Matthew Yglesias has an interesting post slamming Glenn Beck for calling "social justice" code for socialism. This is the quote from the Ygeleias site made by Glenn Beck:
“I beg you, look for the words ’social justice’ or ‘economic justice’ on your church web site,” Beck urged his audience. “If you find it, run as fast as you can. Social justice and economic justice, they are code words. Now, am I advising people to leave their church? Yes!”
Mr. Ygeleias cites the Catholic Church, in particular the Vatican website, the American Baptist Church, and the Episcopal Church as mainstream churches that tout "social justice." He seems to think Beck is confusing social justice with the charitable acts of churches.
While I think that Glenn Beck's advice for people to leave their church over this is a bit imprudent, the sad fact is he is quite right in his assumptions. In most cases, even within the Catholic Church, social justice has come to mean a form of socialism. I was born a Catholic and I will die a Catholic, but that doesn't mean I can't tell the difference between the institutional Church and the divine aspects of the Church.
While I think that Glenn Beck's advice for people to leave their church over this is a bit imprudent, the sad fact is he is quite right in his assumptions. In most cases, even within the Catholic Church, social justice has come to mean a form of socialism. I was born a Catholic and I will die a Catholic, but that doesn't mean I can't tell the difference between the institutional Church and the divine aspects of the Church.
God didn't leave a raft of angels to run The Bride of Christ (Church on earth.) He used what was available and that happened to be man. And sometimes man can make an awful hash of things. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, we have a bunch of bishops who have fallen into the "greenie-weenie-health-care-for-all-let's-make-all-illegals-citizens" trap that the right espouses, forgetting that their main duty is to teach and lead. Or as I like to say; they're here as shepherds to help us, the sheep, get to heaven. This thinking isn't confined to the Catholic Church. However, I try refrain from making remarks about churches I don't attend.
Catholic League president Bill Donohue weighs in with this:
Many are hammering Beck for saying, "Am I advising people to leave their church? Yes!" A closer read of what he said shows he followed that quip with, "If I am going to Jeremiah Wright's church. If you have a priest that is pushing social justice, go find another parish."Beck didn't say Christians should abandon their religion. He recommended shopping around to find a more conservative parish if one is dissatisfied with hearing left-wing sermons. Nothing new about that. In the Catholic Church, there are priests who are stridently left-wing and stridently right-wing; many parishioners shop accordingly. Protestants shop by leaving one denomination for another. And so on. read the rest
H/T Memeorandum
4 comments:
Really, this is sad. Social justice is a thread of God's mandate that is woven throughout the scriptures - Old Testament and New. It is being falsely cast by politically conservative persons as something akin to socialism, when in fact it is a divine demand for the just treatment of those in society most vulnerable to neglect, abuse, or exploitation. Yes, it is a challenge to the "civil religion" which most conservative commentators preach. But their unholy union of politics faith betrays the witness of Holy Scripture.
No, it is not sad at all. As Christians and Catholics, we shouldnt have to cowardly co-opt a term from secular enlightenment philosophers to describe our work for the poor, sick and needy. Christian Charity, -thats what we do, that's what we should call it. Are we so afraid that we can't speak the name of Christ outside the walls of our church buildings? Disgusting.
S. Pundit - Hmmmmmm - I never thought of it that way. Thanks...
Glenn Beck knows more about charity than Harry Reid, who needs to pay more attention in Sunday School class. True charity requires volition on the part of the giver and gratitude on the part of the receiver. Their church understood this when the LDS welfare program was established.
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When the government extracts taxes from us unwillingly to provide largesse to their voting base, that is not charity. It is extortion. Just look at Barack Obama and Joe Biden's gifts to charity 0.0013 percent of their income. Compare that with Glenn Beck or Mitt Romney's gifts to charity (11 to 13 percent).
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It is always easier for politicians to reach into someone else's pocket to display their "social justice". That's the problem with using "other people's money" (OPM). It is misplaced moral priorities
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