The Old Testament teaches us that God uses warfare as a key to punish evil and cruel nations and put a dead end to injustice in the world.
‘You are doomed! You make unjust laws that oppress my people. That is how you prevent the poor from having their rights and from getting justice…what will you do when god punishes you? What will you do when he brings disaster on you from a distant country? You will be killed in battle or dragged off as prisoners.”
In rich countries, most people are expected to live until the age of 70 approx. however in poor countries, the average age of death is 40 or 50 years old. This huge difference is because in poor countries, many young children and babies eventually die at an early age; All of this is the sad truth of poverty; there is no euphemism for it any of it. Many people around the world, especially in countries such as Mexico, Peru, Brazil etc are unable to neither read nor write. Financial problems can be the main reason; money is unavailable to build schools for students and payment for teachers at the same time. However, many children are kept out of education because they are desperately needed for house works.
Lower economical developed countries such as India, Africa, Bangladesh, Latin America are often called the ‘third world’, communist countries for example Russia and Europe are the ‘second world’, and finally the rich countries in the western park of the world are the ‘first world’, The average standard of living is proved low as people in countries living in conditions are less affected by industries and technology than the ‘first’ and ‘second’ worlds. Although there are many poor people living in poor countries, there are numbers of people who are rich enough to be able to provide resources on their own.
There are many serious effects that could be faced to the world due to the increase in the world’s population. The huge numbers of people in the world are suffering from undernourishment and malnutrition. Even though the production of food has rapidly increased, it still hasn’t been able to produce a sufficient let alone surplus amount. The children living within this hostile and poverty stricken environment then proceed to grow up and urgently look for jobs to help out their living. However, millions of children fail to succeed to be employed. In the third world, there are many difficult problems that are hard to control. It has been estimated that 2 billion extra people will enter the world population and 1.8 million people will enter the world of the poor in the third world. This is due to the lack of contraception; many poor people are unable to use contraceptives as the majority of people in south America are roman Catholics nor are they too poor to afford these items. Adults often avoid using contraceptives to have a larger family, helping them to produce food more easily.
Christian aid
Christian aid is one agency of the Christian church with the aim of short-term emergency relief and long-term development. All other agencies such is the catholic fund for over seas development (CAFOD) the main goal of these organizations is to help countries to a better and secure future. Most Christians has stated that their job is to give charity but shouldn’t get involved in any political action. However, on the other hand, some say changing the structures of society either at home or outdoor is the only way to avoid the result of poverty. Christian aid has figured that changes will occur only if we, as an individual, help the poor countries survive by giving them our love, energy, influence, and gifts to change the world to a better place. Each and every one of us makes a difference to the poor people out there if we put our act together. Already, because of everyone’s support all over the world, Afghanistan and in the Middle East are finally starting to get a grip to survive. Christian aid supports sustainable development, helping raise money and donating to the needy.
’In every human being in need we are confronted by Jesus Christ himself and…if we deny him in his encounter, we cannot belong to him’
(Christian aid statement)
In an ideal world, or “Utopia” so to speak; there would be no true definition of the words “rich” and “poor” as everyone would be created equal and each individual would be of identical stature. This particular theme or concept of “Utopia” is also the root of Christian ethics; that in the eyes of God we are all ‘his people’; and thus each and every one of us is considered just as valuable as the next. It is the idea that there are starving and sick people globally that fuels the harrowing and ever growing poverty in the world today and this is exactly the type of living situation that Christians frown upon. Christian’s beliefs rest upon the “utopian paradise” type ideal; that every person is of equal status and deserves the same surplus amount of possessions and basic needs. This particular belief can be applied and withdrawn from text from the HOLY BIBLE. As Jesus was not a man of extreme wealth he still managed to get by and make a giant impact on the Christian people and the Jews. Jesus was a very powerful man because of his elaborate preaching and teachings concerning the Lord, God. He taught that the ‘Lord is our Shepard and he watches over us like his flock of sheep’; now it is safe to say that in this analogy that is taken from the Bible justifies that each and every one of us are created as equals under the eyes of God. We are all his ‘sheep’ and he is our Shepard he watches over every single one of us.
The reason I speak so frequently of Jesus Christ is because of the extreme power and significance to the Christians he made (obviously) as he was the son of god, and he was not exactly known for being filthy rich; thus this proves that God does not only cherish the wealthy but loves the poor and the paupers as well; as his “son” was of their social status.
Christians today and even in the past are taught through the bible to help the less fortunate/their fellow man; (“If…there is a fellow-Israelite in need…do not be selfish and refuse to help him…. be generous and lend him as much as he needs…. Give to him freely and unselfishly…there will always be some Israelites who are poor and in need so I command you to be generous to them.”---Deuteronomy 15:7-8, 10-11). There are numerous references to helping the less fortunate; another such example of ‘helping the less fortunate’ comes from the tale of the “Good Samaritan” a short story/tale told by Jesus about a man who is beaten and then robbed of all his possessions. Not once but three times do ‘good’ people cross his path and instead of helping the unfortunate they turn their heads in disgust. Finally by chance a ‘Good Samaritan’ then happens to encounter the ambushed fellow and tends to him. This story told by the Jesus himself teaches Christians to help one another ---be good Samaritans to one another. Yet another reference to ‘giving to your fellow man’ can be made in Luke 3:11: “Whoever has two shirts must give one to the man who has none, and whoever has food must share it.” This quote keeps the same notion or idea that every one is created equal and so they try their best to contribute to those who are regretfully less fortunate than they; through charity collection plates and by donating money to funds in which to help the needy.