This GCSE RE Christianity takes a look at social justice. It could well be argued that social justice belongs right at the top of the Christian agenda. A Christian perspective on the (Old Testament) Prophets shows that their message was often along such lines as ‘When God’s chosen one [the Messiah] comes to reign, under His new order all present forms of inequality will be abolished’. And at one of the earliest stages of the Incarnation, when the angel tells Mary she is to be the Mother of God, her response ~ in the form of a canticle, known by its Latin title ‘Magnificat’ ~ makes significant reference to God raising the lowly while bringing the mighty low. Such notions set the tenor for Jesus’ ministry and teachings, and of course for His supreme self-sacrifice to bring back even the most wretched into potential communion with their Maker.
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Now that (as Teresa of Avila put it, in the 16th century) ‘Christ has no body now on earth but ours’, it is the calling of living Christian followers to do all they can to right wrongs and do away with avoidable ills, which leaves the challenge of plenty of scope. In some countries the Church, in its various forms, can work openly alongside the statutory authorities: providing relief for those on the margins of society, for instance, through activities, food-banks and help programmes. In places where Christianity is regarded with suspicion, hostility or repression, there would be other challenges again, and maintaining one’s own faith-observances and doing quiet deeds of Christian charity would be particularly difficult.
Indeed, freedom of religion is itself a basic human right for which Christians and others need to campaign ~ respectfully but firmly, as in all they set out to do.
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1.
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As the boxer Frank Bruno once observed, 'If [life] was easy, everybody would be doing it'.
Some people, wrongly, think that Christians live some kind of a charmed existence where ~ in return for surrendering their soul, and any urges that come with it ~ the onward path will be all sweetness and light. Far from it: Christians may be called upon to sacrifice and to suffer, but they believe in God's promise that He will always give them due strength (patience, etc). When they are aware and convinced that there is some cause to address in the name of their beliefs, they may indeed find they have to forfeit not only luxuries in modern life, nor even the basics, but possibly life itself.
Which of the following have NOT faced death as a direct consequence of their Christian faith, or actions clearly prompted by it? |
|
| [ ] |
St Stephen, by stoning (while the future St Paul looked-on and held the cloaks of the stoners) |
| [ ] |
21 Ethiopian (Coptic) Christians at the hands of 'ISIS' in Libya |
| [ ] |
Mother Teresa of Kolkata |
| [ ] |
Revd Dr Martin Luther King |
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2.
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The spirit of the Magnificat (mentioned in our introduction) has given rise to a whole new wave of theology during the late 20th century, principally in Latin America where there are many problems of overpopulation, oppression, exploitation and poverty, along with diseases all too easily spread in poor and insanitary conditions. The Catholic church, in particular, which is dominant in that subcontinent since its colonisation from the Iberian peninsula (i.e. Spain and Portugal) in the 16th century, is leading and urging great efforts to relieve poverty and restore dignity to people living in squalor in the favelas.
What is this movement called? |
|
| [ ] |
The Restoration movement |
| [ ] |
Liberation theology |
| [ ] |
Holy relief |
| [ ] |
Healing and holiness |
|
|
|
3.
|
Where Christians can see a social injustice, they should do all they can to help put it right. In everyday life this may mean giving money to suitable charities, or actively supporting those charities, or giving of their time and talents in other ways.
The following is a list of some leading reformers who devoted their lives and energies to improving the conditions of (actually, or potentially) oppressed minorities or other groups. ONE of these entries is significantly mistaken: which ONE? |
|
| [ ] |
Elizabeth Fry, the Norwich Quaker who campaigned for prison reform in Britain in the 1820s |
| [ ] |
Methodist founder John Wesley, who (besides phenomenally energetic preaching tours and hymn-writing) actively supported the campaign for the abolition of slavery |
| [ ] |
Revd Chad Varah, founder of the Samaritans in London shortly after World War 2 ~ to give the otherwise-desperate a lifesaving 'voice' over the telephone |
| [ ] |
Bishop Miguel Ximenes who founded, and coordinates, 'Christians Against Trafficking' (i.e. the forced exploitation of women, children and others in the 'sex industry' and elsewhere) |
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|
|
4.
|
It bears remembering that 100 years ago in Britain, social justice as we know it still had a long way to go, in that ~ for instance ~ the vote was still denied to all women. Though many such issues remain unresolved, and we may not necessarily claim that improvements in that situation can be ascribed to Christian action (though many of the activists were highly likely Christians of whatever sort), for as long as Britain remains nominally a 'Christian democracy' we may at least hope that such voices will be given a fair hearing, and progress made towards ever greater equality for all people.
