Wealth and poverty within religion.

This kind of love (agape) can be seen in the "Parable of the Good Samaritan". It teaches that two people just walked past and this shows that they didn't "Love their neighbour" whereas the Good Samaritan obviously did believe in what Jesus had taught as he stopped to help the man who had been attacked and took him to a near by inn and looked after him.

Word Count: - 468 words

- Choose two specific examples of problems faced by people in developing countries and explain how Christians might apply the beliefs you have identified to the problems. (14 marks - 350 to 525 words)

Two Specific examples of problems faced by people in developing countries are The World Debt and Unfair Trading:

a) Cancelling the World Debt.

Frequently, when a country in the developing world is struggling economically they appeal for aid from organisations like the IMF (international monetary fund) or the World Bank. They are issued loans from the developed countries like the USA or UK at a high rate of interest. They are required to pay overtime, however the interest rates are so high that the country often finds itself in further debt than before the loan. This problem is defined as world debt. Suggestions made recently have been that all debt to be paid by the developing world should be written off and a fresh start made. However the problem of World Debt increases every day as inters rates on loans increase.

b) Fair Trade

Fair Trade means an equitable and fair partnership between marketers and producers. A fair trade partnership works to provide low-income artisans and farmers with a living wage for their work. Many coffee farmers around the world receive market payments that are lower than the costs of production, forcing them into a cycle of poverty and debt. Intensive coffee farming can also lead to pesticide pollution and deforestation.

Fair trade works to correct these imbalances by guaranteeing producers are paid fairly for their products, which mean that workers are paid at least that country's minimum wage. Since the minimum wage ($1.26 per pound) is often not enough for basic survival, whenever feasible, workers are paid a living wage, which enables them to cover basic needs, including food, shelter, education and health care for their families. Paying fair wages does not necessarily mean that products cost the consumer more. Since Fair Trade Organizations bypass exploitative middlemen and work directly with producers, they are able to cut costs and return a greater percentage of the retail price to the producers.

Christians can

Word Count: - 468 words

- "The Rich man went to hell as he did not help Lazarus. The same will happen to us if we do not help the poor in the world" Do you agree? Give reasons for your answer, showing that you have considered more than one point of view. (10 marks - 250 to 375 words)

The rich young man went to hell because he did not help Lazarus but this doesn't necessarily mean you will go to hell because you don't help the poor. There are many reasons for and against this situation and I believe there is no definite answer that is true because no one except God has the right to say weather someone will go to heaven or hell.

I feel life is fair because if you are selfish you deserve to go to hell, if people could get away with being selfish and then enter heaven there would be no point n hell, as hell is meant for punishment. Many crimes are performed by selfish acts so many criminals could enter heaven. Heaven is there to reward people for the life they lead on Earth. Also why should God help people to get into heaven when you never helped him? You are seen as not helping him because you never helped the needy, ill and poor.

Yet you may feel that God loves everyone on Earth and forgives people when they do wrong. God is a neighbour to everyone so he loves everyone. In love there is an element of forgiveness so therefore God should forgive. Many people are unable to help as they are very poor and don't have enough money to feed themselves so why should they be punished by going to hell because they suffer everyday isn't that enough punishment. Also some people may be caught up into a problem at home so will sort themselves out before helping others as shown by the saying "Charity begins at home". Sorting out there own life takes time, sometimes all there life, in some extreme cases it may even cause the end to a life.

People do not help the poor because instead they help a relative that may be very ill. These type of people should not go to hell as they are not bad people but don't have time to help others because all there time is spent helping the relative.

Many poor people who receive help waste it for example if a country is given money to help them develop they have been known to waste it on guns and weapons which shouldn't be needed anyway as God says there should be peace on Earth.

Others believe hell does not exist it is just there as a decoy to frighten people therefore making them Good.

In conclusion I think that it isn't for us to decide who goes to hell it is God's decision. Yet if I was given the right to decide my decision would not just be based on helping the poor. Many elements go into the decision and it is a very hard decision to make therefore shouldn't be made hastily it takes time.

Word Count: - 470 words