What is Catholic Social Justice?

[sedonaman]

… Secondly, one wonders why is public school education seems to be failing in American cities. Local school districts obtain their revenues primarily from the local tax base; nice suburbs have higher property taxes leading to better facilities, better teachers, and have generally better test scores, more high school graduates, and more students who go onto college. It appears that as long as inner city schools have students with very low self esteem, poor facilities and teachers, American society will still have a large underclass in which crime and high unemployment go hand in hand. The middle class pays for this problem in higher taxes to build more prisons and incarcerate more prisoners.

There was once a professional football coach called “Bum” Philips who, it was said, “could take his’n and beat your’n, and take your’n and beat his’n.”

Your post is just a repeat of the liberal bean dip that blames society for the failure of the lower classes. There have been minority teachers who demanded their students perform, and they did. The most famous is Jaimie Escalante [who just recently passed away], who successfully taught calculus to inner-city Hispanic students in Los Angeles because he refused to put up with any keerapola from his students. Unfortunately he couldn’t stop the keerapola from his superiors who fought him tooth and nail. PhD economist Dr. Thomas Sowell [who is black] says he owes his success to a teacher who demanded likewise.

***THE PROBLEM WITH PUBLIC SCHOOLS’ FAILURE IS THEY FOCUS ON THE STUDENT’S SELF IMAGE, NOT EDUCATION. *** Your idea has been tried and tried over and over, and continues to this day, so why do test scores continue to fall?

Social justice is primarily empowering the underclass to realize they are not worthless garbage, to educate them, to provide them opportunities to better themselves.

More Marxist claptrap that sees the world only in terms of power. There is no [repeat, **NO] shortage of educational opportunities in this country.

 

[tafan]

I think the answer to this question is the corporal works of mercy…that is, in essence and in short, the best “teaching” on Catholic social justice. Thankfully, it is not the business of the Church to determine an economic program for the state, i.e. capitalism, distributism, socialism, etc. It is the business of the Church to ensure that no matter what the current economic or political climate may be, all of its members are performing the corporal works of mercy to the best of their abilities.

Just my opinion. Hope that helps.

Corporal works of mercy:

Feed the hungry
Give drink to the thirsty
Clothe the naked
Shelter the homeless
Visit the sick
Visit the imprisoned
Bury the dead

Be careful, this is not quite right. The corporal works of mercy have been around long time and primarily address the moral responsibilites we have as individuals. The church’s teachings on social justice are primarily geared towards forming a just society. Now, granted there is a definite overlap between individual actions/responsibilites and communal actions/responsibilites so you are not necessarily wrong. But your post definitely gives the wrong impression about the purpose and content of the church’s social justice teachings.

You statement that it is not the church’s position to determine the economic system of the state also is a little problematic. A minor point first: be careful about associating the economic system with the state as opposed to the society. We often fall in this trap, but equating the state and society is a very dangerous thing to do. More significantly: certainly the church does not say which economic system should be used and it recognizes that different systems work better in different cultures and at different times in history. But the church is willing to condemn economic and social policies of the state which are unjust (legal abortion, denial of the right to property, slavery,etc) are examples. The church has a vast history and knowledge of what works and doesn’t work, we should take advantage of that and not simply say that it is not the church’s business.

 

[sedonaman]

… The church has a vast history and knowledge of what works and doesn’t work, …

But one generation thinks it knows more.

 

[mpb74]

