Christ Is the Way to Social Justice

Jared Livesey said:

Christ Is the Way to Social Justice​

The ways humanity tries to bring about justice, peace, and unity do not and cannot work. History and current events are proof that competing against, controlling, or manipulating others always results in disunity, conflict, injustice, and inequality. Yet competition, force, and manipulation are how humanity has chosen to govern itself. Jesus offers us the sole alternative to humanity’s self-destructive ways: love.

The law of God is this: every last thing you wish others would do to you, do those exact same things to them. This law defines the behavior of perfect love, which is called “charity.” God’s law is the true moral and ethical standard of all humankind, being written into every conscience, and it is the definition of “good.” Behavior that falls short of this law is not good and produces both guilt and conflict with others.

The purpose of the law of God is to end conflict between people. Those who willingly keep His law may joyfully and peacefully live together as equals, both here and now, and forever in the eternal world. The commandments that Jesus gave us in the Sermon on the Mount are how we are to obey the law of God through our works and end our conflicts with others.

Love, the feeling which makes us want to do what the law of God commands, is given to us by God. Charity is Jesus’s nature, meaning He feels perfect love towards everyone. Charity is the nature of all those who inherit God’s kingdom with Jesus. Jesus’s commandments in the Sermon on the Mount are the actions which those who have charity do by nature.

“Sin” is intent or action which falls short of the law of God, such as giving in to lust and doing to others what we do not wish others would do to us. “Repent” means to change one’s mind, to reconsider, or to relent, all of which implies a willing change in one’s behavior.

Any who will believe Jesus’s words in the Sermon on the Mount as literally as small children believe their parents’ words, and repent of all their sins, and be baptized by one of His sent servants, shall be visited by God with fire and with the Holy Ghost and shall receive a remission of their sins.

The visitation of the Holy Ghost changes our feelings so that we understand Jesus’s love and want to only do good. Then we are to do what Jesus commands until the end of our lives. We trust in Jesus to guide and comfort us in our trials and afflictions as we learn who and what He is by the things we suffer in obedience to His teachings. Just as one does not learn a new skill without practice, nobody can understand nor master the discipline of perfect love without doing its works. Doing the works Jesus commanded until we fully understand Him and freely agree to become what He is and to receive His nature from Him permanently as a gift by His grace so that we love everyone perfectly just like He does is what it means to be a disciple of Jesus.

If you keep the commandments of Jesus Christ, you are His church[1], you are His disciple[2], you are His friend[3], and you are His family[4].

The Sermon on the Mount​

These are the commandments of Jesus Christ as given in Luke 6:20-49. The society built upon these principles is just, equitable, and fair.

20 ¶ And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.

21 Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.

22 Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake.

23 Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.

24 But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation.

25 Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep.

26 Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.

27 ¶ But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,

28 Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.

29 And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also.

30 Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.

31 And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

32 For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.

33 And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same.

34 And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.

35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.

36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.

37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:

38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

39 And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch?

40 The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.

41 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

42 Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother’s eye.

43 For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

44 For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.

45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

46 ¶ And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

47 Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:

48 He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.

49 But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.

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[1] Matthew 7:24-25, Matthew 16:18; Luke 6:47-48
[2] John 8:31-32 (see also, in this order: John 14:6, John 17:3, John 14:21, John 14:23)
[3] John 15:14
[4] Luke 8:19-21

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History and current events are proof that competing against, controlling, or manipulating others always results in disunity, conflict, injustice, and inequality.

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Jesus offers us the sole alternative to humanity’s self-destructive ways: love.

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brinny said:

"Social justice" is the complete and appalling antithesis to genuine "justice" at all. There's an agenda in all of its goriness to pound down others in order to push this hate-fueled "agenda" claiming it is for "justice" and "compassion", etc. It includes "targeting" others and projecting onto these "others" what they themselves are doing.

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Shiloh Raven said:

I disagree with your attempt to broadbrush all social justice activism and activists. I have too many years of experiences to know that's not the truth. As far as I'm concerned, it's not even close.

For example, I was involved in a lot effort to stand up for the Standing Rock Sioux during their stand-off against DAPL two years ago. I never once witnessed or experienced a push for a hate-fueled agenda or targeting others and projecting onto others what they themselves are doing.

