Religion and Social Justice.

Last month I wrote a series of blogs dedicated to religion, a whole series of blogs dedicated to some basic, but yet fundamental, beliefs about religion and religious liberty. But, since this blog deals primarily with politics and current events I think I should get back to discussing that. But I feel a bridge is needed, stretching between the two concepts and leading back into the elections and the current threats we are facing from radical Islam and any number of other important political debates and points.

So in that vein is the discussion of Social Justice. It is a concept that, if you pay attention, you hear an awful lot lurking in the shadows. Its something that is effected and is influenced by religion, politics, and how we deal with everyone else around us.

But what is it? What is Social Justice? Well in basic language it is creating equality, it is doing things to promote equality in our society and in all of our social interactions. Monetary, economic status, equalizing the sexes or people of different orientations or almost any other aspect of our life. (Link)

In a nut shell that s it.

Sounds pretty good right? Shouldn’t we all be striving to create a more equal society, by any means necessary, where there is no or very little differences between us? Where no one is treated unfairly or has anything that could lead to conflict? Hmmmm

Well it depends.

But something caught my eye as I have been studying religion and trying to come up with new and unique ways of expressing information. A bit of the statement of the principles of Reform Judaism. (Link)

In it talks about how it is their belief that they should mandate the highest traditions of Judaism and the prophetic relationship with God by repairing the world. This includes the need for social justice:

We are obligated to pursue (tzedek), justice and righteousness, and to narrow the gap between the affluent and the poor,…

And while we should be concerned about the gap between the wealthy and the poor, the wealthy having all the power and the control while the poor have no options and no recourse, I do think that many people who complain about such things are missing the point. Especially those who would make it apart of their official statements that is the core of their very existence as an organization.

You see it is easier to destroy then to create. (Blog Link)

It is easier to take to take someone else’s money while trying to work to improve those below you. It usually doesn’t work out that way but that is the general intent. To take from the more affluent in some way to provide either that money or a service to the poor to try to be of benefit to them. Usually by Governmental action when you are talking about this kind of income distribution.

This almost never works as intended but it is easier.

But shouldn’t we be working to encourage everyone to improve their situations? Their lot in life? To work towards a goal and to better themselves? And not just in terms of money or the size of ones house either.

Because isn’t the pursuit of money solely for the pursuit of money something that is usually considered bad? Doesn’t it raise red flags? If the situations were reversed and we were talking about some unscrupulous businessman who was making money without a concern with the well being or dispensation of his employees, would you not react negatively? In fact these people are often vilified in pop culture and history books, and sometimes for very good reasons. See Scrooge, the robber barons, JP Morgan, and Mr. Potter from It’s a Wonderful Life.

How are you rising above the system and ignoring the greed and temptation and problems and evils of money if you are having someone steal it for you on your behalf?

Should we not be practicing the essence of charity? (Blog Link), (Link).

If you want true Social Justice and to forge a more just, more equal, and more righteous world it starts with you. Not the Government. We may never achieve these goals but we can move in that general direction.

You can make the world a better place by working to better yourself then working to better others through your deeds and your actions. Through your materialistic possessions.

This really is it. Religion and religious obligations begin with you and your family. With individuals striving to fix things. Not with Governments or large institutions.

You pursue the definition of Charity and a just world that you want to see, and I shall do the same.

Why Should we Restore Love?

Welcome to 2012, happy New Years and good salutations. I hope that 2011 was a good year for you and I hope that 2012 will be even better.

Now there is a tradition with this time of year that happens every year. The New Years resolution. Pacts that we make to ourselves in order to better ourselves, lose weight, get a job, learn how to do this or that and generally do something or achieve something you never have before. This is something that we are expected to do and most do it. So in the spirit of the occasion I have been wondering what to do about it, should I post my New Years resolutions? Should I completely ignore it? Should I just give some general thought on the New Year? Well I think that some form of New Years resolution is needed. But it would be…rather pointless…for me to go on about my wish and dreams. If I am to do anything with these blogs it is to provide principles and general life lessons for as many people as I can. In this case, a New Years resolution for our entire society. I think we should follow Glenn Becks example and restore love (link). So by the time 2013 dawns, lets restore love, or at least make our good one hundred and ten percent effort to do so.

Now why do we need to restore love? Don’t we love? Don’t we have spouses and children whom we love deeply?

Now I am sure that most of the people reading this now….especially the people who seem to read this blog often… does not need to restore love. I am sure you love people and especially those closest to you just fine. So I am quite literally preaching to the choir in this case.

But yet it is important to love, it is important to ask ourselves if we are loving people. Because Love is the opposite side of hate, they are the same coin, they are both powerful emotions, but love is still the opposite. One leads to darkness and the other one leads to light.

But more importantly love is an emotion of creation, of protection and preservation. As I said in a previous blog. You are not out to get anyone, you are not out to destroy someone or out to ruin them, they are not your enemy. You are just trying to preserve and defend what you hold dear. You are standing for something, you are standing up for something beyond yourself or you care about. Not because you are attacking people but defending someone or something. Not because you hate, but you want to prosper. You are not their enemies, you are not out to get them, but they are out to get you and destroy what you care for.

We need to restore love because too often people miss the fundamental difference. They do not know what love means, and they do not know what it means in regards to hate.

And we need to restore love because there is far too much hate. Oh the Jews are controlling the world and need to put down, oh the Muslims is a religion of war and hate and will behead you as much as look at you! Or that you have a dangerous idea that needs to be removed from the world. This is hate, this is hate of the group, and it needs to stop.

And not just love of ourselves and our children, but love of everyone. Or at least a caring because I think if you love everyone and spread yourself too thin is like loving no one as well, and just as dangerous. But no care for people, show them compassion.

Yes even our enemies.

After all do you not destroy your enemy by turning them into a friend?

You destroy your enemies by finding and sharing values, by learning to at least respect each other, and to teach them and hopefully have them teach you about life. By understanding.

You do not destroy them by killing them which only turns them into martyrs. You sometimes have to, sometimes you have to neutralize the threat and sometimes standing up for your values means you have to take a life. But that is not a way to destroy enemies, forever, you can only do that through an example of love and compassion, by providing the potential for a different way.

Believe me I know this is hard, maybe even impossible. That its sometimes hard to even love our spouses…or children or parents.

But hey we have to try because if we don’t give it an attempt we truly are dead as a people.