Christianity & Justice (Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies B)

Christianity and the nature of justice

What is Justice?

• Justice means bringing fairness back to a situation. Fairness is bringing about what is right

• When justice occurs, people get what they deserve and the situation is fair

• When injustice occurs, people do not get what they deserve and the situation is unfair

  • Injustice refers to a lack of fairness or justice

  • For many religious and non-religious people, injustice occurs when human rights are violated

• In 1948 the United Nations (UN) drew up the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which set out the basic rights which all humans should be given. These included

  • All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights

  • Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person

  • No one should be subjected to torture, or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment

  • No one should be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile

  • Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion

• These rights belong to everyone, irrespective of race, gender, social class or place of birth because everyone is human

• A failure to protect any of these rights leads to injustice

• All Christian churches support the UN Declaration of Human Rights and the fight to remove injustice in the world

Religious Responses to Injustice

• Religion is meant to bring justice to the world and to fight injustice where it is seen

• Many wars are about, or include, the abuse of justice, so many religious people feel duty-bound to fight against them

• Many religions aim for peace and to remove injustice in the world

• Justice is very important because all people are equal in the eyes of God

• Many religious people believe they must act to create peace in the world and that this can be done directly or indirectly

Christian attitudes towards justice

Christian Teachings about Justice

• Christianity teaches that it is important to fight against injustice and restore peace where possible

• Christians hold this view because of the example of Jesus and guidance from the Bible

  • In the Old Testament Prophet Isaiah looked forward to a time of peace

  • The Bible says ‘Nation will not take sword upon nation’ (Isaiah 2:4) which means that countries should avoid conflict with each other

  • Jesus said, 'Blessed are the peacemakers’ (Matthew 5: 9) meaning that those who work to achieve peace are revered by God

  • Jesus said to. 'Love your enemies' (Matthew 5: 44) meaning that Christians should avoid hatred even to those who are their enemies

  • Jesus told his followers to 'turn the other cheek' (Matthew 5: 38-39) when faced with aggression, meaning that Christians should try to avoid conflict

  • Christians look forward to a time when God, the ultimate judge, will establish justice between nations and settle disputes

  • The Bible also tells us that God wants justice: ‘Let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream’ (Amos 5:24)

  • Christians believe that God will ultimately judge over his creation, and that His judgement ends in a decision about whether a person is worthy of his reward in heaven or punished in hell

• Sometimes Christians believe that violence is needed to stand up for injustice

  • In this instance, they believe certain rules should be followed when violence occurs

    • For example, most Christians believe that war is permitted under certain circumstances meaning the war is justified

Christianity: Justice and victims

Victims and Retribution

• Some Christians believe that the correct response to injustice is retribution

• This idea or principle is based on Leviticus, an Old Testament law book, which teaches, ‘an eye for an eye’

  • This was the principle of limited revenge, and states that the punishment should fit the crime and not be too extreme

• However, in Matthew 5: 38-39, Jesus says: 

• By this teaching, Jesus was not saying that justice did not matter, but that he was totally opposed to revenge

• The teaching of an eye for an eye was being used at the time as a way of getting revenge through hatred

• Jesus said this attitude was wrong, and must be replaced by forgiveness

Victims and Forgiveness

• Christians believe that God is a God of justice

  • He is the ultimate judge and everyone will be answerable to Him one day for their actions

  • Here on Earth however, He has delegated the right to judge crimes to the state

  • When the law sentences a criminal, it is exercising justice on God’s behalf

• Christians would extend forgiveness to a criminal who has wronged them, but they would also expect justice to be done to that person in the courts

• Some Christians may want to see prison helping the criminal to reform

  • Many Christians are concerned with the welfare of prisoners

  • They may campaign for prison reform, visit prisoners, or vote for a political party that reflects their views on justice equality

  • Jesus taught in the parable of the sheep and the goats (Matthew 25:36) that people who help those in prison will go to Heaven 

    • They believe this because Jesus identifies himself with the outcasts, including prisoners

    • Those who treat the outcasts well will have eternal life, which means they will go to Heaven

• An example of a Christian response to those who commit crime is the Paulist Prison Ministries

  • They work with prisoners and detainees, helping to rehabilitate them into society

Non-religious views of justice

• Non-religious views of justice focus on ethical principles for defining what is fair, right, and just in society without relying on religious doctrines or divine authority

• These ideas come from secular moral theories such as Utilitarianism and Humanism

  • Utilitarianism teaches that Justice is about promoting the greatest happiness or well-being for the greatest number of people

    • A just society maximises overall utility (pleasure, well-being, or happiness) and minimises suffering

    • Decisions about justice should focus on outcomes and consequences

    • Criticism of this moral outlook say that it may justify actions that harm minorities if the majority benefits, and it can be difficult to measure happiness or well-being precisely

  • Humanism is a philosophical and ethical stance that emphasises the value, dignity, and agency of human beings, individually and collectively

    • Humanism is grounded in the belief that human beings are capable of reason, ethics, and self-determination, rather than relying on supernatural or religious authority

    • A humanist view of justice is rooted in the principles of human dignity, fairness, and the well-being of all individuals

    • Humanism, approaches justice from a human-centred perspective, focusing on ensuring that individuals are treated with respect and fairness based on their inherent worth as human beings, rather than any religious or supernatural principles