Recently you asserted that anyone who attends a church that upholds its role with social justice should leave that church because things like "social justice" and "economic justice" are code words.
Indeed they are. They are code words for "Christian".
Luke 18:18-23
[18] A certain ruler asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
[19] "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good -- except God alone. [20] You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.'"
[21] "All these I have kept since I was a boy," he said.
[22] When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
[23] When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth.
[24] Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! [25] Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
[26] Those who heard this asked, "Who then can be saved?"
[27] Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God."
[28] Peter said to him, "We have left all we had to follow you!"
[29] "I tell you the truth," Jesus said to them, "no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God [30] will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life."
The meaning of this text is clear. If you want to truly follow Christ you must put him first above all things, including your own possessions. Our love for him must be far and away more important than our own material goods (which, by the way, are replaceable, and which - if you'll read this text thoroughly - are promised to increase several fold in this life if we simply surrender it over to God).
If the true definition of Christian is to be "Christ-like", then I can be nothing OTHER than a Christian who believes in the biblical call to social justice.
We are called, repeatedly, to forsake things like material possessions and reach out to those in need all through the gospels. Jesus even said in Matthew 25 the things we do for the least of our people we do for Jesus himself.
He also couples this with the stern warning that things we do not do for these, we also do not do for Jesus himself. He instructs these unfortunate folks to "depart from him", saying they are cursed.
So we have some choices here. We can be the rich young ruler, or the cursed souls who could not be bothered giving of themselves or their resources to those in need - both of which lose out on Jesus....
Or we could be like Jesus himself, who was the epitome of mercy, charity and love. And it was unconditional for all, which is the heart of the anti-socialist argument. People argue that socialism basically isn't fair. "Why should I work so hard and give my money to someone who refuses to work at all?"
What is the fairness, I wonder, of the command of Jesus to offer willingly to those who want to take from you, even more than what they have taken? (Matthew 5:40)
If we seek to compartmentalize or qualify what deserves our justice or mercy, for instance saying because a crack addict chose their actions then they "deserve what they get" - that too is going against what Jesus and the Bible teaches. It is protecting what is yours by using convenient stereotypes and blanket statements that are at their very heart unfair.
If a modern religion seeks to profit self first (especially with the tax issue - refer to Romans 13), and community last (Ezekiel 34), then that is the false doctrine per the Holy Bible.
Scripture says that we cannot serve two masters, God and money - Matthew 6:24 - which means I cannot follow any doctrine that puts material gain over things like mercy and justice.
If I need to "report" this to anyone, it is only to God alone who is my one and only judge.
If your religion and your church teaches anything other than this, you might want to consider leaving YOUR church, because what they are teaching is not Biblically founded.
The Bible, and Jesus - the author of the Christian faith - are very very clear on this matter.
Matthew 23
1 Then said Jesus to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 "The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat; 3 so practice and observe whatever they tell you, but not what they do; for they preach, but do not practice. 4 They bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with their finger. 5 They do all their deeds to be seen by men; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, 6 and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues, 7 and salutations in the market places, and being called rabbi by men. 8 But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brethren. 9 And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. 10 Neither be called masters, for you have one master, the Christ.
11 He who is greatest among you shall be your servant; 12 whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. 13 "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because you shut the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither enter yourselves, nor allow those who would enter to go in.
17 You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred?
23 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law, justice and mercy and faith; these you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.
27 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. 28 So you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but within you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
Ezekiel 34
4"Those who are sickly you have not strengthened, the diseased you have not healed, the broken you have not bound up, the scattered you have not brought back, nor have you sought for the lost; but with force and with severity you have dominated them.
Now, if all this hubbub was nothing more than a way to get more ratings in some kind of "shock jock" fashion - be aware that you will have to answer for this one day.
I hope the ratings and the attention were worth it.
Matthew 15:7-9
7"You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you:
8'THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS,
BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME.
9'BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME,
TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.'"
10After Jesus called the crowd to Him, He said to them, "Hear and understand.
11" It is not what enters into the mouth that defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man."
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