JUSTICE

The Establishment of Government


Romans 13
"Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment."

PUNITIVE JUSTICE

• "For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad"
• ". . .Do what is good, and you will receive his approval,
• for he is God's servant for your good.
• " But if you do wrong, be afraid,
• for he does not bear the sword in vain" (Romans 13)

DISTRIBUTIVE JUSTICE

• Guard the weak "from the abuse of power by the strong"
• Shelter "institutions necessary to human flourishing"
• Protect freedom
• Provide for those who cannot "meet their own basic human needs"
• (Chaplain, p. 2)

REACTIVE AND PROACTIVE JUSTICE

The government must not only react to injustice, but it must also establish conditions under which injustice is best prevented.

THE PSALM 72 KING

• David prays for a king who will:
• Judge in righteousness
• Defend the afflicted and rescue all from oppression snd violence
• Save the children of the needy
• Deliver those who cry out

SUBSTANTIVE JUSTICE

• There will never be full agreement regarding values
• Government must uphold those values that are agreed upon by all
• Until this is recognized, we cannot come to agreement as a nation

RAWLS

Justice as fairness aims to describe a just arrangement of the major political and social institutions of a liberal
society:

The political constitution
The legal system
The economy
The family

"The arrangement of these institutions is a society's basic structure. The basic structure is the location of justice because these institutions distribute the main benefits and burdens of social life."

- Who will receive social recognition
-Who will have which basic rights
-Who will have opportunities to find work
-What the distribution of income and wealth will be

What would Christ say about "justice"?

How do we apply Christian principles of justice?

IF JUSTICE WERE EMPIRICAL ...