I have never understood why some people would comment that Christianity protects the rich. Christians embrace the Old Testament which presents God as protector of the oppressed, punishing people for oppressive practices against the poor- taking away their land, not paying their wages, adding more and more land, etc. Mary's Magnificat follows this trajectoy by proclaiming that God is a reverser of fortunes- "He has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty". The New Testament apostle James rails against favoritism towards the rich, that attitude being tantamount to faith without works, which does not bring peace with God.

     Then I realize that Christianity does proclaim reconciliation and not revolution. Jesus was not primarily concerned with reshaping society but with reshaping hearts, moving hearts towards humility which leads to repentance and faith. The apostle Paul encourages servants to be obedient to their masters as unto the Lord, and commands masters to be considerate to their servants. The goal of the Christian gospel is to bring justice, not through the sword (violence through individuals or through the state), but through instilling humility. This same humility is shown in God, in the person of Jesus, coming down to earth to serve, ultimately giving his life for others. The Christian community is to be characterized by service towards each other. Christians find peace with God not by changing their behaviors but by first giving their lives to Jesus, who through his spirit moves them towards Christlike humility. In a world of judgmentalism and selfishness, this is a new perspective on life.

    Chrisitianity does not do violence to the status quo of society. It does call the faithful individual though to conform his life in the direction of Christlike humility. The motivation of the faithful is love for Christ, who has given himself, and not the punishment of hell. Therefore, it could be accused of being for the status quo. It is not an ideology that seeks to overthrow the world system externally. That is why ardent theonomists (those who believe that the world would ultimately be Christianized and "Christian law" would rule the land) would not take up arms as a whole. God's ultimate goal is not that humanity will behave "better" but that humanity would find peace with him. "Better" behavior does not translate to true righteousness. The primary mission of the church could not be the betterment of society. Some Christians do things for the betterment of society and that is a human duty since God calls his people to seek the peace and prosperity of the city (place) where God has placed them. However, the mission of the church and the duty of the individual should always be distinct. Blurring the two results in a diluted gospel, that is not faithful to Jesus' call for all people to come to him in repentance and faith, or that neglects the human duty to promote justice and mercy which is still the burden of the faithful.

      Christianity is not like some ideologies (Islam, Communism, western liberalism) which seek to change society (for the better in their perspective) whether by force of arms or legislation. It does not have an external social agenda. Christianity moves the heart of individuals, and does not advocate the violent overthrow of a system (society's values and methods).