J is for Just

Just as in Justice.

According to Merriam-Webster:   "having a basis in or conforming to fact or reason :  reasonable <a just but not a generous decision> b archaic :  faithful to an original; c :  conforming to a standard of correctness :  proper a (1) :  acting or being in conformity with what is morally upright or good :  righteous <a just war> (2) :  being what is merited :  deserved <a just punishment> 

b :  legally correct :  lawful <just title to an estate>"

Synonyms are fair and rightful
The opposite of Just is unjust and unfair.

Fairness seems to be key in justice. But fairness itself is often misunderstood.



Fairness has a basis for comparison. As does justice.
For example. Some people confuse sameness with fairness. They say, for things to be fair, things have to be same all around. But anyone with enough sense knows this is nonsense.

For example:
My friend has a peanut allergy. I don't like peanut butter much, especially with chocolate. The combination is not one I like at all. But I have family and friends who love Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. So whenever the bags of candy get passed around, is it fair that everyone must have Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, without regard to situation or choice? I know plenty of people who get offended every time I turn them down because the stuff grosses me out. And what about my friend with the allergy. It could kill her. Fair does not mean everyone gets the same thing.

Another example, a more obvious one:

You are at a barbecue. Hamburgers and pork hotdogs are being served along with your favorite beer. Your pal has offered to make bacon burgers, which you think is really, really cool and has made you excited. However, you have invited a vegan family, a Jewish family, and a Mormon family to participate and told them not to bring anything. If fair means everyone gets the same thing, who at this party will be happy?  Just you and your friend.

Third example.

A mother, an infant, a teen, and a father are having dinner. The mother is not very hungry. The infant does not have many teeth, and the teen is ravenous, and the father is tired and hungry. What will be served for dinner? The same thing at the same portions? Or different things depending on need, desire, and ability?

Fair means everyone gets what they need. It is not about wants, or about demands. It is about not burdening someone with something unnecessary.

So how does this relate to the virtue of being Just?

When you are just, you deliver to others not only what they need, but what they agreed upon. Being just is more about being correct than generous. It is more about following the rules.
Justice and being just requires a set of agreed upon rules, whether they are rules to a game, terms of a contract, or the laws of the land. A standard.

So it can be fair to give other people different things according to needs and private convictions. It is just to allow people to act according to their conscience, as long as it does not violate the terms of the rules you have agreed to live by. So when people complain about things being unfair or unjust, they need to establish the standard first. Because not everyone needs the same thing. And for that matter, not everyone deserves the same thing. Like with contracts, there are also agreed upon actions. A fair and just employer pays the employee for proper work done. A fair and just employer can also fire an employee who does not do the work according to contract. A fair and just employer also pays hard working employees a wage according to real needs, rather than being greedy about money.

How is being Just a Godly trait?

This one is obvious. Good people who strive towards goodness will receive just reward in the end. As will those who pursue evil will reap the results of their choices. This is justice.

J is for Just.