In a recent column in the St. Anthony Messenger Magazine, a person wrote to seek an answer from a Franciscan about Glenn Beck's claim that social justice is Marxism. The person then asked what is social justice and how to stop it.
Here is part of the reply as printed in the St. Anthony Messenger Magazine in a section called, "Ask A Franciscan":
If you have described TV commentator Glenn Beck accurately, I can only answer that he is way off the mark. Social justice was a concern of Jesus' followers for 18 centuries before Karl Marx was born. It remains a vital part of living out the Good News.
Was Jesus preaching socialism when he told the parable about the Last Judgment (Matthew 25: 31-46) and identified those who will be saved as the ones who fed the hungry, gave drink to the thirsty, welcomed the stranger, clothed the naked or visited those who are sick or imprisoned?
The Good News of Jesus Christ challenges every person to compare what he or she considers normal to Christ's teachings. Yes, Christians can have blind spots—as evidenced by their acceptance of slavery in many places for centuries. But Christians were counted among those who took the lead in calling for the abolition of slavery. The same is true for exposing the physical, economic and political exploitation of children today....
If you'd like to read the entire response, just click on "Ask A Franciscan" for the article. Glenn Beck really doesn't know what he is talking about when he creates his own definition for "social justice" and other terms.