Ed, I would like to have a give and take on American public education with you and others. I live in a suburban school district. I do pay taxes for that that are burdensome. While the facilities are better and the teachers are paid more, the education is inferior to what I received in NY city in the 70’s. My classes were populated by white, hispanic, black, and asian boys and girls. We all received the same education. Many of the non white students attained more economic success than I did. They did that because they worked hard and sacrificed more than I was willing to. What changed?
These children were raised by parent’s who said do your homework before you go out with friends. They generally had two parents at home. They taught their children morals and personal responsibilty. Unfortunately, some social welfare programs have made it less palatable for parents to live together. I have never seen or heard a white person tell a minority child they could not suceed or that they were worthless. I have seen poverty pimps tell minority children “They” will not let you get ahead. The end result is the child believes he cannot suceed so gives up trying. I, having spent years working in poor black and hispanic neighborhoods, have seen mothers tell their children they cannot suceed.
We had what were called 600 schools in my day. Kids who were disruptive were sent to those schools. I think 600 was a reference to an education law statute. Today, disruptive kids are left in the classroom to be disruptive and get the attention they so desparately seek. The kids are left to see a dog and pony show and recieve less valuable classroom instruction.
I think a positive program in underperforming schools would be to bring in parents and instruct them on how to better their childs education. Don’t tell children you can be whatever you want (Carrer wise). They can be whatever they want that is in their physical and mental capabilities. A child who wears coke bottle glasses will never be a fighter pilot. Impress upon them that if they want to maximize their individual capabilities they have to work hard to achieve that goal.
The schools today have lost a focus on readin’, ritin, and ritmatic. They spend more time being social workers than being techers. Who is to blame is unimportant. Where we go from here is what matters.
Why, since we have our Colin Powells and Sonia Sotomayors coming out of our poorest neighborhoods do we have a majority in those neighborhoods failing? Those two while very intelligent, are not so far and away the brightest kids who went thru those schools. I can absolulutely positively gaurantee they are not the brightest ones to have entered their kindergarten classes. There were more inately talented kids among them that failed. Those two worked hard. They strived. They wanted to excel. Alot of that came from the home they were raised in. I realize Sotomayor’s dad died when she was young but her Mom did not let her use that as an excuse. And to the Justice’s credit neither did she.

 

[mpb74]

Were the Mayan’s or Inca’s superior when they offered human sacrifices? Didn’t they enslave people.were they not warriors? Those civilations were no more pure as the driven snow than any other in human history. History is unappreciated these days. We as a society seem to have failed to understand that knowing history is important so that we can repeat the positive lessons and and avoid the pitfalls of others.

Some seem to have an anger about past injustices. If one spends their time bemoaning the atrocities of the past and harboring ill will towards descendants of the perpetrators of those wrongdoers they are wasting their energy.

We cannot change history. We can build a solid foundation for a good future. This is done by saying, these are the problems what can we do to fix it? For the last 40+ years in the US we have thrown trillions of dollars at our social problems in an attempt to fix them. The problems have gotten worse. Spending money is necessary, but does not in itself fix anything. The social programs we have today are failures, by and large. Let’s get all the invested middle class and wealthy interests out and bring in some new blood who are more interested in fixing the problems than protecting the budget and perks of the realm they dominate.

No social ill among a group of people will be cured purely through spending money. If you spend a fortune giving me fish for dinner, teaching lazy shiftless middle class people like me to fish in the morning the problem is not solved. Being lazy and shiftless, I’d rather take a nature walk and then take a nap than fish. Come dinner time, I’m hungry again. If you give me another fish for dinner now and take me for another fishing lesson in the morning I might want to do what I did yesterday again. If you keep giving me fish for dinner I will take lots of nature walks and afternoon naps. And to be honest with you I will start to resent you for making me get up every morning for a fishing lesson. In fact it is now your fault I have to take those afternoon naps, because I can’t sleep at night because I have anxiety about the way you give the fishing lessons, you haven’t given me enough faith in my ability to be a good fisherman. You have no right to make me get up so early for those lessons just because you have to go to work after them. How dare you say I should stand on the dock fishing. I should be commanding that fishing vessel leaving the dock. And don’t you dare feel frustrated or angry about working to give me fish, you owe it to me. But I digress.
.
However, If you don’t give me a fish that second night, later in the evening I’ll probably come over and ask you where I should cast my net. Then I’ll get up in the morning and work hard to be a good fisherman.

Human nature is a funny thing. Some of us, myself included, need to be left accountable for ourselves once we have been given the opportunity to attain the skills needed to navigate our way in the world.

