Religion, Politics, and Social Justice

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Religion has always played an important role in peoples lives, but it has been acknowledged that organized religions are in decline now, which is specifically apparent in developed countries. Kotkin (2019) finds the major reason behind this shift towards more secular ways of life in peoples focus on their actions and behaviors with less trust in an almighty supernatural force. People tend to embrace ideology as their faith rather than religious teaching, so they have some guidance but have no trust in a god, focusing on their behaviors and outcomes. Organized religions want to change and implement rebranding to fit the new trend, concentrating on social justice in general rather than the individual spiritual aspirations of a person or a family. However, this attitude can become a certain obstacle to the struggle for social justice in general. The clash between politics and religion can make peoples attempts less effective.

Notably, the three major religions are based on the principles of social justice. However, this concept is hardly properly defined in any of the teachings (Accomazzo et al., 2014). On the contrary, the basic ideals cherished by worshipers are associated with quite well-understood individuals spiritual needs and family values. At that, organized religions pay less attention to this aspect in their attempts to become more environmentally conscious or in their struggle for equality. For instance, in Judaism, people are taught to be respectful and helpful, trying to ensure that the vulnerable (oppressed, ill, poor, and so on) can receive support (BibleProject, 2017). However, the more emphasis Orthodox Jews place on social justice, the more they rely on the groups that are hostile to Judaism or any other religion.

In the modern world, people are becoming more secular, looking for spiritual landmarks in political ideologies, which are supported by the media. Political ideologies are also characterized by the focus on social justice, but they are not as universal as major teachings, which makes them more understood. At the same time, political ideologies often segregate populations, making social justice an in-group commodity. Hence, the increasing influence of politics rather than religion can make people concentrate on some groups rights that can be secured at the expense of other groups.

References

Accomazzo, S., Moore, M., & Sirojudin, S. (2014). Social justice and religion. In M. J. Austin (Ed.), Social justice and social work (pp. 65-83). SAGE.

BibleProject. (2017). Justice[Video]. YouTube.

Kotkin, J. (2019). Why Social Justice Is Killing Synagogues and Churches. Tablet.

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