What’s Wrong with Social Justice? (notes from article by Dr. Robert J. Pacienza)
from D. James Kennedy Ministries
The phrase “social justice” is now used to denote an aggressively progressive agenda that is, in fact, fundamentally unjust.
What is Social Justice Theory?
-asserts that American society privileges people who are white, skinny, heterosexual, and able-bodied
-they believe that privileged individualizes are complicit in their own privilege and in others people’s marginalization
-combination between postmodern philosophy and progressive politics
-consists of combination of movements: Queer Theory, Critical Race Theory, Disabilities Theory, and Fat Theory
-each movement has a belief that American society is structured by hidden and evil identity-based power systems that oppresses certain “marginalized” social groups while enabling certain other “privileged” social groups
-white people are racist
-men are sexist
-skinny people are fatphobic
-able-bodies people are “ableist”
What solutions does Social Justice require?
-to overthrow American society’s alleged pervasive injustice
-Americans who are “woke” to thee injustices must reject traditional categories
-re-engineer the English language
-overhaul an American justice system that is currently based on individual responsibility and procedural justice rather than as “classes” of people and outcome-based “justice”
Social Justice Theory Negative Effects:
-devalues individual accomplishment
-true justice demands that we acknowledge the historical disadvantages faced by certain groups
-SJT overemphasis group identity and devalues individual accomplishments
-SJT undermines personal responsibility and fosters a culture of dependency, entitlement, and grievance
-SJT infantilizes our society
EX. once individual achievements and personal responsibility are undermined, disgruntled individuals will be less likely to take responsibility and more likely to blame others
-blaming others nurtures a sense of victimhood
-SJT encourages people toward resentment no conflict resolution
Bible teaches the opposite of SJT
“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).
Social Justice Theory Suppresses Free Speech:
-the rise of “cancel culture” where people with dissenting views are ostracized, silenced, or punished
-SJT opposes one of America’s historic constitutional liberties: freedom of speech
-undermines the very foundation of our constitutional republic
Social Justice Sets the Conditions for Reverse Discrimination:
-SJT focuses on group identity will result in reverse discrimination
EX. whereas black and brown communities were treated unfairly in the past, white communities will be treated unfairly in the future
-Social (IN) Justice Movement is rooted in progressive ideology and poses challenges for evangelicals who dare to dissent
-SJT will lead America to devolve into an authoritarian society in which arguments are based on emotion and experience, freedom of speech is suppressed, and discrimination is perpetuated
Better Way to Achieve Justice:
-if we want to correct historic injustices without creating a new set of injustices, we must create a level playing field that emphasizes equal opportunity and individual merit
-to create a more just society, we must adopt Biblical justice
-we must foster a culture that encourages personal growth, protects freedom of expression, and values the importance of dialogue and diverse perspectives