Jews are expected to give one tenth of their income to the poor as charity, which in the Tenakh is called tzedakah. The best form of charity being where one makes sure the poor never need charity ever again.
Maimonides had 8 principles of giving to charity, the most important being
Giving help to a person so that they become self-sufficient.
Maimondes is teaching: -
1/ Give help to a person so that they become self-sufficient.
2/ The provider does not know the receiver and that the receiver does not know who provided.
3/ The provider knows the receiver, receiver does not know the provider.
4/ The provider does not know the receiver, receiver knows provider.
5/ Gives directly to a person in need, before being asked.
6/ Gives directly to a person in need, after being asked.
7/ Gives directly to a person in need cheerfully, but should give more.
8/ Gives a small amount reluctantly, with a scowl.
Deuteronomy 15: 7-8 states,
“If there are poor among you, in one of the towns of the land the lord your god is giving you, do not be selfish or greedy towards them. But give freely to them, and freely lend them whatever they need.”
This is the teaching that you must not be selfish of your wealth, because it is God that gave you the land to live on and the wealth you have is a gift from God, so it must be distributed in the way, which God would want.
In the Talmud, it says:
“I in righteousness shall behold thy face”
This means when I am n rectitude by giving Tzedakah then I shall behold thy face, emerge before you in prayer. This teaching is the foundation for the system of charity giving in synagogue
Within Judaism, it is very important to give away your money and valuables in order to help other people as God did that in a variety of ways for the many Jewish people who have lived.
(a) (ii) Explain why there is a need for world development.
In the world there are many countries, which are either well developed, standard or have poor facilities. Below shows the countries as they were classed (between 1950 – 1985)
First World: USA, Western Europe, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan.
Second World: USSR, Eastern Europe, China
Third World: All other countries
Due to the political sensitivity of the above labelling countries are now called by:
Developed countries, Developing countries and less developed countries.
There are many reasons for the lack of development. Many LDC’s (less developed countries) have been badly affected by wars in the past, which have left them devastated and unable to maintain a developed country status. Wars have had the effect of destruction, leaving the land ruined as crops, homes, hospitals and schools all destroyed. People were left without anything, and as a result poverty has risen. Therefore due to their experience of war and destruction these countries have a greater need for world development.
Natural disasters have also been a contributing factor for the need of world development and what is worse is that they are often very hard to avoid and sometimes are very difficult to predict. It seems that unfortunately some LDC’s are situated in areas of the world where natural disasters are more severe and are much more frequent. For instance, natural disasters such as an earthquake can bring mass destruction, ruining not only people’s homes but their livelihoods too. In Monserrat, a volcanic eruption covered the capital in ash and rubble, leaving many people homeless. Crops and farmland were destroyed, leaving people with no way of earning money.
People living in LDCs where natural disasters frequently occur, may often find that they are entering a vicious cycle that only ends in depression and despair. People that live in these such countries may have no choice but to accept their circumstances. This means that these people would have to build houses on any exposed low-lying land, which are prone to cyclones.
In the LDC’s, people often grow cash crops, which are crops grown for sale rather than consumption. This may be the only source of income for some and the way in which they can pay off their debts. This therefore means that the people growing cash crops end up starving, because they have been forced to sell food that they would have otherwise kept for themselves. It can therefore be seen the immediate need for world development here.
Debt is another factor as to why in some countries there is a need for world development. Many poorer countries have to borrow money from developed countries in order for them to begin to develop their land. However, the banks they borrow money from charge interest. This interest is often quite expensive for them and so the LDC’s sometimes find themselves in a situation where they cannot pay their debt, so therefore end up even poorer than they had previously been. Again highlighting the need for world development, so as to alleviate the strain of debt.
There are many other factors that cause poverty in the world and increase the need for world development. These include a lack of education, lack of clean water, low life expectancy and disease. At the moment there is a great need for world development but I feel that as time goes by, the world, although, is slowly progressing, is progressing none the less and thus trying to reduce poverty and help developing and less developing countries achieve a developed status. Sadly though however hard they try it seems that they are still a long way off to combat poverty.
(a)(iii)
Analyse and explain the work of ONE religious agency working for world development
Christian Aid is a religious agency working for world development. Christian Aid partners helping people to help others. Christian Aid helps all races and faiths.
Christian Aid is generally considered to have been the first agency to support other countries. It was started in 1953 and had been largely responsible for the present reformation in overseas countries. Christian Aid has spent more than £50 million to provide assistance to about 500 countries overseas.