In which decade did Britain bring its first Race Relations Act into law? |
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| [ ] |
1940s |
| [ ] |
1950s |
| [ ] |
1960s |
| [ ] |
1970s |
|
|
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5.
|
... And, considering matters of faith-practice and equality, which of these is WRONG as regards the opening of the priesthood to women? |
|
| [ ] |
The Church of Scotland ordained its first female ministers in 1969 |
| [ ] |
The first women priests within the Anglican Communion were ordained in Hong Kong in 1971 |
| [ ] |
By 2004, 1 in 5 Anglican priests was a woman |
| [ ] |
The first female Anglican bishop was consecrated in 2012 |
|
|
|
6.
|
While some branches of the Church as a whole are accepting women priests, others (notably the Roman Catholics) remain clearly opposed on principle. There are numerous possible arguments on either side: which of these is probably the weakest 'against'? |
|
| [ ] |
Though Jesus was strikingly inclusive of women in his wider team, by the standards of His earthly time, he only chose male disciples ~ and the apostolic succession was only ever assumed or intended to be exclusively male |
| [ ] |
St Paul's letters appear to recommend only male leadership in the early church |
| [ ] |
No women priests appear in either Testament of the Bible |
| [ ] |
Some believers have difficulty over the thought that the Sacrament (Eucharistic wine/blood) might be administered by a female priest who was ~ in traditional terms ~ 'ritually unclean' during her monthly period, with all the symbolic disturbance that might be considered to cause |
|
|
|
7.
|
The question of human rights has been debated for centuries (chiefly more recently, and well within the Christian era) ... but the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was only formulated and promulgated as lately, in such overall historical terms, as ~ when? |
|
| [ ] |
1919, along with the establishment of the League of Nations |
| [ ] |
1938, born of League of Nations concern at the twin rise of communism and fascism (and totalitarian control on each such political side) in the context of then-emerging technologies ~ broadcasting, the consequences of the internal combustion engine etc. |
| [ ] |
1948, when the United Nations was set up in the wake of the atrocities of World War 2 |
| [ ] |
1990: when communism across eastern Europe collapsed, and the 'continent which had been the cradle of Christianity' was reunited in relative freedom |
|
|
|
8.
|
Faced with the inequalities, 'changes and chances of this fleeting world' (as the Book of Common Prayer so neatly puts it), Christians can support any of a wide range of charities that aim to respond both to chronic and acute problems across our planet, such as hunger, disease and the displacements arising from war. Many of these organisations are explicitly Christian by original inspiration, and in how and why they work: which one of the following is NOT? |
|
| [ ] |
Oxfam |
| [ ] |
 |
| [ ] |
CAFOD |
| [ ] |
World Vision |
|
|
|
9.
|
Jesus Himself once said (as reported in chapter 25 of Matthew's Gospel) that come the Day of Judgement, the 'sheep' and the 'goats' will be separated, with the reward of eternal joy for those who had served Him by doing His work for the benefit of others. He gave three instances of acts of social lovingkindness, as listed below ~ He was fond of rhetorical triples ~ but as is our wont, we have smuggled in a false example. Which is this non-original one? |
|
| [ ] |
I was hungry and you fed me; thirsty, and you gave me something to drink |
| [ ] |
I was a stranger and you invited me in; naked, and you clothed me |
| [ ] |
I was sick and you visited me; in prison, and you came to me |
| [ ] |
I was poor and you settled my debt; abandoned, yet you comforted me |
|
|
|
10.