I did, however, hear about the ongoing inhumane brutality inflicted upon all the unarmed Native water protectors and their allies by the militarized police and National Guard. I heard the stories from firsthand accounts from water protectors on the front lines and from fellow Native American activists, and on the news I followed during the entire time of the Standing Rock stand-off.

I heard the cries for justice against the use of dogs that were commanded to attack the unarmed water protectors. I heard the cries of justice against the ongoing use of water canons, tear gas, tasers, rubber bullets, pepper spray, concussion grenades and the Long Range Acoustic Device sound cannons that were used against the water protectors. I heard about the estimated 4,000 veterans who went to Standing Rock to protect the water protectors against the police brutality. I heard about Amnesty International and the United Nations Human Rights Counsel getting involved too.

Let me tell you who I think is 'hate-fueled' and who is targeting others. It is the Baptist preacher who once told me that the entire worth of my race could be found at the bottom of a whiskey bottle. It is all the CONSERVATIVE Christians who have targeted me with their hate and vile because I won't stand up for the national anthem or when I decline to recite the pledge of allegiance.

It is the CONSERVATIVE Christians who have yelled at me, who have spit on me, who have pushed me, who have threatened me, and the CONSERVATIVE man who yanked the American flag out of my hand while pushing me backward because he saw me holding the flag upside down during a protest against the war with Iraq. I have a lot more stories of what is genuinely hate-fueled and none of the stories have to do with any of the other social justice activists I've met during my lifetime.

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BarWi said:

I am a political right-leaning independent and agree that brinny's post was unnecessarily harsh. The OP contained nothing per se that I thought deserved a harsh rejection for. Bringing about peace, justice and unity are hardly bad thoughts, and I agree with OP that fallen humans are incapable on their own to bring this about.

I also respect your views SR, but reserve judgment on your portrayal of fighting for social justice and the hateful treatment you and those you defend allegedly received from National Guard and conservatives until I hear both sides of the story. I didn't follow the Standing Rock incident closely at the time, was involved in projects that consumed a lot of my time, but before I invest wholesale belief in your version of things I'd want to hear the experiences of those on the other side of the fence first.

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brinny said:

Hello BarWi. I AGREE with the OP, thus my "winner" icon. I was merely elaborating on what is called "social justice" in this particular day and age and that it is the complete antithesis to any "justice" of any kind, and is more in line with the same tactics of "projection" and blame and shaming attempts from Saul Alinsky's own rules book, in order to gain power, etc.

All the more reason to elaborate on what genuine justice is, and that it can be achieved only through Jesus Christ, along with true and genuine peace. And of course the basis of it is "love" and grace and mercy and forgiveness.

A belated welcome to CF to you, BarWi.

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BarWi said:

Thanks for the clarification, brinny. Also thanks for the welcome. I'd agree that in its general usage, the term "social justice" presents an unpalatable 'taste' to the mind. There's a reason virtually all SJWs are liberal folks.

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BarWi said:

I am a political right-leaning independent and agree that brinny's post was unnecessarily harsh. The OP contained nothing per se that I thought deserved a harsh rejection for. Bringing about peace, justice and unity are hardly bad thoughts, and I agree with OP that fallen humans are incapable on their own to bring this about.

I also respect your views SR, but reserve judgment on your portrayal of fighting for social justice and the hateful treatment you and those you defend allegedly received from National Guard and conservatives until I hear both sides of the story. I didn't follow the Standing Rock incident closely at the time, was involved in projects that consumed a lot of my time, but before I invest wholesale belief in your version of things I'd want to hear the experiences of those on the other side of the fence first.

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BarWi said:

Thanks for the clarification, brinny. Also thanks for the welcome. I'd agree that in its general usage, the term "social justice" presents an unpalatable 'taste' to the mind. There's a reason virtually all SJWs are liberal folks.

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Shiloh Raven said:

My willingness and desire to stand up for social justice and the lack of concern and compassion among the majority of conservatives I have met during my lifetime for marginalized people who face social injustice and bigotry are the very reasons why I've been a liberal for over 25 years. I'm not ashamed of that either and I have never allowed myself to be shamed for it by any conservative who has arrogantly attempted to shame me for it. Sadly, I have plenty of experience of dealing with that.

