The concept of justice occupies a special place in many religions, both world and regional ones. Faith that sets it as one of the main principles, virtues, and elements of philosophy is Christianity. A person of faith is not only supposed to seek justice but also is provided by the needed resources and is meant to be responsible for justice. However, the resources a person of faith has to contribute to justice are not the same as more common understandings of justice. A person who believes may seem limited in resources as seeking justice must be conducted through passion and love. Nevertheless, such a toolbox of virtues does not make people of faith helpless, as propounded methods may be considered effective or even the only right ones.
Justice is manifold and requires a contradictory combination of equality and an individual approach. According to Keller (2016), there are three main aspects of justice a Christian person should consider. It is crucial to have the same law and the same treatment to a foreign person and for a native-born, as equal treatment is one of the main aspects of justice, promoted in the Bible. It is also important to treat the poor and the rich equally. In addition, a person of faith should seek justice by establishing concern about those who are in need or ask for help.
Christianity views radical generosity as one of the principal means or methods of conducting justice as being generous is not only a possibility to seek justice but a responsibility and should be considered a must. In Isaiah 1:17 (King James Bible, 1769/2017) everyone is told to “learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, and please the widow’s cause.” Biblical justice starts with the eternal in mind. “Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute” (King James Bible, 1769/2017, Psalm 82:3). Justice is the foundation for building and maintaining society as well as one of the ways to save the soul of a person.
Human rights
Religion overall and the Bible particularly had a significant impact on the establishment and the interpretation of human rights. It can be said that human rights are an ideological continuation of Christianity, namely, such aspects of it as justice, equality, and God’s law or, to be more precise, The Ten Commandments. One of the most considerable contributions is the idea of equality. The principle of equality of rights is supported by the idea that every person is made in the image of God, which means worth and dignity are not acquired but given by birth (Dietrich, 2017). No matter what rights are represented in society, the main principle is that the law and any right must apply to any person exactly the same way it is applied to another.
A person’s right or a person’s freedom is commonly limited when it encroaches on the rights and freedoms of others. Such principle is reflected in of Ten Commandments already mentioned above, and seven deadly sins as most human rights are indirectly represented by the prohibition of actions, which may have a harmful impact on society or an individual. The most obvious example is one of the Commandments forbidding murder not to let a person infringe upon the right to life, which may be considered the fundamental right. Another example may be the deadly sins representing acts or omissions that in most cases affect other people, which is an indirect establishment of human rights.
The Impact of Language, Meaning and Dialogue
Even though it is commonly believed that justice should apply to all people equally, individuals or even groups of individuals interpreting justice in different ways is inevitable. Definition of justice and especially understanding of its aspects or principles is provided through the prism of ideologies, beliefs, moral and ethical standards. Various societies have opposing views on many of the mentioned aspects. Therefore, meaning may have a significant impact on the understanding of justice.
Language is a reflection of the cultural background of various nations, civilizations, or societies. Therefore, in different languages, similar concepts or words may have distinct emphasis. The word justice itself may have a slightly different meaning from one language to another. In some cases, it is positive and in others, it may even be harmful, as its direct translation may be associated with regret, anger and desire for revenge (How language reflects culture, 2019). Whereas language differences may lead to misunderstanding and misconception in justice interpretation, dialogue, on the contrary, may have the opposite impact. Despite cultural and moral, a dialogue might result in the arrival at a common reading of justice concepts. Such agreement is crucial to allow justice to serve its most important purpose of uniting people and bringing equality.
The ancient Romans and early Christians are prime examples of the influence of language and meaning on the concept of justice. The citizens of the Roman Empire believed in the Talion principle. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica (n.d.) notes that according to this principle, “criminals should receive as punishment precisely those injuries and damages they had inflicted upon their victims” (para. 1). In contrast, early Christians believed that divine justice occurs in the afterlife, where a person goes to either heaven or hell, depending on his actions and thoughts in worldly life.
Cities from a Biblical Perspective
Both Judaism and Christianity have developed as religious concepts in an urban and multicultural setting. Judaism’s perception of cities was influenced by the Neo-Sumerian Empire and Ancient Egypt, while Judea and the Roman Empire impacted Christianity’s one. Cities have a special meaning from a Biblical perspective, changing their appearance in the Old and the New Testaments. Cities represent a symbolic significance in the Bible, as they reflect cultural, structural, religious, and commercial characteristics of the people they are inhabited by. For example, Babylon represented materialism, consummate evil and sin, whereas Rome was a symbol of militarism, development and protection. In addition, cities often change their appearance and are depicted from different perspectives to symbolize ups and downs of morality and faith of the people.
In some cases, cities may even appear as gifts of God as they provide protection and food, represent socialization and an opportunity to demonstrate generosity or find redemption. Additionally, cities had religious value related to holy places, sacred acts or miracles (Falcone, 2016). For example, Jerusalem has served such purpose in the Bible, providing people with a temple, symbolizing shelter, where one can find justice. All in all, cities are used to summarize distinguishing features of communities to create a more explicit image of good and evil.
References
Dietrich, D. J. (2017). Theology, the turn to history, and human rights. Human Rights and the Catholic Tradition, 181–205. Web.
Falcone, J. P. (2016). The spiritual city: Theology, spirituality, and the urban. Practical Theology, 9(4), 365–366. Web.
How language reflects culture. (2019). Researchomatic. Web.
Keller, T. (2016). Generous justice: how God’s grace makes us just. Penguin Books.
King James Bible. (2017). King James Bible Online. Web.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (n.d.). Talion. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Web.