Slideshow image

In his book Why Social Justice is Not Biblical Justice, Scott David Allen reminds us: “Those of us who grew up in cultures profoundly shaped by a Judeo-Christian worldview often fail to appreciate the unique inheritance of our relatively just societies. We take for granted that human beings have inalienable rights and deserve respect, and that those accused of wrongdoing are entitled to due process. We forget that in the broad sweep of history, relatively just societies are the exception, not the rule. On this side of Christ’s return, there will be no perfectly just societies, yet some will be more just than others.”[1] Allen then goes on to list six hallmarks of relatively just societies:

1. Acknowledgment of a transcendent lawgiver

Without a divine lawgiver, cultures don’t abandon justice. They just make up their own standard. In the book of Habakkuk, God promises to send the Chaldeans to discipline His wayward people. And he says this about the Chaldeans: “They are dreaded and fearsome; their justice and dignity go forth from themselves” (Habakkuk 1:7). In other words, they are their own standard for justice. This is inevitably what happens when we divorce justice from the standard for justice. We make up our own standard.

For nearly 250 years, the United States has been a relatively just society. Not perfectly just by any stretch, but relatively just compared to many other nations in the world. One reason for this was our founders belief in a transcendent lawgiver. Consider this from the Declaration of Independence—We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

Sadly, for nearly two hundred years we did not apply these rights to men and women of African descent. But the fact remains that societies which acknowledge a transcendent lawgiver are relatively more just than those who do not.

2. Respect for the rule of law

Over the past 12 months we have seen an erosion of respect for the rule of law in our nation. Whether its unruly protests after the killing of George Floyd, the autonomous zones in Seattle, or the Capitol Hill protests on January 6, 2021, respect for law and order appears to be at an all-time low. Now of course, peacefully protesting or attending a rally isn’t necessarily wrong. Thankfully, most people at these protests and rallies aren’t intending to harm people. But some are, and it appears the frequency is increasing in our nation.

3. Human dignity and God-granted human rights A relatively just society will recognize the rights and dignity of all human beings, regardless of size, shade, sex, or status. Although America has been better than many nations for some, for centuries we denied the rights and dignity of African-Americans. For decades we’ve been denying the rights and dignity of the unborn.

4. A check on corruption If government is corrupt, people lose confidence in their ability to receive just and fair treatment. It’s no coincidence that calls to “drain the swamp” or “defund the police” increased around the same time as an increase in civil unrest and violent protests. Respect for the rule of law and a check on corruption go hand in hand.

5. Establishing due process Due process includes the right to a trial with unbiased judge or jury, presumption of innocence until guilt is proven, the right of the accused to know the charges against him/her, and the necessity of evidence and witnesses to convict. Each of these ideas are rooted in Scripture.

Sadly, once again, due process is on the decline in our society today. Correction: we want due process for ourselves, but not for people on the other side of the political aisle. Many on the political left assumed that Supreme Court justice Brett Kavanaugh was guilty of sexual assault until proven innocent. Facts didn’t matter. Evidence didn’t matter. Sufficient witnesses didn’t matter. He was guilty in the eyes of many as soon as the accusation was made.

Many on the political right assumed that President-Elect Joe Biden was guilty of election fraud until proven innocent. Facts didn’t matter. Evidence didn’t matter. The fact that President Trump’s lawsuits in dozens of courts (often with Trump-appointed judges) were thrown out didn’t matter. Biden was guilty in the eyes of many as soon as the accusation was made.

6. Entrusting final judgment to God

A relatively just society will not attempt to right every wrong on this side of Christ’s return. In fact, a society marked by wisdom and justice may occasionally leave historical wrongs uncorrected, knowing that seeking to right those wrongs decades or centuries after they occurred will likely create new injustices in the present.

I’m grateful that for nearly 250 years, the United States has been a relatively just society for many. Not all. Sadly, we denied justice to African-Americans for much of this nation’s history. Sadly, we’ve been denying justice to the unborn for decades. But despite these evils, there is still more justice here than in many countries the world over. Let’s pray that it will continue.

 

[1] Scott David Allen, Why Social Justice Is Not Biblical Justice: An Urgent Appeal to Fellow Christians in a Time of Social Crisis (Grand Rapids: Credo House Publishers, 2020), 40–41.