And if some conservative wants to compromise their integrity by attempting to insult me by calling me a SJW (social justice warrior) then so be it. I know that I don't just hide behind my laptop to rant and rave about social justice issues. I know that I have been out on the front lines and I have fought for social justice for the last 27 years of my life. I have put actions to my words and I have taken a stand for social and political justice. I don't just say I'm for social justice because I live up to what I say.

I don't expect for someone who hasn't lifted a finger a single day in their life to stand up for the rights of another human being to know anything about what it's like to stick your neck out or put your own life on the line to protect the rights or the life of another person who is suffering and whose life is in jeopardy. Some conservatives can mock, insult, belittle and scorn all they want in their attempts to diminish the issues of social justice, but they are only showing their true colors. If they are a Christian and they are mocking legitimate social justice efforts, then they are destroying their Christian witness. I know that's the truth from listening to the non-Christians who have either told me so or I have heard many non-Christians expressing their personal opinion about the Christians who are like that.

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Shiloh Raven said:

Well, if you have the time, there are 76 pages worth of detailed information I posted in this old thread HERE on what happened to the water protectors and their allies in Standing Rock. I kept a dialogue going from September 2016 to April 2017. I followed the events in Standing Rock for an entire year from the day the movement was started by some Standing Rock Sioux youth in April 2016.

For your convenience, I'm providing some links to my Standing Rocks posts in other threads on this site. I literally spent months bringing the reality of Standing Rock to life on this site. I decided to search for Standing Rock within my own posts and the results showed 747 results and 75 pages.

(1) Bundy Charges Dismissed, Nevada Armed Standoff Against Fed's

(2) Montgomery Advertiser: Our shame: The sins of our past laid bare for all to see

(3) What it looks like after the pipeline comes through.

(4) What it looks like after the pipeline comes through.

(5) Veterans Are Now Self-Deploying In Order To Protect Standing Rock Protesters

(6) White People Riot Against French Government, Right Doesn't Lose Its Mind

Also for your convenience:

YouTube search: violence against Standing Rock water protectors

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Tigger45 said:

Gotta love Bishop Curry for standing up for Standing Rock

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Tigger45 said:

Gotta love Bishop Curry for standing up for Standing Rock

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BarWi said:

Finally, some food for thought: I know a good number of conservative folks who do quite a bit for others but don't bang their own drum and brag about it. Maybe you just don't hear about the good stuff others do and therefore judge them in error?

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Shiloh Raven said:

I was very pleased to see all the people (including celebrities and Third Party candidates) who came to stand with Standing Rock during the stand-off against DAPL. People came from all over the country and from around the world to stand with Standing Rock. It was also an HISTORIC gathering of the tribal nations in Standing Rock too. The Inca prophecy of the Eagle and the Condor was also fulfilled.

But the special events that occurred during the stand-off that touched my heart the most was (1) the 4,000 veterans who came to protect the water protectors; (2) the sincere apology that was given to the Sioux by a descendant of George Custer, and (3) the sincere apology that was given to the Sioux tribal elders by the veterans during a forgiveness ceremony. The gathered veterans knelt before the tribal elders and spiritual leaders while asking them for forgiveness for all the atrocities that were committed against the Lakota and other tribal nations by the United States government in the past.

Wes Clark Jr. spoke on behalf of the veterans: "Many of us, me particularly, are from the units that have hurt you over the many years. We came. We fought you. We took your land. We signed treaties that we broke. We stole minerals from your sacred hills. We blasted the faces of our presidents onto your sacred mountain. When we took still more land and then we took your children and then we tried to take your language and we tried to eliminate your language that God gave you, and the Creator gave you. We didn’t respect you, we polluted your Earth, we’ve hurt you in so many ways but we’ve come to say that we are sorry. We are at your service and we beg for your forgiveness."

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Tigger45 said:

I too repent of the vileness from being indoctrinated with the perversion of manifest destiny. It’s beyond ironic how we as students start out in an American history class having compassion for pilgrims fleeing persecution to justifying the genocide of the people who’s land we came to find sanctuary in.

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