|
In a world some call 'post-Christian', and in which the economic agenda seems to be increasingly set by global corporations, despite such grand safeguards as the UDHR (see question 7 above), concerns remain about the overall conduct and morality of such vast, consequential yet increasingly 'faceless' entities. Various codes have been proposed to try and ensure the transnationals deal fairly by their workers, suppliers, customers and others implicated in their business chain (e.g. potentially exploited workers at the raw-material end, and those stifled by pollutant by-products of their extraction / production and transportation regimes). As ever, one of the following is ~ so far as we know ~ a well-intentioned fake : which one? |
|
| [ ] |
CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) |
| [ ] |
TBL (the Triple Bottom Line) |
| [ ] |
Corporate Philanthropy |
| [ ] |
CSV (Creating Shared Value) |
|
|
|
1.
|
As the boxer Frank Bruno once observed, 'If [life] was easy, everybody would be doing it'.
Some people, wrongly, think that Christians live some kind of a charmed existence where ~ in return for surrendering their soul, and any urges that come with it ~ the onward path will be all sweetness and light. Far from it: Christians may be called upon to sacrifice and to suffer, but they believe in God's promise that He will always give them due strength (patience, etc). When they are aware and convinced that there is some cause to address in the name of their beliefs, they may indeed find they have to forfeit not only luxuries in modern life, nor even the basics, but possibly life itself.
Which of the following have NOT faced death as a direct consequence of their Christian faith, or actions clearly prompted by it? |
|
| [ ] |
St Stephen, by stoning (while the future St Paul looked-on and held the cloaks of the stoners) |
| [ ] |
21 Ethiopian (Coptic) Christians at the hands of 'ISIS' in Libya |
| [x] |
Mother Teresa of Kolkata |
| [ ] |
Revd Dr Martin Luther King |
|
|
|
2.
|
The spirit of the Magnificat (mentioned in our introduction) has given rise to a whole new wave of theology during the late 20th century, principally in Latin America where there are many problems of overpopulation, oppression, exploitation and poverty, along with diseases all too easily spread in poor and insanitary conditions. The Catholic church, in particular, which is dominant in that subcontinent since its colonisation from the Iberian peninsula (i.e. Spain and Portugal) in the 16th century, is leading and urging great efforts to relieve poverty and restore dignity to people living in squalor in the favelas.
What is this movement called? |
|
| [ ] |
The Restoration movement |
| [x] |
Liberation theology |
| [ ] |
Holy relief |
| [ ] |
Healing and holiness |
|
|
|
3.
|
Where Christians can see a social injustice, they should do all they can to help put it right. In everyday life this may mean giving money to suitable charities, or actively supporting those charities, or giving of their time and talents in other ways.
The following is a list of some leading reformers who devoted their lives and energies to improving the conditions of (actually, or potentially) oppressed minorities or other groups. ONE of these entries is significantly mistaken: which ONE? |
|
| [ ] |
Elizabeth Fry, the Norwich Quaker who campaigned for prison reform in Britain in the 1820s |
| [ ] |
Methodist founder John Wesley, who (besides phenomenally energetic preaching tours and hymn-writing) actively supported the campaign for the abolition of slavery |
| [ ] |
Revd Chad Varah, founder of the Samaritans in London shortly after World War 2 ~ to give the otherwise-desperate a lifesaving 'voice' over the telephone |
| [x] |
Bishop Miguel Ximenes who founded, and coordinates, 'Christians Against Trafficking' (i.e. the forced exploitation of women, children and others in the 'sex industry' and elsewhere) |
|
|
|
4.
|
It bears remembering that 100 years ago in Britain, social justice as we know it still had a long way to go, in that ~ for instance ~ the vote was still denied to all women. Though many such issues remain unresolved, and we may not necessarily claim that improvements in that situation can be ascribed to Christian action (though many of the activists were highly likely Christians of whatever sort), for as long as Britain remains nominally a 'Christian democracy' we may at least hope that such voices will be given a fair hearing, and progress made towards ever greater equality for all people.
