Religion and Life Coursework Sheena Raj
All around the world, there are many developed countries like Britain, Japan and the USA, developing countries such as Brazil and Malaysia and less developed countries like Bangladesh and Mali where there are many malnourished children who starve to death. Life would become a lot easier if the more developed countries gave help to the less developed countries with new markets for their goods and they also need products such as tea, coffee and cotton from the lower developed countries at a reasonably fair price.
Countries are often less developed due to many factors. Most LEDC'S are in areas where there are regular natural disasters, such as earthquakes and floods and it is hard to regain the country after one has occurred. War can also be another disruption, or by any other way the country becomes split up when colonized by Europeans around one hundred years ago. Sometimes a neighboring country can often move from developing to less developed countries when war refugees arrive needing shelter and food. Less developed countries also find that they are in debt to the more developed countries which means that they have to pay back all the money with interest. This money could be used for development on the country but instead is going to the more developed countries. In many countries, problems arise due to health, too many children and a lack of education. If more doctors were sent from more developed countries and more teachers and building funds, then the countries would have a better chance for the future. While Aids is clearly a health problem, the world has also come to realize that it is also a development problem that threatens human welfare, social economic advances, productivity, social cohesion and even national security. Aids reaches into every corner of society affecting parents, children and youth, teachers and health workers, the rich and poor.
The main problem is the fact that the more developed countries do nothing to help the other countries who are desperately in need of development. They do not realize the pain and suffering it is causing the countries as they have not been through it themselves. Even though they may have everything they need and want nearby but they have to realize that for other countries, they can barely find pure drinking water.
One religious agency working for world development is Christian Aid, who devote a lot of their time trying to help the countries in need. ...
This is a preview of the whole essay
The main problem is the fact that the more developed countries do nothing to help the other countries who are desperately in need of development. They do not realize the pain and suffering it is causing the countries as they have not been through it themselves. Even though they may have everything they need and want nearby but they have to realize that for other countries, they can barely find pure drinking water.
One religious agency working for world development is Christian Aid, who devote a lot of their time trying to help the countries in need. They spend 2% of their money on administration, 11% on fundraising and campaigning, 7% on overseas work, 17 % on emergency relief and 52% on development work.
Christian Aid was formed in Britain and Ireland just as the Second World War was coming to its closure. The organization was set up to help refugees and churches to recover from the aftermath of the war. As the organization grew, it included countries from around the world. Over forty churches in the UK and Ireland are involved in Christian Aid. Its income is around forty million pounds. This money is raised through door to door collections and donations made from the members of the public and supporters.
The development projects which Christian-Aid work on help people to help them to avoid spending their lives constantly dependent on help from outside, this is known as sustainable development. Christian -aid is also involved in improving health and sanitation, including population control, protecting the rights of refugees, fighting for a greater democracy and freedom for ordinary people. Christian Aid does not provide foreign experts or expensive modern technology. Development work needs to build the skills and power of the local people.
Christian Aid is inspired by the dream of a new earth where all people can secure a better and more just future. Its purpose is to expose the scandal of poverty and to contribute to its eradication.
Christian Aid began life in 1945 as Christian Reconciliation in Europe, responding to the needs of refugees and churches in Europe in the aftermath of the Second World War. In 1949 it became an integral part of the British council of Churches (CTBI) as the Department for the Inter-church Aid and Refugee service, becoming involved with world refugee settlement and justice issues. It worked closely with the World Council of Churches and the churches in the newly independent countries in the south.
In 1964 the organization changed its name to Christian Aid after its best known source of income, Christian Aid week, which began in 1957. Since the reorganization of the council of Churches in 1991, Christian Aid has been a separate legal entity, but remains in close relationship with it. Christian Aid's essential belief is summed up in the statement
"We believe in life before death", now part of the Christian Aid logo.
From a Christian's point of view, they believe that wealth can either be used for the purpose of good or for the purpose of evil. People can only gain money in moral and lawful ways. Christian's believe that wealth is a gift from God and not theirs alone. Many biblical teachings show that having the wrong attitude to money, wealth can actually lead you away from God. Here is an extract about wealth taken from Timothy 6: 9-10 telling us that money just makes you have more and more desires.
"People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root for all kinds of evil."
In Hinduism, one of the four aims in life is "artha" which is the gaining of wealth by honest means. Hindu Law encourages Hindus to earn money so that, for example, a man can provide for his wife, children and extended family.
Guidelines on artha were given in the Artha Shastras, written by a sage called Kautilya who lived in 300BCE. This scripture includes teachings about accounts, coinage, trade, commerce, the armed forces, weights and measures, agriculture, law, government and administration.
It is clearly admitted by many economists that the present day problems of India are caused by exploitation of India's resources by the European powers during their time of colonial expansion.
There are many projects underway in India to try and reduce poverty. Many educational and commercial projects and rural development programmes are financed by charities rather than the government.
I really do not think that there should be the need for rich people in this world as all their unnecessary money can be put into better use in places where they are in desperate need. It is a case of asking yourself, "Why should die for hunger when there are others living in luxury?" if you really think about it, 80% of the world is owned by 4% of the population, has the world really come to this? However, for some people, it isn't their fault that they have become that rich, it can often occur through exploitation from other rich people or unfairness. For example, it could happen through trading debt and country leaders. When people say that life is unfair, they may just say it for the sake of saying it, but they are not actually thinking about the people for whom life actually isn't fair due to their lack in money.
On the other hand people may think that there is a need for rich people in this world. If everyone was the same, then there wouldn't be the need for work and there would be communism. Some may say that in life there needs to be two extremes, the need for happiness as well as sadness. Life can not go by with everything being the same. There has to be differences of many forms. For example, everybody can not look the same or have the same personality, as life would be boring and pointless. Being rich doesn't necessarily have to be bad. If the money is spent wisely and carefully on things that are important in this world, then having rich people would not affect the world.