The Need for True Justice: A Short Essay on Injustice in the American Criminal Justice System

Justice is an important concept to understand for all persons in all places. Legal systems are theoretically built on that which is believed to be just by their respective governments. Within the geo-political borders of states that uphold the belief that all people deserve civil rights and liberties, a right understanding of justice must be obtained to succeed at establishing whatever those civil rights and liberties are believed to be.

For the Christian, justice is particularly important given the following biblically-based, logical equations:

1. If (a) all people are made in the image of God and (b) God is just, then (c) all people reflect the image of God’s justice. 
2.  If (d) all people inherit original sin and (c), then (e) we all do so imperfectly.
3.  If (a) + (b) = (c), then we should also (f) seek to establish God’s justice for all people because being (c) means (g) all people have God-given dignity as image bearers.

Religion and Politics: Non-Profit Ministry in the Public Square

Disclaimer: This is a much longer post than what is typical and resulted in a larger time gap between posts.

For those who know me well, you know my interests are pulled in a thousand directions. I am deeply committed to my Christian faith, I have worked in government and politics (despite my paradoxical disdain for politics), I am an academic (despite my lack of trust in academic work), and I am a musician. However, God in his coolness and sovereignty, has provided me with the perfect job to fit almost all of my interests as CEO of Transforming Jail Ministries.

In this post, I really want to focus on this intersection of government and religion. It is an important relationship to understand and equally important in order that churches are prepared for future changes. After all, like the Apostle Paul, we are citizens of two kingdoms: the geo-political state we belong to and the Kingdom of God.