Accesoriedad administrativa en el delito de atentado contra bosques o formaciones

How do we order our economy so that all persons have the economic resources necessary to participate fully in society? In order to "do justice" we must have a framework by which to judge what is just and right action. This chapter helps define our economic responsibilities in God's household more clearly, by addressing the question "What does economic justice require?"

Good intentions alone are rarely enough to assure good actions. Individually and corporately, we have all committed blunders when we meant to do well. For instance, several years ago my local church decided to sponsor a refugee family from southeast Asia, helping them find housing and employment. One of our church volunteers went with the husband to verify their immigration status at the local Immigration and Naturalization Service

office. Because his english was limited, she tried to help with the conversation. She and the INS official began to converse about his problems, too fast for him to understand, until he gently pushed her aside and explained "I talk for me." It was a situation where doing something for the man was not the help he needed; he needed someone to help him learn how to handle the situation by himself.

In order to avoid letting our good intentions lead us toward inappropriate action, it can be useful to develop standards by which to judge action. The group that worked together on the United Church of Christ Pronouncement developed ten such

standards, which they called the "Marks of a Just Economy." These standards are designed to give definition to the biblical and theological call to be actively concerned with economic

justice. They are grounded in some of the broad biblical themes noted in chapter 2, and also reflect the concerns in chapter 3 which emerge from our modern economic history. Thus, they serve as a bridge between biblical teaching and modern times.

While these standards are stated as the requirements by which a larger economy can be judged just or unjust, they may operate just as well in guiding the behavior of an individual, a church, or a community. In our life together--our own behavior, as well as the behavior of the institutions that we create and in which we participate--our efforts can be held accountable to the

following standards of economic justice. Marks of a Just Economy

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1. A just economy celebrates and serves the fundamental covenant purpose of human life, which is to love God and neighbor.

By calling ourselves Christian we evoke our faithfulness to the covenant symbolized in Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. This covenant calls all humanity into community together, affirms our mutual responsibilities to each other, and commits us to

faithfulness to God. Our economic life must recognize this common humanity, providing opportunities to serve God and to

serve other human beings. An economy violates this standard when it encourages its members to worship and to serve idols, such as material accumulation, military power, or the personality cults of leaders.

2. A just economy gives all persons access to the basic material necessities of life.

Our common human responsibilities are violated when some members of the human community are excluded from the abundance of

creation and do not have access to the resources necessary for life. Both in public and with his disciples, Jesus shares bread as the fundamental symbol and affirmation of God's concern for the well-being of each person. In turn, we are instructed to share bread with our brothers and sisters everywhere. Injustice occurs whenever there is starvation, homelessness, or poverty. 3. A just economy builds and enhances human communities of dignity and well-being.

The emphasis of our faith is on community. Even the worship of God is defined as a community activity. ("Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them [Matthew 18:20].") To be a whole individual one cannot be isolated, but must be part of a larger community. This is also true of our economic life. We cannot live independently, but depend on the talents and work of all those around us, so that all of our needs might be met. A just economy strengthens human community, emphasizing the

interconnectedness of needs and responsibilities that exist between people. An economy violates this standard when it encourages individuals to place their own personal advancement over all other goals.

4. A just economy is inclusive, involving all able people in responsible, participatory, and economically rewarding activity. Our covenant with God is one of mutual responsibilities: God promises God's ongoing presence and mercy, while individuals

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Similarly, the covenant between individuals in an economy is also one of mutual responsibilities. All individuals are invited into full participation in the life of the community. This means first that all able persons are expected to engage in productive work that benefits the larger economy. Second, it means that all members of a community are enabled and expected to participate in shared decision-making. In return, the larger community has a responsibility to assure that each individual has access to job opportunities that pay a fair return for labor. Economic

injustice occurs when productive members of an economy seek work but cannot find it, or when persons work at steady full-time jobs but earn too little to purchase adequate food and housing.

5. A just economy encourages creativity, skill, and diligence. A just economy does not expect that all persons are identical. Rather it recognizes the multiplicity of talents across human beings, and encourages each individual to pursue his or her own skills and creative abilities. Economic institutions that

encourage personal choice, reward persistence, and stimulate creativity allow each person a chance to contribute most

effectively to the economy. This enhances the personal worth and dignity of individuals and expands the productivity of society. Injustice occurs when children grow up with no sense of

opportunity or choice about their future, or when employees are treated as machines rather than human beings.

6. A just economy assures equality of opportunity. When every person is recognized as a full member of the

household, then the community has the responsibility to provide each individual with a full set of opportunities. Race, sex, age, sexual orientation, or ethnic background, should not

determine access to education, jobs, health care, or political participation. Injustice occurs when economic opportunity is limited by group stereotypes.