Every pound raised means 75 pence is used to tackle poverty worldwide, 11 pence is spent on campaigning, education and to change structures of inequality. 12 pence is spent on fundraising events and 2 pence is spent on administration
Christian Aid has disaster funds, which aid refugees from natural disasters like floods, hurricanes, monsoons or earthquakes. Without their aid, many thousands of people, would live miserable lives and most probably die in a ‘pathetic state’. This immediate emergency aid given, is that of food supplies sent, antibiotics and medical aid to make-shift hospitals, shelters for homeless victims like those in hurricanes like in Honduras, or war torn countries like Rwanda or Bosnia, where people receive shelter, tents and basic supplies.
Christian Aid believes in long term aid. This charity has an advantage over most charities because it receives the aid through local Christian organisations, which they only need to finance. Christian Aid funds a health workers group, which makes basic drugs to cure common illnesses, which some countries con not afford.
In Madras, India, there are many people who are unemployed. The homeless live in shantytowns. There water is very dirty, and it has a poor hygiene.
The Madras Christian Council For Social Services helps the needs in Madras.
The MCCSS helps the flow of a water supply. For instance a pump may be donated by the MCCSS, so collecting water for people in Madras will be a lot quicker and efficient. The MCCSS help countries with their everyday requirements, which we do not consider as important.
The MCCSS organises a social centre. It’s a place to study and learn about the main issues in everyday life.
Children in Madras breed goats and sell them for money. They do this for a living if they cannot get a decent education. Sometimes education in Madras is not essential and by using their skills they can earn money. By having skills, it can give a form of making a living.
In the past, hundreds of highly educated men and women have gone back to provide leadership for their less developed country, to help their own people survive and help to grow their city and country.
(b)
‘There should be no rich people as long as there is poverty in the world’
Some people may agree with this statement because they believe that everyone should have an equal opportunity in life. They may believe that no person should start off with more money then anyone else. Even if some of these people do have a large sum of money, they may give out financial aid in the form of a charity.
The group called the World Wide Message Tribe are a group of Christian youth workers that gave up the chance to be famous to help preach about God. The workers employed are not in the job for the money, because they accept the fact that they are paid a charity worker’s wage. Which is very little but enough to live. They know that they are able to survive on the money that they are given and they enjoy their job as they are helping others in a fun and amusing way!
“Jesus looked at him and loved him. ‘One thing you lack,’ he said. ‘ Go sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’ At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad because he had great wealth. Jesus looked round and said to his disciples, ‘ How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God.”
Since the man did not give away all his treasures away to the poor he could not follow Jesus and enter heaven. You cannot be half devoted to God, but you can only follow him fully.
Christians that support this statement might use Acts 2:43 to justify their opinions. “All the believers continued together in close fellowship and shared their belongings with one another. They would sell their property and possessions, and distribute the money among all, according to what each one needed.”
Since the apostles shared all they had with each other, some Christians may say that this is how we should live too. No one would be rich, and no one poor.
The bible does not say that being rich is wrong. The bible states that you should take whatever money you receive but also help the less fortunate. In Timothy 6:10, it says, “The love of Money is the root to all kinds of evil.”
You should give some money to the charities as you will be doing a good deed and sharing out your money.
Judaism teaches that you must take ten percent of your income and give it to the poor as tzedakah. It is not wrong in Judaism to be rich, but the money earned must have been earned correctly, by keeping mitzvoth.
It says in Leviticus 19:9-10, “If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the lord your God is giving you, do not be hard-hearted or tight-fisted towards your brother. Rather be open-handed and freely lend him whatever he needs.”
It is also taught that wealth is a gift from God and must be used for self, and others.
It is important to lend the poor what they need if you have the money to give. In my opinion, I feel that it should be okay to be rich, as long as you give to the charities every now and then. I think that there is nothing wrong with money, but the love of money is wrong.
In Timothy 6:10, it says, “The love of Money is the root to all kinds of evil.”
There would be a big issue raised if this were to happen, as you cannot define rich. People who have worked hard and feel that it would not be fair for them not to have the money they rightfully deserve.
My own view is that that supports the Jewish way of obtaining money. If money is obtained through the same basic ideas of tzedakah, it is okay to have that money. When you begin to love money that is when you become evil. I think if money is earned in the correct way, this is all right because it has been done by them selves and they deserve it. If you spend your money correctly on needs not what you want, then it is okay to be rich.