Wolterstorff on Justice

All men are created equal.  They are endowed with certain inalienable rights such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  But are they?  Are they equal?  What rights belong to each person of humankind just because they belong to the race of humanity?  And on what basis do we humans deserve such rights?  Because we are rational beings?  Because we belong to a species capable of rational agency?  But what about those among us who are less than so?  Where do their rights fit into the picture?

A few days ago I wrote a short paragraph about a very thoughtful book on grief written by Dr. Nicholas Wolterstorff.  Last night I saw him in person and heard him speak at Northwestern University as part of the Veritas Forum.   This was fun on a lot of levels.  The last time I attended a Veritas Forum was in Cambridge, MA in 1998 when I was living in Boston for the year.  The Veritas Forums are "university events that engage students and faculty in discussions about life's hardest questions and the relevance of Jesus Christ to all of life."  What does this look like?  Last night it looked like a PhD Candidate in Theater moderating a discussion between Wolterstorff and other Northwestern professors from disciplines such as  Ethics and Literature to an auditorium packed with hundreds of students.

And here was the interesting part.  Wolterstorff, Professor of Philosophical Theology at Yale, argues that at the end of the day our rights are ours because they have been bestowed upon us.  We are in a 'worth bestowing relationship.' God has bestowed honor upon us because of Him and not because of our innate capacity.  He has given us a nature with potential for friendship with God.  Want to read more?  Check out his book Justice and upcoming book Justice in Love.

And don't tell anyone if you see me dressing up in college sweatshirts and sneaking into classes next fall.   Wonder if my minivan will give me away...