In which decade did Britain bring its first Race Relations Act into law? |
|
| [ ] |
1940s |
| [ ] |
1950s |
| [x] |
1960s |
| [ ] |
1970s |
|
|
|
5.
|
... And, considering matters of faith-practice and equality, which of these is WRONG as regards the opening of the priesthood to women? |
|
| [ ] |
The Church of Scotland ordained its first female ministers in 1969 |
| [ ] |
The first women priests within the Anglican Communion were ordained in Hong Kong in 1971 |
| [ ] |
By 2004, 1 in 5 Anglican priests was a woman |
| [x] |
The first female Anglican bishop was consecrated in 2012 |
|
|
|
6.
|
While some branches of the Church as a whole are accepting women priests, others (notably the Roman Catholics) remain clearly opposed on principle. There are numerous possible arguments on either side: which of these is probably the weakest 'against'? |
|
| [ ] |
Though Jesus was strikingly inclusive of women in his wider team, by the standards of His earthly time, he only chose male disciples ~ and the apostolic succession was only ever assumed or intended to be exclusively male |
| [ ] |
St Paul's letters appear to recommend only male leadership in the early church |
| [x] |
No women priests appear in either Testament of the Bible |
| [ ] |
Some believers have difficulty over the thought that the Sacrament (Eucharistic wine/blood) might be administered by a female priest who was ~ in traditional terms ~ 'ritually unclean' during her monthly period, with all the symbolic disturbance that might be considered to cause |
|
|
|
7.
|
The question of human rights has been debated for centuries (chiefly more recently, and well within the Christian era) ... but the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was only formulated and promulgated as lately, in such overall historical terms, as ~ when? |
|
| [ ] |
1919, along with the establishment of the League of Nations |
| [ ] |
1938, born of League of Nations concern at the twin rise of communism and fascism (and totalitarian control on each such political side) in the context of then-emerging technologies ~ broadcasting, the consequences of the internal combustion engine etc. |
| [x] |
1948, when the United Nations was set up in the wake of the atrocities of World War 2 |
| [ ] |
1990: when communism across eastern Europe collapsed, and the 'continent which had been the cradle of Christianity' was reunited in relative freedom |
|
|
|
8.
|
Faced with the inequalities, 'changes and chances of this fleeting world' (as the Book of Common Prayer so neatly puts it), Christians can support any of a wide range of charities that aim to respond both to chronic and acute problems across our planet, such as hunger, disease and the displacements arising from war. Many of these organisations are explicitly Christian by original inspiration, and in how and why they work: which one of the following is NOT? |
|
| [x] |
Oxfam |
| [ ] |
|
| [ ] |
CAFOD |
| [ ] |
World Vision |
|
|
|
9.
|
Jesus Himself once said (as reported in chapter 25 of Matthew's Gospel) that come the Day of Judgement, the 'sheep' and the 'goats' will be separated, with the reward of eternal joy for those who had served Him by doing His work for the benefit of others. He gave three instances of acts of social lovingkindness, as listed below ~ He was fond of rhetorical triples ~ but as is our wont, we have smuggled in a false example. Which is this non-original one? |
|
| [ ] |
I was hungry and you fed me; thirsty, and you gave me something to drink |
| [ ] |
I was a stranger and you invited me in; naked, and you clothed me |
| [ ] |
I was sick and you visited me; in prison, and you came to me |
| [x] |
I was poor and you settled my debt; abandoned, yet you comforted me |
|
|
|
10.
|
In a world some call 'post-Christian', and in which the economic agenda seems to be increasingly set by global corporations, despite such grand safeguards as the UDHR (see question 7 above), concerns remain about the overall conduct and morality of such vast, consequential yet increasingly 'faceless' entities. Various codes have been proposed to try and ensure the transnationals deal fairly by their workers, suppliers, customers and others implicated in their business chain (e.g. potentially exploited workers at the raw-material end, and those stifled by pollutant by-products of their extraction / production and transportation regimes). As ever, one of the following is ~ so far as we know ~ a well-intentioned fake : which one? |
|
| [ ] |
CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) |
| [ ] |
TBL (the Triple Bottom Line) |
| [x] |
Corporate Philanthropy |
| [ ] |
CSV (Creating Shared Value) |
|
|
