(Re-posted here in the main blog after a response to a comment)
You cannot separate justice and morality. The two are inseparable. Justice involves giving to and requiring from everyone that which is appropriate. Rights are uniform predispositions of justice. Being unjust is a sort of immorality. Moral principles, rules, and rights statements explain and define specific relationships - often stating what is owed or appropriate, either in positive or negative form.
You should not steal because that is taking what belongs to another. Stealing is violating your neighbor's right to property. Stealing is an act of injustice. Justice requires the thief to restore what has been taken, plus an appropriate penalty as retribution, example, and deterrent for the harm done to the order and harmony of relationships between humans and between God and humans.
Humans are obligated to be moral and just and respect the rights of others because they were created by God in His image, belong to God, and flourish in the order designed by God. Without God and His order humans are just bundles of chemicals. Why would they be entitled to dignity or privilege if that were all they were?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Humans, if they were "simply chemicals" as you say, would be entitled to equal dignity because all humans are by nature equal. Yes, injustice is immoral because it is a violation of human dignity. Slavery is, and always was immoral, despite the fact that the Bible clearly allows for slavery in both the Torah and in the writings of St. Paul.
However, it is also unjust, and therefore immoral to deny someone his or her human rights simply because that person is a homosexual. This is true despite the fact that some religious faiths see homosexuality as immoral. (My faith does not. We not only perform gay unions believing them to be just and right, we also ordain ministers regardless of sexual orientation. We believe that God's justice demands this of us.)
Dear Mr. McConnell,
I really love your enlightning postings. I've found a Latin Dictionary which I'd like to share with you and your readers.
Hope you like it.
Richard
Post a Comment