 

[beller19]

I can not find the words “social justice” in the bible. Social Justice is an invention of the government to redistribute wealth. Compassion is a commandment of God for people to love they neighbor (all of them). Here are some quotes (Alien refers to a person not from the area):

“During the seventh year, let the land lie unplowed and unused. Then the poor among your people may get food from it, and the wild animals may eat what they leave. Do the same with your vineyard and your olive grove.” Exodus 23:11

“When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God.” Leviticus 23:22

“If one of your countrymen becomes poor and sells some of his property, his nearest relative is to come and redeem what his countryman has sold. . . . If one of your countrymen becomes poor and is unable to support himself among you, help him as you would an alien or a temporary resident, so he can continue to live among you. . . . If one of your countrymen becomes poor among you and sells himself to you, do not make him work as a slave.” Leviticus 25:25, 35, 39

“However, there should be no poor among you, for in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly bless you.” Deuteronomy 15:4

“If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother.” Deuteronomy 15:7

“If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother.” Deuteronomy 15:7

“When you are harvesting in your field and you overlook a sheaf, do not go back to get it. Leave it for the alien, the fatherless and the widow, so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. When you beat the olives from your trees, do not go over the branches a second time. Leave what remains for the alien, the fatherless and the widow. When you harvest the grapes in your vineyard, do not go over the vines again. Leave what remains for the alien, the fatherless and the widow.” Deuteronomy 24:19-21

“You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor, but the LORD is their refuge.” Psalm 14:6

“My whole being will exclaim, Who is like you, 0 LORD? You rescue the poor from those too strong for them, the poor and needy from those who rob them.’” Psalm 35:10

“(They) have grown fat and sleek. Their evil deeds have no limit; they do not plead the case of the fatherless to win it, they do not defend the rights of the poor.” Jeremiah 5:28

 

[JoanREDirector]

Interesting thread. Now tell me - why do we have to modify the word “justice”, which is, giving to each what is due, with the adjective “social”? The realm of virtue - that is, habits of doing good - is vast and rich. When it’s appropriate, wouldn’t it be better to talk about the virtues of mercy, compassion, and charity as well?

Let me give some examples.

Other posters have already brought up the corporal and spiritual works of MERCY. Notice, they are not called the corporal and spiritual works of JUSTICE because mercy and justice are different things.

Another example, when I married, I vowed to love and honor my husband. That is, I promised to work diligently for his good (love) and give to him what was his due as my husband (justice).

Final example - here in liberal Seattle we often see groups of protesters clogging our streets and government buildings while they trumpet their latest cause. “WE WANT JUSTICE,” they scream. I mutter to myself, “No you don’t. You want mercy just like the rest of us sinners.”

 

[fish90]

How’s this definition which is my own personal definition?

Social justice is equal justice for all. This means each person gets their share depending on how much they work for it. The too often problem is that people cannot better themselves and social justice when it follows the Church’s morality wishes to defeat this reality as much as it can. It is teaching how to fish, yet making sure the marginalized in society get the fish when they need it, but not caviar.

 

[elts1956]

My definition of Catholic Social Justice would be…

1. Defense of the unborn
2. Dignity for the sick, elderly, infirm, disabled
3. Aid and shelter for the poor and destitute

In a nutshell, respect and dignity for all human life, from conception until natural death, including the frozen embryos sitting in a lab somewhere, just waiting for mommy and daddy (or mommy and mommy) to decide whether or not they will fit into their lives.

My definition of Catholic Social Justice DOES NOT include marriage rights for homosexuals, a woman’s right to choose (it’s her body, ya know!), taxpayer funding of abortion clinics and embryonic stem cell research centers.

My idea of Catholic Social Justice would be that done with the free will of the individual, person to person, group to group, respect and dignity for all human life, "from conception to natural death"according to the teachings of Christ and the Church. In other words, keep the government out of our lives. If we are forced to participate in government charity, where is the love Christ taught us to give?

 

[beller19]

Much is advocated in this country under the “guise of social justice”. Many politicians advocating social justice also advocate abortion rights. How is this compatible? It is political. We are being driven toward a European-type socialism along with redistribution of wealth. Socialism has no respect for the individual rights of man nor does it respect God.

Equal justice is guaranteed by our constitution. Social justice are rights given to us by our government. What is given by government can be taken away. In addition, only our creator has the power to instill rights, not government. Jesus never suggested that government be our caretaker. He will take care of all of our needs but we must have faith in Him.