This thread is about what christian principles should guide a christian's attitude toward social issues, distribution of resources, economic institutinos, property, social wellbeing, poverty, class inequality and so on.
The old testament
Although not binding for christians, and although relative and for just one nation in a specific circumstance, we can still derive principles from the old law, the torah.
1. Jubilee laws: Leviticus 25, a redistribution every 7 and 50 years, debts are relieved, debt slaves are freed (whether or not they have worked of their debt), and land is redistributed. This shows that property was less important than social equality, and market contracts less important than social equality in the eyes of YHWH.
2. Gleaning laws: Deuteronomy 24, Leviticus 19, Land rights were not aboslute, you're land belonged to the poor as much as it belonged to yourself, you're reaping of the land was regulated so that the poor had rights to it as well.
3. Tything: Deuteronomy 24, the tything laws, went to the temple, they were not the tax from the king, they were specifically for the temple who distributed to the needy, meaning that social justice, providing for the poor was necessary, not left up to the whims of the wealthy.
You also have the COUNTLESS texts about the poor, and justice (Justice in Hebrew mishpat and tsedaqah, zedaqaht refers to obligatory charity, charity meaning not just giving, but you're attitude toward others, Misphat refers to an obligation to do whatever is necessary to increase the quality of a person’s welfare
Justice, this is according to Jewish theologans), so justice is not just under the law having due process, it's ECONOMIC justice, social justice, and given the context of the scriptures, justice toward the poor, loving the widow and orphan and alien resident, righteousness toward the poor and so on.
There are
2130 verses in the old testament about the poor, almost ALL of them are about God's concern for the poor and demanding that his people show concern for the poor, and that God demans Justice (obligatory charity) for the poor.
Psalms 72 is a prayer for the kings, or public institutions, and it's clear,
Vrs 4 May he defend the afflicted among the people and save the children of the needy; may he crush the oppressor.
vrs 12 For he will deliver the needy who cry out,the afflicted who have no one to help.
Clearly it is the public institutions role to care for the poor.
Isaiah 5 a song about the vinyard, the economy institutions. And he condemns those farmers who grew there estates putting smaller ones out of buisiness, i.e. Class exploitation
Isaiah 65: 21, 22, puts out a vision of a better economy.
They will build houses and dwell in them;
they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
No longer will they build houses and others live in them,
or plant and others eat.
For as the days of a tree,
so will be the days of my people;
my chosen ones will long enjoy
the work of their hands.
This is EXACTLY pointing out a better system, one free of economic exploitation.
Soddom and Ghomorah were destroyed for their treatment of the poor, Ezekiel 16:49
“‘Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy."
The guilt was the society, THAT was the reason YHWH destroyed those cities.
The prophetic tradition: Over and over again the prophets condemn the societies treatment of view of the poor, I can't list all the verses, there are literally thousands.
But here are some examples. Amos 4:1
"Hear this word, you cows of Bashan on Mount Samaria,
you women who oppress the poor and crush the needy
and say to your husbands, “Bring us some drinks!”
Isaiah 1:21-23
"See how the faithful city
has become a prostitute!
She once was full of justice;
righteousness used to dwell in her—
but now murderers!
22 Your silver has become dross,
your choice wine is diluted with water.
23 Your rulers are rebels,
partners with thieves;
they all love bribes
and chase after gifts.
They do not defend the cause of the fatherless;
the widow’s case does not come before them."
The whole city was implicated in their sins against the afflicted.
Isaiah 58:3
‘Why have we fasted,’ they say,
‘and you have not seen it?
Why have we humbled ourselves,
and you have not noticed?’
“Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please
and exploit all your workers.
Exploitation of workers here undoes the pius deeds.
Then 6, 7
“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe them,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?"
The exploitation has to end, and a community of sharing begin Notice, being free from oppression is contrasted with economic exploitation.
Then vrs 10
"and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday."
Piosness is onli accepted when you first work for social justice.
These were messsages to the whole nation, society as a whole.
I can go on to talk about Greed and so on. But I think my point is pretty damn clear. The Old Testament God is EXTREMELY concerned about social justice.
