Is the "Social Justice" gospel an idol?

[Rozellelily]

Regarding the Monsignors first example about the drug addicts where he states “the only downside to such a program is that some other addicts may be enabled in their self-destructive behavior and encouraged by the clean needles to shoot up…”
In reality though,I have see drug addicted people and I can guarantee that they are going to shoot up drugs regardless of whether there was needle exchange programs or not.
They don’t have a mentality that thinks “that exchange program is encouraging me in my addiction” instead they have a mentality that thinks “I’m going to find a way to take those drugs at any cost”.
So what can Catholics and Catholic organisations do in these circumstances?
Withdrawal and Rehab facilities often don’t seem to work for them long term.

Personally I also still find it hard to comprehend the difference between someone helping someone in need due to feeling compassion vs doing it because of Jesus.
TBH,I hear terms like “seeing Christ in others” but I don’t fully understand what that means.
Does it mean helping that homeless person because you imagine if it was Jesus in their situation?
If that’s the case,wouldn’t that lead to a mindset of only loving Jesus but not each other?
Or have I just misunderstood something?

 

[abucs]

Faith and charity are inseparable - except since the 1960s, when social activism began to take over. We answer to Christ at our judgment. He will ask what we did with the “good news” of His death and resurrection to eternal life. If we answer, “Well, I fed a lot of people”, or “I helped build housing for the poor” - but not a peep about the Gospel, will He be pleased enough to say “Well done, good and faithful servant”?

That is the point of keeping everything in proper order, proper perspective. We are not a faith of either/or - a false forced choice. We believe fervently in both (this) and (that). As it is with taking scripture verses out of context, if we perform good works outside of the context of the Gospel, we make both those works vain (empty) as well as our faith vain.

There is a real danger in doing your religion through the state. I think good standing Catholics may see themselves standing in a Ecumenical way with others to do God’s will but from what I have observed (in time) is that they have largely been subsumed by secular political correctness and Christ is made to disappear not just in greater and greater sections of the populace but in them themselves.

In short the Christian social justice model must be kept separate otherwise it loses Christ and ultimately it’s mission is defeated. IMHO.

 

[Eric_Hyom]

In the parable of the Good Samaritan, the priest and the Levite put their religious duties first, and they ignore the poor and wounded man. Yet the parable seems clear that we should help the stranger first, even if it means that the priest and the Levite would become religiously unclean for a time.

This parable is so powerful, because the lawyer asks Jesus, what must I do to have eternal life? And who is my neighbour?

All the law and the prophets of God hang and depend on the greatest commandments.

 

[Annie]

Becoming religiously unclean is not a mortal sin like handing out condoms is.

Nor did they ask someone else to see if the victim was alive or not.

If I see an accident on the road and could help but continue on to Mass, that would be wrong, and missing Mass in that case would not be wrong. (This actually happened to me.) Not helping would have been bad.

 

[Eric_Hyom]

What is the Lord saying? Many things to be sure, but let me suggest this essential teaching: Nothing, absolutely nothing, not even the service of the poor, takes precedence over the worship, honor, and obedience due to God. Nothing. If the service of the poor takes precedence over this, then it becomes an idol—an idol in sheep’s clothing—but an idol nonetheless.

Beware the Strangest Idol of All - A Reflection on How Even Works of Charity Cannot Eclipse Obedience to Christ - Community in Mission

I am not sure how this stands up to the parable of the Good Samaritan.