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Words on justice from the world’s major religions
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Created by Barbara Rosier and Windows Office Online.
Definition of Justice
Justice is the concept of moral rightness based on ethics, rationality, law, natural law, fairness, or equity. The concept of justice has been a part of civilized societies for a long time. Every major religion in the world has passages about justice in their spiritual books. A uniting theme threads its way through all quotes presented here for review (in alphabetical order) on paying the price for intentionally harming others.
| African Traditional Religions | ‘Ashes fly back in the face of him who throws them.’ Yoruba Proverb (Nigeria) ‘As you plan for somebody so God plans for you.’ gbo Proverb (Nigeria) |
| Buddhism | ‘As sweet as honey is an evil deed, so thinks the fool so long as it ripens not; but when it ripens, then he comes to grief. ‘Verily, an evil deed committed does not immediately bear fruit, just as milk does not curdle at once; but like a smoldering fire covered with ashes, it remains with the fool until the moment it ignites and burns him.’ Dhammapada 69, 71 |
| Christianity | ‘Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.’ Bible, Galatians 6.7 ‘All who take the sword will perish by the sword.’ Bible, Matthew 26.52 |
| induism | ‘Even if they attain to sovereignty, the wicked, engaged in cruel deeds, condemned by all men, do not enjoy it long, but fall like trees whose roots have been severed. O dweller in darkness, as in its proper season the tree puts forth its flowers, so in the course of time evil actions produce bitter fruit.’ Ramayana, Aranya Kanda 29 |
| Islam | ‘Upon that Day men shall issue in scatterings to see their works, And whoso has done an atom's weight of good shall see it, And whoso has done an atom's weight of evil shall see it.’ Qur'an 99.6-8 ‘Whatever affliction may visit you is for what your own hands have earned.’ Qur'an 42.30 |
| Judaism | For they sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind.’ Bible, Hosea 8.7 |
| Taoism | ‘Those who wrongfully kill men are only putting their weapons into the hands of others who will in turn kill them.’ Treatise on Response and Retribution 5 |
Conclusion
By now you probably figured out how these world religions are stitched together concerning justice: What you give out in action, thought, or word comes back to you in some way, if not this world, then the next. For victims who have lost a loved one to violence, there may be some measure of comfort to the promise of Supreme retribution if man-made laws are circumvented. Notice also, that nowhere in any of these passages does it give the victim permission to engage in vengeance and retaliate with violence. Rest assured, the Supreme Power will have the final word.
World Scripture, online, provided all quotations.
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