7. A just economy reflects God's passion for the poor and

disadvantaged, enhancing the life opportunities of the poor, the weak, and groups at the margin of society.

God's particular concern for the poor creates a responsibility within our human communities to given priority to those who are most in need. It is valid to ask of each economic decision, "How will this affect the poor among us?" Giving precedence to the needs of the poor does not mean just "doing for" the poor. It also means enabling them to speak for themselves, opening up decision-making forums to those who have been voiceless. This standard is violated when decision-makers select economic

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policies that impose greater costs on the poor than on middle or upper-income groups.

8. A just economy recognizes the integrity, fullness, and sacredness of creation.

Faithfulness to God demands faithfulness to God's creation. In order to meet the basic economic needs of all persons, we must rely upon the abundance and bounty of the world in which we live. If we mistreat the environment, we mistreat God's creation and will ultimately destroy ourselves. The economic production that supports human life is only one part of a larger created order. Economic decisions should not treat nature as subservient to human needs, but should respect the interconnected web of life within the creation. This standard is violated when economic decisions are made without regard to their environmental costs. 9. A just economy acknowledges the dignity of human beings as made known in Jesus Christ, and guarantees the basic human rights necessary to maintain the sacredness of individuals.

Human life is sacred to Christians. We are instructed to not kill, to refrain from harming our brothers and sisters, and to practice forgiveness. On the one hand, this means providing the economic resources necessary for life. Access to food and water are basic human rights. On the other hand, food alone is not all that is necessary for a person to be truly human. Political

oppression also destroys human dignity. The government and legal structure of a community should assure that everyone can openly participate in its decisions. An economy is unjust when it supports a political regime that violates the rights of individuals to voice their opinion, to be free of unjust imprisonment, or to worship God in their own way.

10. A just economy requires and promotes international peace and well-being.

Peace and justice are inextricably linked. The absence of war does not mean peace, if people are oppressed. Similarly, justice cannot exist in the midst of war, particularly modern war where civilians and combatants alike are always under the threat of bombs. A commitment to a just peace means seeking peaceful ways to enact justice, and just structures to enforce peace. An

economy that expends its resources on war or on armaments

deprives others of life, and deprives its own people of resources for food and health and education. While there are times when some groups will feel impelled toward violent action, a just

economy will encourage the use of nonviolent methods to deal with the inevitable conflicts and disagreements that arise between

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peoples. Injustice occurs when a nation seeks war as a solution to problems that may be settled by negotiation or sanctions or third-party mediation.

What Do These Marks Mean?

It is never easy to translate general principles into specific criteria for action. Almost inevitably, the results will

necessarily reflect the particular concerns of the translators. For instance, these particular standards for justice were written by a group of American citizens and were heavily shaped by the democratic political heritage they share. Some readers may disagree with one or more of these particular standards. Some may wish to add others to the list. There is no such thing as a complete or perfect list of standards by which to define justice.

But these ten standards provide a starting point by which we can evaluate and judge the economy in which we live, as well as any proposals for change. We can explicitly ask, "In what ways does our economy meet some of these criteria and where does it fail?" It is important to note that these ten marks of a just economy provide a purposefully utopian vision of justice. No humanly- created economy will ever be fully inclusive and just to all people. This does not mean that such standards are useless or irrelevant. These ten standards of justice play a role similar to that of Isaiah's prophecies of peace and plenty: They provide a sense of the direction in which we want to move, and a promise of what can be gained by going in that direction. This is a familiar situation for Christians: We live continuously in expectation of a new and better world, even as we seek to live faithfully in this present and imperfect world.

Summary This chapter builds on the past two chapters to present a set of ten "marks of a just economy." These standards describe an

inclusive economy that provides the resources necessary for full and productive life to all individuals, strengthening their ties to each other, and promoting a peaceful and productive society. These ten standards provide a set of criteria against which we can judge our current economic communities, and present the vision and promise of what it is we seek.

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Chapter 5

GROUP DISCUSSION AND ACTIVITIES

Suggested group exercise:

Divide into five or ten small groups. Assign each group one or two of the "marks of a just economy." Ask them to discuss the meaning of these standards and provide several examples from the economies with which they are familiar (their families, their workplace, the local community, the nation) where this aspect of justice is present and several examples where this aspect of justice is denied. Come back together and share and discuss these examples in the larger group.

Starting discussion questions:

l. Are there criteria for economic justice that you believe are missing from this list? Are there criteria here that you

disagree with?

2. Indicate other attempts in our religious heritage to develop guidelines that translate theological principles into criteria for action. (Example: The Ten Commandments might be considered the "marks of just Christian living" from the Old Testament.) Are there similar attempts in our political heritage to translate political principles into guidelines for action?

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PART II