Seminary head not on board with 'social justice' document

A prominent Southern Baptist leader won't be joining thousands of other Christian pastors, churches, and leaders in signing the John MacArthur statement on "Social Justice and the Gospel" – and he explains why.

Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr. is president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. He seems to take a middle ground between John MacArthur and the Marxist-inspired "social justice movement" that the left is forcing on American culture. For example, so-called "social justice warriors" believe the "privileged" owe the "oppressed" apologies and some kind of compensation.

The MacArthur statement denies that biblical justice can be culturally defined or brought to bear on an entire group, and argues that each individual is responsible for his own sin. But Mohler contends that "social justice" has a pedigree within Christian conversation long before the Marxist appropriation of the term.

"A part of what it means to be made in God's image is that we are accountable to divine justice and to seeking, through human flourishing, to see God's justice reflected in a fallen world," he says.

Mohler also takes issue with the document's stance on race and racism. The MacArthur statement rejects any teaching that encourages racial groups to view themselves as privileged oppressors or entitled victims of oppression.

"The statement itself talks about 'entitled victims,'" Mohler notes. "Well, I understand that –  there's certainly a wrong kind of entitlement that comes with a victim mentality. But I think any biblical worldview would mandate that we understand that there are real victims."

And, he says, groups of people continue to be treated differently in America. Mohler says the gospel requires the Church to correct its own behavior and speak a godly grace and unity into the culture.