"The distribution of resources and wealth in the world is unequal."

GCSE Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)

Gayle C Stewart 11G

RE Coursework – Rich and Poor

SECTION ONE

“The distribution of resources and wealth in the world is unequal.”

The annual industrial and agricultural production globally results in enough food and materials to give every person a decent standard of living. However the fact remains that the world’s resources and wealth is unequally distributed, and the supplies are not going where they are needed. The impoverished South, representing two thirds of the world’s population, has only 20% of the total wealth to support its people and economy. In contrast, the rich North has a shocking 80% of the wealth. This contrast is so significant that the north and south have come to be known as the First and Third World – that is how different they are. The Brandt report, published in 1984, highlights and shows clearly division between the developed and the developing countries.

This extreme inequality is having very severe repercussions on the developing countries. Some examples are the situation of constant debt, starvation and political problems such as civil war. However an extremely serious issue I will focus on is the spread of disease in Africa.

Around 80% of diseases are spread through unsafe water, and a poor diet or malnutrition directly causes others. Examples are marasmus and bilharzia, which are commonly found in developing countries. Children are especially vulnerable, with only 50% living beyond the age of five. In the First World, however, these diseases are extremely rarely found. So the reason why the developing countries are suffering is due to the poor sanitation and health-care systems, which they simply cannot afford to establish. The inequality is having a devastating effect, and costing thousands of lives. Another widespread killer disease that has taken hold in Africa is AIDS. This is one of the most severe health problems in Africa in the late 20th century. By 1991 two thirds of the world's AIDS cases were in Africa, and though much of their medical budget has been concentrated in this area it is nowhere near the amount needed to make a difference.

So what are Christian attitudes towards this situation? According to Jesus, the greatest commandment was to

“Love the Lord…Love your neighbour as you love yourself.”(Mark 12)

and so it is a Christian’s duty to get involved and help those living in poverty. In the Final Judgement (Matthew 25) God rewarded those who helped the less fortunate for their deeds, because God is in every person. From this teaching, Christians learn that God is within everyone, and in response they should try to care for all of mankind. It is the responsibility of a Christian to become aware of ...

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So what are Christian attitudes towards this situation? According to Jesus, the greatest commandment was to

“Love the Lord…Love your neighbour as you love yourself.”(Mark 12)

“Whenever you did this for one of the least important of these

members of my family, you did it for me!” (25:40)

Christians need to be Aware of the problems, Alert and ready to give support, and Available to actively help. In this way, the story is teaching Christians to treat all those in need – even in small ways such as donating any spare money.

By doing what they can to help the poor and impoverished, Christians will be rewarded by God in heaven. As illustrated in The Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16), it is not material possessions such as money, large houses or splendid clothes and food that should be relied upon. The important thing is to rely on God, and to follow him means to do as he would want. The rich man in this case was guilty of being unaware of the suffering of Lazarus, and he did

“…not listen to Moses and the prophets.” (16:31)

As a result, he was punished in his second life. In the same way, some people in the rich north do not realise how desperate the situation is in the Third World so do nothing to help. Therefore, education is extremely important to get people to become involved with charities and give development aid, in this way giving the less fortunate some support. Education brings down the barrier between rich and poor, which becomes greater in the next life according to this story. In the world today, there are many means available to people wanting to give aid to others in need, for example aid agencies like CAFOD. It is very easy to take part, and Christians should do this. However, after death,

“…there is a deep pit lying between…so that those who

want to cross over cannot do so.” (16:26)

There will be no opportunity after death to help the poor. A Christian can learn from this story, to help those in need when they can.

A Christian is a disciple of Jesus, and should follow his teaching and example. Jesus showed us that giving to the poor was right on many different occasions. In the story of The Rich Man (Mark 10) Jesus pointed out that,

“It is much harder for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God

than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle.”(10:25)

This means that money can be an obstacle, and when there is an extreme excess of it (as there is now with 80% of wealth with 1/3 population in north) then it is very difficult to enter the Kingdom of God. If wealth was shared out equally and there was no divide as shown in the Brandt report, then the Kingdom of God would be alive in the world today. This is the aim of Christians throughout the world. Jesus told us that

“Those who are first will be last, and those who are last will be first.” (10:31)

This is significant because it shows that by helping others in the world today, we will be rewarded for our actions in heaven despite the fact that the rewards do not appear great on earth. This is the attitude that Christians should have towards giving to the poor.

The attitude of giving to those in need is supported by Christian voluntary aid agencies such as CAFOD, the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development. CAFOD asks us to remember what Jesus told us about the poor. He taught:

“Sell your belongings and give the money to the poor…

save your riches in heaven.” (Luke12:33)

This means that wealth is not of true importance, but kind actions and helping others are what a Christian should do and thrive on. Christians should be like the poor widow in Mark 12. She put herself last of all, and was more concerned with other people’s welfare than her own. She did not have much to give, only a penny, but it was all she had.

“I tell you that this poor widow put more in the offering box

than all the others.” (12:43)

If people today could follow in the poor widow’s footsteps by contributing, no matter how much money they have, then we will be helping other people and God. The story of Barnabas, called The Believers Share their Possessions (Acts 4) teaches Christians the ideal situation of the community.

“None of them said that any of their belongings were their own, but they

all shared with one another everything they had.” (4:32)

This is true equality, and as a result of this community attitude and action

“There was no-one in the group who was in need.” (4:34)

This is the way the world should be, and the only thing that holds this back is the greed of the rich people and also wealthy companies, for instance large drug companies that will not allow Africa to make its own anti-retroviral medicines despite the fact that it has a huge spread of AIDS. But if they were not so concerned with the profit, and were more interested in the welfare of other people, then there would be no more poverty or suffering, because everyone has the opportunity to get better.

To support the victims of the inequality present in the world today, Christians can get involved in a number of ways. They do not have to become practical aid workers to lend a hand, instead they can simply give donations as part of Emergency or Long-term aid. In the story of the Good Samaritan, a very basic story of charity, Christians can learn how they should help. In this story, a man was beaten and robbed. He represents the poor and impoverished. Two people passed him, and finally a Samaritan man came along whose

“…heart was filled with pity.” (Lk 10:33)

This is how a Christian responds to the victims – with feelings, and understanding that there is a problem. He then provided emergency aid, by bandaging and treating his wounds. The next day, the Samaritan provided long-term relief for the poor man, by giving money that would contribute to his future. Christians can follow this example by reacting to organisations like CAFOD and giving donations that can be used to build shelter, supplying food and tools, and providing food for those in need.

One of the most important things a Christian can do is to pray for the victims of these situations. In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus said

“When you pray, go into your room and close the door. Then pray to your Father who

cannot be seen. Your Father can see what is done in secret, and he will reward you.”

(Mt 6:6)

This tells us that by praying for those who need us, we are helping who we pray for and will be rewarded for it. Christians should acknowledge this and act accordingly.

The earliest Christian teachings tell us to help the poor. A Christian's duty is to be willing to help anyone, and must play a leading role in this. A true Christian should follow Jesus and live by his teachings on the wealth, poverty and charity. By doing this, it is a start to the world becoming more equal.