Christianity and Justice
- Christians believe that God is just and will reward good and punish evil in this life or the world to come.
- Christians believe that they should work for justice and fairness. This means working for human rights, a fair sharing of the world’s resources and other issues.
- Christian Churches were the group that started off the Jubilee 2000 campaign. This campaign was to persuade governments to cancel the debts of countries that were being kept in poverty because they had to pay so much interest on their loans to rich countries.
Christians believe in justice because:
• The Bible says that God is a God of justice.
• The Bible says that people should be treated fairly and not cheated.
• Jesus encouraged the rich to share with the poor.
• The Churches have made many statements about issues of justice.
Examples of Christians working for justice:
Christian Aid
Christian Aid works in areas of poverty around the world – it campaigns against injustice. It seeks to change the policies of governments in rich countries by campaigning to end unjust debts imposed on poorer nations.
CAFOD (Catholic Fund for Overseas Development)
Campaigns for justice for the poor of the world – against landmines, debt owed by the Third World and for wealthier nations to take a more active role in helping the poor and oppressed.