From Rev. Jim Wallis' March 27 Washington Post op-ed:
Glenn Beck has picked a fight with me, but he recently started a more troubling battle with the nation's churches with his criticism that “social justice” is “code” for “communism” and “Nazism,” and that Christians should leave their churches if they preach, practice or even have the phrase on their Web site.
While Beck initially claimed that “social justice is a perversion of the Gospel,” he now suggests his concern was really the association of the phrase with “Big Government.” He even adds that when “social justice” refers simply to individual charity, it is permissible to him. But for millions of people, this is not a joking matter. Christians across the theological and political spectrum believe that social justice is central to the teachings of Jesus and at the heart of biblical faith. Because Christians couldn't “turn in” their pastors to “church authorities” as Beck suggested (the pope would turn himself into . . . himself), many have started turning themselves in to Beck as “social justice Christians” -- 50,000 at last count.
Journalists, cable and radio talk shows, and even Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert have reported on or spoofed Beck's attempt to discredit this concept. What might be lost in all this are the facts that a commitment to social justice unites Christian churches of different doctrinal and political beliefs. Even leaders in Beck's own church and scholars of Mormonism have made it clear that they believe social justice is integral to their faith and that they want it known he doesn't speak for the church.
Read the whole thing.
Previously: