If we believe in “social justice,”
we should answer two questions first.
Find out why by watching our Truth in Two (full text below).
Support MarkEckel.com (here). Find the MarkEckel.com YouTube Channel (here). Mark is President of The Comenius Institute (website). Dr. Eckel spends time with Christian young people in public university (1 minute video), teaching at Indiana University Purdue University at Indianapolis, and interprets culture from a Christian vantage point (1 minute video). Consider becoming a Comenius patron (here).
Pictures: Josh Collingwood, Wikipedia
FULL TEXT
“Social justice” is a phrase that individuals and institutions throw around without definition. But students in my classes can’t get away with such a lazy approach. If a student writes a paper using the phrase “social justice” I will always, somewhere in my comments ask two questions,
“What is your ‘social’?” and “What is your standard for ‘justice’?”
Here is an example. A student wrote a declarative comment in his paper saying,
“If there is no justice, there will be no peace.”
He meant that if there was no justice for his social group, his group would not allow anyone to live in peace. It’s a nice sentiment and certainly sincere. But do you see the problem? He did not define any of his terms. So, I asked him,
“If your social group can demand ‘justice’ can the group that opposes your group demand justice too?”
He wasn’t sure how to answer so I continued,
“Upon what basis will you demand justice? Where does that justice come from? What standard gives you the authority to say something is unjust?”
It was obvious the student had not considered the questions. So, I began at the end of his concern saying,
“You think everyone wants ‘peace’ from what you said, is that right?”
He shook his head up and down. “Good!” I continued, “So do I!” He smiled. “So,” I said, “Let’s see if we can find how we get to ‘peace’ by exploring the answer to those questions,
“What is your ‘social’?” and “What is your standard for ‘justice’?”
I went back to the teaching we had done in class on the need for ethical standards to come from somewhere outside ourselves. When the paper was revised, the young man had done diligent work to express why his social group was important and that justice must be based on a standard of right, originating from outside ourselves. It is a lesson for us all: be careful to define our terms.
For Truth in Two, this is Dr. Mark Eckel, president of the Comenius Institute, personally committed to the idea that our desire for justice, springs from the righteous standards, set by God.
HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!