DISTRIBUTIVE JUSTICE AND THE PRIMACY OF MAN

Ioannes atCommentarius de Prognosticis posted an article titled, "Stupak Was Never Going to Vote Against the Bill". I suggest you read it but more I suggest you read the comment section. An anonymous reader left a message criticizing Ioannes for his stand on "social justice" and the role of government. Ioannes' reply was, to say the least, passionate.

I thought that it might be interesting to review the criteria the Church uses in it's discussions about "Social Doctrine". In reading Church social teaching I am struck with the centrality of the individual. The real concern of the Church is protecting our humanity; not allowing it to be subsumed by the desire for political power or profit.

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

2423 The Church's social teaching proposes principles for reflection; it provides criteria for judgment; it gives guidelines for action:

Any system in which social relationships are determined entirely by economic factors is contrary to the nature of the human person and his acts.

2424 A theory that makes profit the exclusive norm and ultimate end of economic activity is morally unacceptable. The disordered desire for money cannot but produce perverse effects. It is one of the causes of the many conflicts which disturb the social order.

A system that "subordinates the basic rights of individuals and of groups to the collective organization of production" is contrary to human dignity. Every practice that reduces persons to nothing more than a means of profit enslaves man, leads to idolizing money, and contributes to the spread of atheism. "You cannot serve God and mammon."

2425 The Church has rejected the totalitarian and atheistic ideologies associated in modem times with "communism" or "socialism." She has likewise refused to accept, in the practice of "capitalism," individualism and the absolute primacy of the law of the marketplace over human labor. Regulating the economy solely by centralized planning perverts the basis of social bonds; regulating it solely by the law of the marketplace fails social justice, for "there are many human needs which cannot be satisfied by the market." Reasonable regulation of the marketplace and economic initiatives, in keeping with a just hierarchy of values and a view to the common good, is to be commended.

Take that into consideration when reading Paragraph 2236:

The exercise of authority is meant to give outward expression to a just hierarchy of values in order to facilitate the exercise of freedom and responsibility by all. Those in authority should practice distributive justice wisely, taking account of the needs and contribution of each, with a view to harmony and peace. They should take care that the regulations and measures they adopt are not a source of temptation by setting personal interest against that of the community.

Distributive justice, in the proper context does not mean an equality of outcome; rather an equality of opportunity. In other words, it is the duty of government to create a level playing field by not creating laws or systems of government that unjustly benefit one group or individual at the expense of others.

Isn't the system above, as laid out by the Church really close to the system designed by the Founders here in America?

Why does it seem then that in our churches, on the radio and television and in our newspapers, clergy and politicians have deliberately and purposely confused legitimate distributive justice with socialist re-distributive justice? Why are we constantly told that justice demands that property should be taken from those that have and re-distributed to those that don't?

Anonymous, in his reply to Ioannes, stated:

"Nowhere in Catholic Social Teaching does the Church claim that the only job of government is to protect our rights. Rather, the Church has always taught that the role of government is to promote the common good. The government that fails to take care of the poor (as well as the unborn) has failed to promote the common good, and as Catholics, we should mourn that failure and seek to rectify it."

While the Church may not teach that the only job of government is to protect our rights it certainly infers it is it's primary duty, for without recourse to our rights justice is not possible.

Should the government take care of the poor? At some point, yes. When all other avenues have been exhausted and someone who, through no fault of their own, is in a situation that requires life saving assistance.

However, from Paragraph 2239:

It is the duty of citizens to contribute along with the civil authorities to the good of society in a spirit of truth, justice, solidarity, and freedom. The love and service of one's country follow from the duty of gratitude and belong to the order of charity. Submission to legitimate authorities and service of the common good require citizens to fulfill their roles in the life of the political community.

This is where subsidiarity, that bedrock principle of Catholic social justice teaching comes into play. The modern day proponents of social justice, inside and outside the Church look to the federal government for relief; a top down solution. The problem is that this violates the law of subsidiarity. All problems need to be solved at the lowest possible level. If that isn't possible, you move up to the next level of authority.

"But if thy brother shall offend against thee, go, and rebuke him between thee and him alone. If he shall hear thee, thou shalt gain thy brother.

And if he will not hear thee, take with thee one or two more: that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may stand.

And if he will not hear them: tell the church. And if he will not hear the church, let him be to thee as the heathen and publican."
Matthew 18:15-17

What if the poor person violates paragraph 2239 and refuses to contribute to society?

"For also when we were with you, this we declared to you: that, if any man will not work, neither let him eat."
2 Thessalonians 3:10

The big government social justice model would pay the person that doesn't contribute along with the one that does. Is this just? Is this fair? Is this what St. Paul teaches? Can the Church teach anything that contradicts the Bible?

Central control of charity through distant and detached government is ineffective and corrupting. It functions through giant, soulless bureaucracy, not individuals sacrificing for the common good and their fellow man. It has no idea whether the person it "helps" is truly needy or has just decided not to contribute and live off the labor of others.

A just system based on subsidiarity would feed those who through no fault of their own are truly poor while excluding those that choose this condition. A just system, based on subsidiarity, is one that allows charity to flow from individuals through free will offerings. A just system, based on subsidiarity, is manageable, effective and cannot be perverted to unjustly favor one over another for anything less than just reasons. It is everything the Satanic, big government solution is not.

Those of us that fight the "social justice" movement in the Church do so because it is evil. Its acolytes twist and pervert Church teaching to serve their master. They do it for power, control and wealth.

But they would do well to remember this:

"No man can serve two masters. For either he will hate the one, and love the other: or he will sustain the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon."
Matthew 6:24

Society must revolve around the the good of the individual and the best way to do this is to have political systems based on subsidiarity. Large centrally controlled governments are destructive to man and violate true distributive justice. We need to return to the system of government envisioned by America's Founding Fathers; a system where most political activity took place in the local town hall and the biggest government most people ever dealt with was at the county level.

Governments must function at a human scale and serve to further the rights and freedoms that we have received as a gift from God. Anything more than that is evil and will destroy us.