesting or attending a rally isn’t necessarily wrong.

Whether its unruly protests after the killing of George Floyd, the autonomous zones in Seattle, or the Capitol Hill protests on January 6, 2021, respect for law and order appears to be at an all-time low. Over the past 12 months we have seen an erosion of respect for the rule of law in our nation. But the fact remains that societies which acknowledge a transcendent lawgiver are relatively more just than those who do not. Sadly, for nearly two hundred years we did not apply these rights to men and women of African descent. Consider this from the Declaration of Independence- We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. One reason for this was our founders belief in a transcendent lawgiver. Not perfectly just by any stretch, but relatively just compared to many other nations in the world. We make up our own standard.įor nearly 250 years, the United States has been a relatively just society.

This is inevitably what happens when we divorce justice from the standard for justice. In other words, they are their own standard for justice.

And he says this about the Chaldeans: “They are dreaded and fearsome their justice and dignity go forth from themselves” (Habakkuk 1:7). In the book of Habakkuk, God promises to send the Chaldeans to discipline His wayward people. Without a divine lawgiver, cultures don’t abandon justice. Acknowledgment of a transcendent lawgiver On this side of Christ’s return, there will be no perfectly just societies, yet some will be more just than others.” Allen then goes on to list six hallmarks of relatively just societies:ġ. We forget that in the broad sweep of history, relatively just societies are the exception, not the rule. We take for granted that human beings have inalienable rights and deserve respect, and that those accused of wrongdoing are entitled to due process. In his book Why Social Justice is Not Biblical Justice, Scott David Allen reminds us: “Those of us who grew up in cultures profoundly shaped by a Judeo-Christian worldview often fail to appreciate the unique inheritance of our relatively just societies.

Why Social Justice Is Not Biblical Justice by Scott David Allen