Six Controversial Topics Of Social Justice

Social Justice Final Paper

There were six major social justice topics covered during this semester: ethics of life, racism, gender inequality, economic justice, environmental justice, and war and peace. Ethics of life is a very heavy and controversial social justice topic prevalent in our world today. It encompasses all areas covering human life and dignity including abortion, euthanasia, suicide, and the death penalty. Everyone stands on a different end of the spectrum with these heavily debated topics whether they are pro-choice or pro-life. The Church, however, stands firmly on the idea that all human life is a sacred gift from God beginning from the moment of conception to natural death. Pope John Paul II described life as a seamless garment

Racism is an issue both prevalent in our world’s past and our world’s present. Racism is a form of prejudice and can be practiced in many different forms. The basis of it though is manifested in the idea the one race is superior to another. These people have a tendency to stereotype and marginalize whole segments of the population whose presence is perceived as a threat. But humans are not born with racial prejudice; it is developed as a result of what they glean from society and a lack of knowledge about other cultures and people. Another very common form of racism that may not seem so obvious is racial stereotyping. Although it is sometimes funny or clever, it is offensive in many ways as you are generalizing one race and saying everyone of that particular race is the same. The Church teaches that racism is strictly a sin and there is no going around that fact. The U.S. Bishops wrote in Brothers and Sisters To Us, “Racism is a sin; a sin that divides the human family, blots out the image of God among specific members of that family, and violates the fundamental human dignity of those called to be children of the same Father.” Inferiorizing another race in any way directly disobeyes Jesus’ Golden Rule: Treat others the way you want to be treated. The practice also violates the Catholic Social Teaching “Life and Dignity of the Human Person” as judging someone on race and not giving them equal opportunity because of their skin color is totally disregarding their inherent dignity. But it is our responsibility as members of the Catholic Church to continue their teaching of “promotion of peace” and a way to do that is by standing up against