Poverty is caused by many things such as unfair trading conditions, the cycle of debt, exploitation by the western world and big business interest.
There is enough wealth in this world to ensure that every human lives a decent life but this simply is not happening. This world is divided into two the rich ‘north’ and the poor ‘south’. The ‘north’ consists of the following countries: USA, Europe, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. The ‘south’ consists of the rest of the worlds countries. This gives you some idea as to how the wealth is distributed across the earth. The gap between the ‘north’ and ‘south’ has been increasing yet there have been no significant attempts to change this.
The north consists of 25% of the world’s population and 80% of the world’s income; on the other hand the south consists of 75% of the world’s population and only 20% of the world’s income. Rich people are anxious to keep hold of their wealth and as long as they wish to do so there will also be rich and poor.
This can be seen as injustice because the poor countries of this world are not given a thought.
Although the more economically developed countries lend money to the less economically developed counties to help in their development, they still face more problems, money is given to them but huge amounts of interest are charged and in most cases it is almost impossible to pay of their debts, they often end up in more debt than they where actually in before. More needs to be done to help those living in poverty, and all world religions say that it is our duty to help those in need.
Christian attitudes towards wealth are that it can be used for good or evil, so it is not seen as a bad thing. Christians can only gain wealth in lawful and moral ways, when a Christian gains wealth they should consider it a gift from God and not theirs alone.
Christians believe that if you have a bad attitude towards wealth it could lead them away from God.
Timothy 6:9-10
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 to all kinds of evil.
This teaches that those who want to gain wealth may be mislead by the love of money which will lead them away from God and to other kinds of evil.
Christians believe that all humans are created equal in the eyes of God and that all good things on this earth have been given to humans by God to use to help each other. This means that Christians should be concerned with all the poor people around the world. The Bible speaks of those who help others in need being rewarded. Jesus taught that people should look after one another.
“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and you invited me in. I needed clothes and you clothed med”.
People with material possessions are also taught to help others who are less fortunate than them as it says in 1 John 3:17,18:
If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children let us not love with words or tongue, but with actions and in truth.
This means that all Christians shouldn’t prize there material belongings but use their wealth to help others who are less fortunate than themselves.
Islam teaches that wealth is something given to them by God for the benefit of humanity and, therefore, is something to be shared. In Islam, sharing wealth is not optional extra, it is something commanded by God in the religious pillar of ‘Zakah’. In Arabic Zakah means purification and many Muslims believe that giving Zakah purifies the money they have left so that no harm can come to them from it.
There is a Hadith (teaching of Prophet Muhammad) which says,
“Protect your property by giving Zakah and help your relatives to recover from disease by giving Charity”.
Muslims pay Zakah annually on the basis of two and a half percent of all their savings and income above the level needed to keep their family.
Islam teaches that those who help others that are in need are rewarded,
Surah 2:274:
Those who in charity spend of their goods by night and by day, in secret and in public, have their reward with their lord.
Muslim are also taught that those who see others in need and have the ability to help but choose not to are seen as non Muslims as is stated in the following Hadith,
He who eats and drinks whilst his brother goes hungry is not one of us.
